It remains somewhat theatrical.
Blithe Spirit (1945)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:14
Fresh:12
Rotten:2
Average Rating:7.3/10
Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: In David Lean's adaptation of Noel Coward's three-act farce, an English mystery novelist invites a medium over for dinner in the hopes of gathering enough material for his latest book, as well as... In David Lean's adaptation of Noel Coward's three-act farce, an English mystery novelist invites a medium over for dinner in the hopes of gathering enough material for his latest book, as well as exposing her as a charlatan. However, a series of incidents occur during the course of the evening, which result in a chain of supernatural events being set in motion which wreak havoc on his present marriage, while bringing to light serious flaws in his previous one. [More]
Starring: Rex Harrison, Constance Cummings, Margaret Rutherford, Kay Hammond
Starring: Rex Harrison, Constance Cummings, Margaret Rutherford, Kay Hammond, Hugh Wakefield, Joyce Carey, Jacqueline Clark
Director: David Lean
Director: David Lean
Story: Ronald Neame
Composer: Richard Addinsell
Story: David Lean, Anthony Havelock-Allan
Reviews for Blithe Spirit
Nifty special effects for the time, and plenty of Coward's inimitable wit and repartee.
Passably good, but it should have been better, what with Rex Harrison, Constance Cummings, and Margaret Rutherford reading the Noel Coward lines.
As the medium Madame Arcatti, Margareth Rutherford stole every scene in David Lean's screen adaptation of Nowel Coward's witty play.
The last word in witty repartee of the most civilized kind – the sort of thing Noel Coward was known for, and nobody did better.
Worth it just for Margaret Rutherford as a sort of girls' school gamesmistres-style psychic!
Inasmuch as this is largely a photographed copy of the stage play [by Noel Coward], the camerawork is outstandingly good and helps to put across the credibility of the ghost story more effectively than the flesh and blood performance does.
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Blithe Spirit at Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

