Comedy

Blithe Spirit (1945) Dual Esp Eng DVDRip (SiRiUs sHaRe)

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Blithe Spirit (1945) El Espiritu Burlon

To get background for a new book, author Charles and his second wife Ruth light-heartedly arrange for local mystic Madame Arcati to give a séance. The unfortunate result is that Charles' first wife Elvira returns from beyond the grave to make his life something of a misery. Ruth too gets increasingly irritated with her supernatural rival, but M.Arcati is at her wit's end as to how to sort things out.

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Un cínico novelista casado por segunda vez va a sufir una experiencia única: el espíritu de su primera esposa, fallecida tiempo atrás, se le aparece ahora para amargarle la existencia. El escritor tratará por todos los medios de liberarse de la presencia de tan molesto fantasma.

El espíritu burlón es una comedia fantástica que ganó un Oscar por sus ingeniosos efectos especiales.

Un clásico de David Lean, uno de los grandes directores más galardonados de la historia del cine (Oscar por Lawrence d'Arabia, El puente sobre el río Kwai)

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This is one of my all time favourite comedy films. I am sure that you will enjoy it!

- SiRiUs sHaRe

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Rex Harrison ... Charles Condomine
Constance Cummings ... Ruth Condomine
Kay Hammond ... Elvira Condomine
Margaret Rutherford ... Madame Arcati
Hugh Wakefield ... Dr. George Bradman
Joyce Carey ... Violet Bradman
Jacqueline Clarke ... Edith

Director: David Lean

Runtime: 96 mins

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038363/

Audio 1: Espanol
Audio 2: English

Codecs:

Video : 623 MB, 951 Kbps, 25.0 fps, 480*368 (4:3), XVID = XVID Mpeg-4,
Audio : 36 MB, 56 Kbps, 48000 Hz, 1 channels, 0x55 = MPEG Layer-3, CBR,

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I must say, this was a bloody good film. Unlike the other older films that I have watched this one actually had originality, spunk, and a whole lot of fun. Blithe Spirit is the story of a couple that is happy in every way. Rex Harrison and Constance Cummings play a couple, Charles and Ruth Condomine, who have been married for five years. This is both of theirs second marriage. They are seemingly wealthy due to Harrison's books that he has written. His next book is about the supernatural, so he has invited the local gypsy to their house on night to not only study what she does, but also for a form of entertainment.

Wonderfully played by Margaret Rutherford, Madame Arcati (the gypsy) makes her entrance and immediately sets the tone for the remainder of the film. She runs around the room like a hyperactive child, standing ... sitting ... running ... and jumping she puts on a great performance for those watching. After the séance is completed with no results, the two couples find themselves laughing as Arcati leaves for the night. The only one not laughing is Harrison. He has discovered that his dead wife has actually risen from the grave and can see and talk to him. The only trouble, Harrison is the only one that can see her. Harrison, hysterical in a Hugh Grant sort of way, is not so much frightened that she is a ghost, but that his ex-wife is back in the same room as he. He spends the evening, to his current wife's displeasure, talking to Edith (his first wife) about her current disposition. Humor, suspicion, and creative film-making continue throughout the rest of this film. The ending to this film surprised me, but also kept well within the themes of this film. Rex Harrison has proved that he was one of Britain and Hollywood's greatest assets.

After my first two run ins with 1940-1950s cinema, I was ready to be board and asleep by now, instead I am awake and have a huge smile on my face. It is so impressive to see such quality and original work come from this time period. Looking at the most recent horror/thriller cinema that has graced our screens lately like The Others, The Sixth Sense, and even The Ring, it was a joy to sit back and enjoy a comedy that combines the same elements from these into a very funny caper. Taken from a play by author Noel Coward, Blithe Spirit sharpens your intellect and brings you deep into the world of British comedy.

The casting was perfect. This is actually my first Rex Harrison film, and I cannot wait to see him again. The style of acting that he has, and it may have just been for this film, is not only sharp, but directly on cue. I couldn't keep my eyes off the old gypsy. Her facial expressions, plus mannerisms showed that she was very excited about this part. The concept of this film was extraordinary. Since I have only seen a handful of 1940s films, the plot and elements in this film far exceed the others plus some of the cinema released today.

