The Ghost and Mrs. Muir had its first incarnation in the form of a novel, published in 1945, by R. A. Dick (a pseudonym for the Scottish writer Josephine Leslie). It is the story of 34-year-old Lucy Muir, who after the death of her husband decides to start a new life with her two small children in a seaside cottage. She knows the cottage is rumored to be haunted by the ghost of its former seafaring owner, Captain Gregg; nevertheless, she buys it, and very soon makes the ghost's acquaintance:
She removed the kettle from the Beatrice stove and put it down with a smack on the gas stove. Lighting another match, she turned on the gas, or attempted to, for though she turned the knob, it still refused to work.
"Why won't you light, why won't you, why won't you?" Lucy said aloud in exasperation.
"Because I don't choose that it should," said a deep voice.
Dropping the match-box that she was holding, Lucy stared around the room. Thre was no one there.
"I don't approve of gas," continued the voice. "I hate the damn stuff, blast it."
The voice was not really there either, she did not hear it with her ears. It seemed to come straight into her mind like thought, but how could it be her thought when she never swore even to herself? It must be Captain Gregg speaking to her, and suddenly she was angry, and anger driving out fear, she lashed out at him with fury.
In the novel, the ghost of Captain Gregg never actually materializes; rather, after his initial appearance in a dream Lucy has, it is only his voice that she hears, not with her ears, but with her mind.
And supposing, thought Lucy in alarm, supposing Captain Gregg were but a figment of her imagination. Women approaching middle age and living alone do sometimes go odd, she had read, and imagined the wildest situations; but after all she was scarcely stepping onto the threshold of middle age, and positively dancing into loneliness, and surely Captain Gregg was wilder than her mind, at the most odd, could invent.
After consulting a psychoanalyst, Lucy concludes that she couldn't possibly have created a character as salty and brash as the Captain. She's much too innocent and unwordly.
The novel is utterly enchanting--a bit expensive in its newest edition, which is hardbound, but I think well worth it, as it is a novel I'll be reading again and again. I don't want to give the whole story away here; just suffice it to say that it's one that stays in heart and memory. Every hopeless romantic should own it.
In 1947, a film version was made with Gene Tierney as Lucy and a very dashing Rex Harrison as the Captain (he does materialize in the film). Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, with a screenplay by Philip Dunne and a stunningly evocative score by Bernard Herrmann, it is a jewel of a film that perfectly captures the essential plot and spirit (no pun intended) of R. A. Dick's novel. Here is a beautifully done montage of images from the film, set against the background of Herrmann's gorgeous music:
Then there was a TV series that ran 1968-1970, starring Hope Lange and the very handsome Edward Mulhare (Charles Nelson Reilly co-starred as well). The series updated the story to contemporary times, and though its run was short it remains a favorite with almost everyone who watched it, myself included. My favorite episode, and I think the favorite of many, is called "The Medicine Ball," very romantic, which may be viewed here in its entirety:
I do hope that, if you haven't already seen the 1947 film, you will do so soon! And many other episodes of the TV series can be seen on YouTube. But it's always better to start with the source, the delightful and romantic novel by R. A. Dick.
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