Madame et son fantôme

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.

I was only a kid when this show aired, but I loved it! It was romantic and funny at the same time, and Hope Lange and Edward Mulhare had real electricity between them. "Bewitched" and "I Dream of Jeannie" were so much alike, yet this show had the opposite idea: It was the man who had the supernatural powers, not the woman! But it also followed the same idea of having a beautiful blonde as the lead female. Although it was similar to the above mentioned shows, it was still different enough to be unique and definitely much more romantic!! And it had something extra: Charles Nelson Reily, a hilarious comedic actor. I was crushed when this charming show was canceled, but I recently found it on video after 33 years and it is just as wonderful as when it was first aired! I hope one of the networks runs this show for everyone to see. Nothing on TV today can compare to it. A first-rate romantic, funny sitcom!

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.

This was a great show that stayed true to the theme of the 1947 movie it was based on. Hope Lange did a wonderful job and Edward Mulhare made an awesome captain. Sadly, this lovely actress is no longer with us, but her smile could sure brighten up your day - as a boy, I looked forward to this show and was sad when it was cancelled after only two seasons - it deserved a longer run.

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!