I love British humor. I loved the fact that after the first ten minutes, nobody was scared of these ghosts. It was like it was the normality of life for these characters. It took a little longer for Ruth to be comfortable, but Charles stepped right into it. Add to this mix a surprise element about Charles' marriage brings continual laughter and surprises. So, not only do we have ghosts in the house, but we also have a crumbling marriage. Not only do we have a very funny film about ghosts, but we also have an ending that I did not see coming at all.

Overall, it was not just a funny ghost film, but instead a funny ghost film with a pinch of "who-dun-it". If you are in the movie store looking for that 1940s film that will tie you over for the night, please check out Blithe Spirit. I think you will thoroughly enjoy it. No spooky in any way, just straight out fun!!

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Rex Harrison is Charles Condimine, a prominent novelist whose first wife Elvira (Kay Hammond) died of flu-type illness). His second wife, Ruth (Constance Cummings) is planning to assist his research into the occult for a new novel. This includes a dinner party where a local medium (Madame Arcati - Margaret Rutherford) is invited to hold a séance. So far it seems simple. Harrison and Cummings treat the whole matter as a joke (politely, of course), but just before the séance begins Madame Arcati requests some music - and Ruth finds a recording of Irving Berlin's song "Always" and puts it on. Charles shows disquiet at this (the first time that happens), but despite protests the record is put in. And as a result, when Madame Arcati puts the record on she manages to contact Elvira, who shows up (much to Charles increasing panic). "Always", you see, was her favorite tune.

So begins Noel Coward's (and David Lean's) film version of BLITHE SPIRIT. It is, technically, the best of the three films based on Coward's classic comedies (the other two are PRIVATE LIVES and DESIGN FOR LIVING). Note, for example, the way Elvira is colored green in the film-stock. But in it's way it is flawed just as they are. Enough remains, however, for an above average comedy.

To it's credit it revealed Margaret Rutherford as the delightful, eccentric comic actress who would help push British comedies in the 1950s and 1960s (until she became the first popular Mrs. Marple, and an Oscar winner for THE V.I.P.S). Look at her trances, as her voice assumes that of the little girl (with a runny nose) who is her contact with the other side.

Rex Harrison gave one of his best comic performances as a realistic man caught in a occult nightmare (when Arcati says the spirit she contacts wants to speak to Charles, it is suggested that it is the recently deceased "old Mrs. Plunkett" who wants to speak to him - a surprised and annoyed Harrison asks, "Why should old Mrs. Plunkett want to speak to me?" It's a typical response.) As the two warring wives, Hammond and Cummings are quite good, the former all frivolous and fun loving, the latter more down-to-earth and serious. But both love Charles, although not blind to his real flaws. Nor, as it turns out, is he blind to theirs.

The film is better than Lubitsch's DESIGN FOR LIVING. That one had some nice touches in it (I mentioned Edward Everett Horton's "Honeymoon" kick in my review of that film), but it was censored in revealing the bi-sexuality of the characters played by Cooper and March. Here the flaw is that the end is tampered with for a final joke, but while cute (and ironic) it hurts the way Coward ended his play.

I saw Richard Chamberlain and Geraldine Page (in her last role as Madame Arcati) in a stage production in the late 1980s. The play ends with Charles free to leave and continue with his life (indeed, Madame Arcati urges him to go). But he first tells off his two wives, and leaves them trapped together. Coward favored that particular ending - it was more in line with his theme in the play that even the happiest marriages flounder in part because of personality clashes, and attempts by wives to control husbands that just lie under the surface. It is not dismissed in the film - on the contrary the theme is broadly shown - but the film suggests that it is impossible to escape this. It is not going to ruin watching the film, but it does weaken Coward's vision of things.

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Written by a maestro and directed by the king of kings, Blithe Spirit is a fantastical comedy that gladdens and lifts the spirits {no pun intended} to the point that this viewer still wears a grin 12 hours after watching it . Noel Coward's witty approach is given perfect treatment from David Lean and a cast clearly having fun with the material to hand. Rex Harrison is all fresh faced and youthful and some of his mannerisms of incredulity and cheek are a joy to behold, whilst Constance Cummings & Kay Hammond bounce off each other with electrical mirth. However it is Margaret Rutherford's show all the way, her portrayal of the batty, almost maniacal medium Madame Arcati is a joy to behold, and that alone is worth watching the film for.

Ghostly goings on with a cracking turn of events at the hour mark, mark this out as a delightful movie so thank the lord we get an ending that is perfect and intune as regards the fun that has gone before

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