Special photographic effects: Tom Howard. Producers: Noel Coward, Anthony Havelock-Allan. A Two Cities-Cineguild Production filmed at Deham Studios, released in the U.K. through General Film Distributors, in Australia through G-B-D, in the U.S.A. through United Artists. Copyright in the U.S.A. by General Film Distributors: Ltd. 14 December 1945. U.S. release: 14 December 1945. New York opening at the Winter Garden: 3 October 1945. London opening at the Odeon, Leicester Square: 5 April 1945. U.K. release: 14 May 1945. Australian release: 31 October 1946 (sic). 10 reels. 8,864 feet. 98½ min¬utes.SYNOPSIS: The ghost of a novelist's first wife returns to stir up the domestic scene.NOTES: Tom Howard won a prestigious Hollywood award for his Special Effects (defeating A Stolen Life).COMMENT: A great success in its day, this adaptation now seems more than a trifle stagey. Still it does capture a winning performance by Mar¬garet Rutherford as the deliciously eccentric medium, and the charming presence of Constance Cummings is also a distinct plus. Rex Harrison tends to blusteringly over-act, but Coward's wickedly witty lines still come across with enough zing to raise more than a few cynical chuckles. Still an entertaining picture today, though one suspects it was a bit dated even in 1945.

"Comedy" about novelist Charles Condomine (Rex Harrison) and his second wife Ruth (Constance Cummings) inviting spiritualist Madame Arcati (Margaret Rutherford)to their house. It seems he's writing a book dealing with the supernatural and wanted to see firsthand what happens at a seance. They have one and think nothing happens. However Charles starts seeing the ghost of his first wife Elvira (Kay Hammond). However no one else can see or hear her. Her wants her to go...but how? I saw a restored print with a crystal clear picture, great sound and strong color...but I hated it. It's supposed to be funny but I didn't laugh let alone smile once. I heard the jokes but they just weren't funny. It was more whimsical than funny and I hate whimsical films. It was reasonably well-acted and directed and had great set design but I was bored. I actually dozed off towards the end! The only saving grace was Rutherford. She was GREAT in her role and tears into it with gusto...but she wasn't funny either. Good-looking but unfunny. Also this won an Oscar for Special Effects which are very dated in this day and age.

When eccentric Madame Arcati (Margaret Rutherford) faints dead away during a séance, watch out-a ghostly presence is about to blow their way in, and some of the are not so nice! "Just for the fun of it", a wealthy British nobleman (Rex Harrison) has a séance for guests and ends up being visited by his first wife (Kay Hammond), a quiet prankster who enjoys spooking her replacement (Constance Cummings), the high-strung type who thinks all of hubby Harrison's cracks towards Hammond (character named ironically "Elvira", pronounced "Elveera") are meant for her. Annoyed by the second Mrs. Condomine, the first arranges an accident, hoping that Harrison will join her in the afterlife, but gets the shock of her life when things go awry. Will Madame Arcati be able to straighten things out? Probably so, but not before more mayhem happens with laughter galore.Broadway audiences recently got a view of Coward's classic fantasy comedy which featured a legendary performance by Angela Lansbury as Madame Arcati, and in viewing this very faithful film version for the first time since seeing that 2009 revival, I was reminded by how wonderful it was, having not seen the movie in many years. Harrison combines sophistication with bewilderment, while the personalities of the two wives are appropriately different. Hammond's first wife is a seemingly gentle flower with a sly humor, while Cummings is filled with fury which makes her return visit one that ranks an 8 on the Richter scale. It is Rutherford who comes away with the biggest praise, however, her character seemingly way ahead of her time and filled with little tidbits of eccentricities and looniness that make every moment she is on screen a joy to behold.Beautifully filmed in color with the ghostly appearances a ghastly green, the film also utilizes some amusing special effects that are dazzling as well as humorous. Directed by the wonderful David Lean, everything falls into place beautifully, proving that a stage play can be filmed almost as written and still end up practically perfect.

A couple is haunted by the spirit of the man's deceased first wife. Coward adapted his own play for the screen with the help of Lean and Neame. This was Neame's last credit as cinematographer before becoming a director. This was the third of Lean's first four films as director where he worked with Coward. It is an enjoyable farce with witty dialog, but never quite rises above the silliness of the subject matter (ghosts). Harrison and Cummings are fine as the couple, with him becoming bemused and her becoming exasperated after the appearance of the ghost of his first wife, a green-faced Hammond. Rutherford seems to be having the most fun as an incompetent medium.