The Ghost & Mrs. Muir

This is where I first remember being introduced to the comedy of Charles Nelson Reilly, a first-rate actor! This series kept me spellbound, with the usual fascination of ghosts and old houses as a young child, plus the great Hope Lange who would not be scared of this house and stood down the "old captain" that inhabited this house - and who in return had to deal with this new owner that would not go away! This is another show that should be brought back, and that never seems to be seen anymore, leaving one to wonder why this series is not brought back with its top-rate talent, and why the network was stupid enough to cancel this series after two seasons? Oh well, at least Charles Nelson Reilly was on Lidsville with Butch Patrick, so us kids could enjoy his comedy more after that!

I am writing this review to remind people there are better works of supernatural romance out there than Twilight. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is one such example. The novel was written in 1945 and then adapted into a film with George Sanders and later a TV series.

The ghost and Mrs. Muir tells the story of a young widow, Lucy Muir who has decided she wants to break away from the control of her over-bearing and dominating in-laws. Already by this point the feminism and strength of the protagonist of the 1945 novel exceeds that of the more modern supernatural romance Twilight. When Lucy Muir finds a house to her liking she discovers very quickly that it is haunted by a very vocal spectre of an old sea captain by the name of Captain Daniel Gregg.

The ghost of Captain Daniel Gregg is one of my three favourite fiction ghosts. The list consists of Captain Daniel Gregg of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Sir Simon de Canterville from The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde and Hrothbert of Bainbridge AKA Bob from the short lived television series adaptation of The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher (Hrothbert of Bainbridge doesn't exist in the actual Dresden Files novels).

Despite the ghost's seeming misogyny Lucy and the captain develop a quirky and strangely affectionate relationship. For all of his roughness and snark the captain is actually a gentleman inside. The character portrayals are realistic and very human unlike the protagonists of Twilight in which the characters are two dimensional archetypes to appeal to a shallow demographic.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir isn't just a sweet romance. It also has a running wit and humour completely lacking in most modern romances. It seems today all attempts at humour in romance become self-parodies. There's more to the story than just fluff. It's about taking control of your own life, standing up for yourself, independence, love and moving on, the power of love and friendship, and the value of love, life and family (no matter how unusual the definition might be) all told with excellent wit and humour.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is highly underrated. It deserves more attention. It is a brilliant story far ahead of it's time. I actually wish there would be a new film adaptation of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, not because I think there is anything wrong with the first film adaptation, but because I think a new generation should be introduced to good supernatural romantic fiction and opposed to what is currently trendy and sadly many of the current generation won't watch a black and white film or read a novel more than twenty years old because they make negative assumptions about the content such as assuming it would be out dated, stuffy, cheesy or hard to follow. The ghost and Mrs. Muir is none of these things. It's a head of the curb and I certainly would rather re-read The ghost and Mrs. Muir than Twilight. Thanks to Terrence Mann's portrayal of Hrothbert of Bainbridge in the short lived Dresden Files TV series I can completely see him as Captain Daniel Gregg if there was a new film version to be made.

I strongly recommend The Ghost and Mrs. Muir to anyone interested in supernatural romance, ghost stories, dry wit, or just good literature in general. This semi-obscure gem needs more attention and I truly feel it is of a higher quality in writing than what is currently fashionable in supernatural literature and fantasy.

Based upon the popular novel and 1947 film of the same name, "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" ran for 50 episodes over two seasons (1968-70) as a romantic supernatural sitcom. The series stars young widowed writer Carolyn Muir (Hope Lange) who has rented Gull Cottage on the seashore near the fictional fishing village of Schooner Bay, Maine with her two children Jonathan (Harlen Carraher) and Candace (Kellie Flanagan), their maid Martha Grant (Reta Shaw), and the family Wire Fox Terrier dog Scruffy. Their comically kooky landlord Claymore Gregg (Charles Nelson Reilly) failed to mention that the house is haunted by his 19th century ancestor Captain Daniel Gregg (Edward Mulhare). The poltergeist is very selective in who he will appear to, but soon develops a fondness for Mrs. Muir, a chemistry that became the strength of the show. Lange won the Emmy Award for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in both seasons.

Reflecting upon the series, "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" was a romantic comedy in sitcom form. As such, it focused on being more lighthearted and romantic than laugh-out-loud comedic. More than any other word I find the show "charming". The performances of Hope Lange and Edward Mulhare were excellent. There was not one time while watching Mrs. Muir that I thought of her as being portrayed by an actress, and certainly one of the reasons she won an Emmy Award for her role both seasons. The oft-agitated ghost of Captain Gregg was played very well by Edward Mulhare in creating what I feel is the ghost you'd feel most comfortable being in your home. He might would irk you a time or two, but you'd never feel afraid.

It's hard to carry it off as a sitcom when the leads aren't the source of comedy. The writers didn't give much to the children, with Harlen Carraher's Jonathan being the center of a few episodes and Kellie Flanagan's Candace once. Reta Shaw's Martha was in a similar position. The lion's share of supporting performances went to Charles Nelson Reilly's Claymore. I feel Charles Nelson Reilly was a more capable comedian than nervously bumbling his way through an episode and thankfully the writers gave him more to work with on occasion. "Chowderhead" probably had the most comical premise, while "The Firehouse Five Plus Ghost" and "Tourist, Go Home" featured a number of slapstick gags. If you go into the series expecting merely light comedy and to be transported to a charming seaside village with well-executed, realistic characters then you'll enjoy "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir".

The Ghost and Mrs Muir is just another example of poor decision making by egotistical studio executives. Like so many others, it wound up just another great TV series that was put up against another pair of juggernaut long running successful competition, and came up just a little short in the ratings. My Three Sons captured the sit-com viewers, and Lawrence Welk the older ones. That left nothing for Mrs Muir and the Ghost. Film critics far more talented than I, awarded Hope Lange two Emmy awards for her work here, and you won't be disappointed by Edward Mulhare, or Rita Shaw, either. A touch of romance to go along with the comedy and drama, a completely delightful half hour show. Not to be missed.

I just recently discovered that this great late 60's sitcom was released on DVD. I began collecting them & at present have almost all of them. The Pilot Episode is both touching & hilarious & the episodes that follow are just as funny. Hope Lange & Edward Mulhare shined in their respective roles & Reta Shaw was perfectly cast as Martha, the housekeeper. The kids roles were very well cast as was Scruffy the family dog. Charles Nelson Reilly was fantastic as the befuddled, nervous nephew of Captain Gregg. The sets were bright & you really got a feel for Gull Cottage & Schooner Bay. All in all a very worthwhile series. Look for it & see if you don't agree. Miss Lange deserved the 2 emmys she received. Good Show Mrs. Muir.