Blithe Spirit (1945 film)

Lore & Background

The film features Rex Harrison as Charles Condomine, Constance Cummings as his second wife Ruth, and Kay Hammond and Margaret Rutherford reprising their stage roles as Elvira and Madame Arcati. The screenplay was written by Lean, cinematographer Ronald Neame, and associate producer Anthony Havelock-Allan. The title derives from Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem 'To a Skylark,' and Irving Berlin's song 'Always' is an important plot element. The film was shot at Denham Studios from May to August 1944, with exteriors filmed at two houses in Buckinghamshire. Unlike the play, the film's ending implies Charles's death off-screen after a car crash, but he does not join his wives as a spirit in the final scene.

Reader's Guide

Blithe Spirit was Coward's preferred adaptation over Hollywood offers, which he felt had 'vulgarized, distorted and ruined' previous versions of his plays. The film made several changes from the play, including added exterior scenes and a new ending in which Charles dies and joins his wives as a spirit—a change Coward strenuously objected to, charging that it ruined his best play. Despite positive critical reviews, the film was a commercial disappointment on both sides of the Atlantic, but it is now widely regarded as a classic. The film's visual effects won an Oscar, and its Technicolor photography has been particularly praised. Margaret Rutherford's performance as Madame Arcati was singled out by Variety as outstanding.

Did You Know?

• The film's title comes from Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem 'To a Skylark.'
• Irving Berlin's song 'Always' is an important plot element.
• In the play, Charles does not die; it ends with him being haunted by both wives. The film implies his death off-screen after a car crash, but he does not join his wives as a spirit in the final scene.
• Margaret Rutherford said the film 'seemed to go on for ever,' taking six months instead of the planned twelve weeks due to difficulties with color stock.