...director Joseph L. Mankiewicz's 1947 postwar love letter to the world.
Shot mainly along the Southern California coast near Pacific Palisades and the Monterey Peninsula near Carmel, the movie nevertheless beautifully evokes the spirit of the English coastal regions. Yet it is not only for its scenery that it excels. The characters are wonderful, the dialogue is sparkling, the sets are bewitching, the costumes are fetching, and the music is delightful. More important, the movie is a perfect vehicle for bringing out the romantic in everyone. It is a small, quiet film that never overreaches its modest boundaries, yet in its own unassuming way it succeeds as one of the most memorable romances Hollywood has ever produced.
Video:
The black-and-white cinematography was nominated for an Academy Award in 1947, and it holds up well today. It is very clean and clear in a standard screen, Academy ratio for the time, approximately 1.33:1. Contrasts are not quite so pronounced as in some other B&W masters, especially ones digitally restored, nor is delineation entirely perfect. In addition, solid dark areas could show a bit more detail. But, overall, this is a fine print and an excellent transfer, showing no age spots, flecks, lines, scratches, or squiggles whatsoever.
Audio:
The sound is offered up in its original monaural or in a new Dolby Stereo remix. The stereo opens up the audio slightly, giving it more breadth and air. Just don't expect much more than wide mono, though; it isn't a modern surround track. Also, don't expect the digital remastering to do much about the soundtrack's somewhat bright, hard, nasal quality. Do, however, expect the new reproduction to have cleaned up any background noise; the audio is now as quiet as they come.
Extras:
As this is another in Fox's line of "Studio Classics," it gets a solid lineup of worthwhile extras. The main entries are two audio commentaries. The first commentary is with Greg Kimble, a visual effects supervisor and film historian, and Christopher Husted, the manager of the Bernard Herrmann estate. The second commentary is with Jeanine Bassinger, a film professor, and Kenneth Geist, a biographer of director Joseph Mankiewicz. The next important bonus is an A&E Biography, "Rex Harrison: The Man Who Would Be King," which lasts about forty-four minutes and provides a fascinating overview of the actor's public and private life. Then, there is a stills gallery, twenty-two scene selections, a theatrical trailer for this film, and trailers for five other Fox Studio Classics on DVD. The spoken language choices are English, French, and Spanish; the subtitles English and Spanish.
Parting Thoughts:
I first saw "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" on TV when I was a young boy, and I remember it made me cry tears of joy, it was so touching. I'm not too proud to say it still has the same effect on me. It is the story of a love that transcends death, with an ending that is probably the most romantic thing I have ever seen. Needless to say, the movie has my heartfelt recommendation.
Video:
The black-and-white cinematography was nominated for an Academy Award in 1947, and it holds up well today. It is very clean and clear in a standard screen, Academy ratio for the time, approximately 1.33:1. Contrasts are not quite so pronounced as in some other B&W masters, especially ones digitally restored, nor is delineation entirely perfect. In addition, solid dark areas could show a bit more detail. But, overall, this is a fine print and an excellent transfer, showing no age spots, flecks, lines, scratches, or squiggles whatsoever.
Audio:
The sound is offered up in its original monaural or in a new Dolby Stereo remix. The stereo opens up the audio slightly, giving it more breadth and air. Just don't expect much more than wide mono, though; it isn't a modern surround track. Also, don't expect the digital remastering to do much about the soundtrack's somewhat bright, hard, nasal quality. Do, however, expect the new reproduction to have cleaned up any background noise; the audio is now as quiet as they come.
Extras:
As this is another in Fox's line of "Studio Classics," it gets a solid lineup of worthwhile extras. The main entries are two audio commentaries. The first commentary is with Greg Kimble, a visual effects supervisor and film historian, and Christopher Husted, the manager of the Bernard Herrmann estate. The second commentary is with Jeanine Bassinger, a film professor, and Kenneth Geist, a biographer of director Joseph Mankiewicz. The next important bonus is an A&E Biography, "Rex Harrison: The Man Who Would Be King," which lasts about forty-four minutes and provides a fascinating overview of the actor's public and private life. Then, there is a stills gallery, twenty-two scene selections, a theatrical trailer for this film, and trailers for five other Fox Studio Classics on DVD. The spoken language choices are English, French, and Spanish; the subtitles English and Spanish.
Parting Thoughts:
I first saw "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" on TV when I was a young boy, and I remember it made me cry tears of joy, it was so touching. I'm not too proud to say it still has the same effect on me. It is the story of a love that transcends death, with an ending that is probably the most romantic thing I have ever seen. Needless to say, the movie has my heartfelt recommendation.
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[release]10783[/release]