Blithe Spirit (1945)
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- Approved
- 1h 36min
- Comedy, Fantasy
- 03 Oct 1945 (USA)
- Movie
- Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
Rex Harrison | ... |
Charles Condomine
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Constance Cummings | ... |
Ruth Condomine
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Kay Hammond | ... |
Elvira Condomine
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Margaret Rutherford | ... |
Madame Arcati
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Hugh Wakefield | ... |
Dr. George Bradman
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Joyce Carey | ... |
Violet Bradman
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Jacqueline Clarke | ... |
Edith
(as Jaqueline Clarke)
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Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
Marie Ault | ... |
Cook (uncredited)
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Noël Coward | ... |
Narrator (uncredited)
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Johnnie Schofield | ... |
R.A.C. Man Directing Traffic (uncredited)
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Directed by
David Lean |
Written by
David Lean | ... | (adapted for the screen by) & |
Ronald Neame | ... | (adapted for the screen by) & |
Anthony Havelock-Allan | ... | (adapted for the screen by) |
Noël Coward | ... | (play) (uncredited) |
Noël Coward | ... | (screenplay) (uncredited) |
Produced by
Noël Coward | ... | producer (produced by) (as Noel Coward) |
Music by
Richard Addinsell | ... | (musical score) |
Cinematography by
Ronald Neame | ... | (photographed in Technicolor by) |
Editing by
Jack Harris |
Editorial Department
Joan Bridge | ... | associate color director: Technicolor |
Natalie Kalmus | ... | color director: Technicolor |
Margery Saunders | ... | assembly editor (uncredited) |
Norah Walsh | ... | assistant editor (uncredited) |
Casting By
Irene Howard | ... | (uncredited) |
Art Direction by
C.P. Norman |
Set Decoration by
Arthur Taksen | ... | (uncredited) |
Makeup Department
Tony Sforzini | ... | makeup artist |
Vivienne Walker | ... | hairdresser |
Production Management
Anthony Havelock-Allan | ... | in charge of production |
Norman Spencer | ... | unit manager |
Sydney Streeter | ... | unit manager (as S.S. Streeter) |
Herbert Smith | ... | executive in charge of production (uncredited) |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
George Pollock | ... | assistant director |
Art Department
G.E. Calthrop | ... | art supervisor to Noel Coward |
T. Hopewell Ash | ... | draughtsman (uncredited) |
Sound Department
John Cook | ... | sound recordist (as John Cooke) |
Desmond Dew | ... | sound recordist |
Cyril Crowhurst | ... | dubbing editor (uncredited) |
Roy Day | ... | sound camera operator (uncredited) |
Percy Dayton | ... | boom operator (uncredited) |
Anthony J. Kay | ... | dubbing crew (uncredited) |
George Lewis | ... | sound maintenance (uncredited) |
George Paternoster | ... | assistant boom operator (uncredited) |
Alan Whatley | ... | dubbing crew (uncredited) |
Special Effects by
Tom Howard | ... | special effects |
Visual Effects by
Charles Staffell | ... | back projection (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
William McLeod | ... | camera operator (as Wm. McLeod) |
Dennis Bartlett | ... | focus puller (uncredited) |
Wilfrid Newton | ... | still photographer (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Hilda Collins | ... | dress supervisor |
Raemonde Rahvis | ... | dresses (as Rahvis) |
Music Department
London Symphony Orchestra | ... | music performed by |
Muir Mathieson | ... | conductor: The London Symphony Orchestra |
Leonard Isaacs | ... | orchestrator (uncredited) |
Script and Continuity Department
Yvonne Axworthy | ... | assistant continuity (uncredited) |
Maggie Unsworth | ... | continuity (uncredited) |
Additional Crew
George Minassian | ... | technician for Technicolor |
Production Companies
Distributors
- General Film Distributors (GFD) (1945) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Eagle-Lion Film (1945) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- United Artists (1945) (United States) (theatrical)
- Gaumont-Eagle Lion (1946) (Belgium) (theatrical)
- Gaumont-Eagle Lion (1946) (France) (theatrical)
- J.Arthur Rank-Film (1946) (Germany) (theatrical)
- Kommunenes Filmcentral (KF) (1946) (Norway) (theatrical)
- United Artists (1946) (Canada) (theatrical)
- Associated British Film Distributors (A.B.F.D.) (1947) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Classic Pictures (1952) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Warner Home Video (1991) (United Kingdom) (VHS)
- Video Collection International (1993) (United Kingdom) (VHS)
- Image Entertainment (1998) (United States) (DVD)
- Carlton Visual Entertainment (2003) (United Kingdom) (DVD)
- Filmax Home Video (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
- MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2004) (United States) (DVD)
- MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2004) (United States) (VHS)
- Park Circus (2008) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (restored version)
- ITV DVD (2008) (United Kingdom) (DVD) (restored version)
- The Criterion Collection (2012) (United States) (DVD) (restored version)
- Elephant Films (2015) (France) (DVD)
- HBO Max (2020) (United States) (video) (VOD)
- Pidax Film (2021) (Germany) (DVD)
- Samuel Goldwyn Home Entertainment (United States) (VHS)
- Thorn EMI Video Australia (1985) (Australia) (video)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- BFI National Archive (a restoration by/film restoration by)
- Cineric (restoration) (restored version)
- Granada International (a restoration by/film restoration by in collaboration with)
- Granada International (high definition transfer and digital restoration by)
- Technicolor Creative Services (high definition transfer and digital restoration at)
- The David Lean Foundation (a restoration funded by/film restoration funded by)
- The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) (musical score played by)
Storyline
Plot Summary |
To get background for a new book, author Charles Condomine (Sir Rex Harrison) and his second wife Ruth (Constance Cummings) light-heartedly arrange for local mystic Madame Arcati (Dame Margaret Rutherford) to give a séance. The unfortunate result is that Charles' first wife Elvira (Kay Hammond) returns from beyond the grave to make his life something of a misery. Ruth too gets increasingly irritated with her supernatural rival, but Madame Arcati is at her wit's end as to how to sort things out. Written by J-26 |
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Taglines | Elvira is the kind of gal who can turn an evening into a night you'll never forget! See more » |
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Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Did You Know?
Trivia | Writer and director Sir David Lean and cinematographer Ronald Neame decided not to use double exposure to create Elvira's ghostly appearances. Instead, Lean created an enormous set that allowed Kay Hammond to move freely in each shot. Hammond wore fluorescent green clothes, make-up, and a wig, with bright red lipstick and fingernail polish. Each time she moved, a special light would be directed on her, allowing her figure to glow even in dimly-lit scenes and giving her an otherworldly appearance. See more » |
Goofs | After the séance, when Elvira first appears, she flops onto the settee by the fire. As her dress billows, it can be seen that the green ghostly makeup ends half-way up her leg, showing normal skin above the makeup line. See more » |
Movie Connections | Featured in Truly Miss Marple: The Curious Case of Margaret Rutherford (2012). See more » |
Soundtracks | Always See more » |
Crazy Credits | The voice at the end of the credits page that utters, "We are quite, quite WRONG!" is Noël Coward's. See more » |
Quotes |
Charles Condomine:
It's discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit. See more » |