Blithe Spirit

A séance results in a man’s first wife returning from the dead in Noël Coward’s wonderful comedy.

When an eccentric spiritualist summons a man’s first wife, the ghost refuses to leave, much to his and his second wife’s frustration in the wonderful comedy based on one of Noël Coward’s most beloved plays. Rex Harrison and Constance Cummings are great as the husband and second wife, but the funniest turns come from Kay Hammond as the spoilt first wife, brattily trying to win her husband back, and Margaret Rutherford as the batty medium.

Blithe Spirit is one of David Lean’s earliest films as a director. The film was not a commercial success, but is now regarded as perhaps the best film adaptation of a Coward play. The delightful special effects won an Oscar. Restoration supported by The David Lean Foundation.