In 1900, strong-willed widow Lucy Muir goes to live in Gull Cottage by the British seaside, even though it appears to be haunted. Sure enough, that very night she meets the ghost of crusty former owner Captain Gregg…and refuses to be scared off. Indeed, they become friends and allies, after Lucy gets used to the idea of a man’s ghost haunting her bedroom. But when a charming live man comes courting, Lucy and the captain must deal with their feelings for each other.
In 1945, Twentieth Century Fox bought the film rights to the
novel, which had only been published in Britain at that time. The film
was released in May, 1947, and starred Rex Harrison as “Captain Daniel
Gregg” and Gene Tierney as “Lucy Muir.”
Here is the Ghost and Mrs. Muir FAQ. that I found on line at http://www.faqs.org/faqs/tv/ghost-and-mrs-muir/faq/
- WHO (OR WHAT) IS “THE GHOST?”
The ghost is Captain Daniel Gregg, an irascible but charming sea
captain who died prematurely and tragically one night when he
accidentally kicked over the gas heater by his bedside in Gull
Cottage.
Mrs. Muir is Carolyn Muir, a young widow and the current tenant of
Gull Cottage. She has two children, Candace and Jonathan, and a
wire-haired terrier, Scruffy. The family also includes Martha, the
able-bodied housekeeper.
- WHEN DID CAPTAIN GREGG DIE?
November 13, 1869, according to the episode “Surprise Party.” He was
supposedly 39 at the time, giving his birth in 1830, according to that
episode. I use the term “supposedly” because the show was rather
inconsistent in their use of dates, particularly in the second season.
This particular date, November 18, 1869, may or may not be accurate as
is the case with his date of birth.
- WAS THE CAPTAIN A PIRATE?
Only of women’s hearts, I’m afraid! We can assume that the Captain was
a Naval officer as evidenced by his reference to participating in The
Battle of Vera Cruz in “Hero Today, Gone Tomorrow,” his naval dress
uniform worn in “The Medicine Ball” and “Wedding Day?????,” the quote
“I can’t argue with him. He’s an Admiral. He outranks me,” referring
to Admiral Snedaker in “Chowderhead,” and the long chain of command
required to get Martha’s brother-in-law’s posting changed in “Martha
Meets The Captain.”
- WHY IS THE CAPTAIN HAUNTING GULL COTTAGE?
The transition from here to the over there is affected by several
things including the circumstances of the person’s death and his state
of mind at the time prior to and at the time of death. Oftentimes, a
ghost will remain near the place where his death occurred if it was a
sudden or tragic passing, or near a person or place to whom he was
emotionally attached. In the Captain’s case, perhaps he still hangs
around Gull Cottage because he spent his life savings on the place and
intended it to be a home for retired seamen. He stubbornly refuses to
give up ownership of the cottage because he cannot bear to entrust its
care to his blundering nephew, Claymore! True romantics, however,
would like to believe that Carolyn and the Captain were destined to
meet and he was hanging about Gull Cottage waiting for her to show up!
Did you know??
- The Ghost and Mrs Muir was rank No.73 at AFI’s 100 YEARS…100 PASSIONS
- studio production chief Darryl F. Zanuck originally wanted John M. Stahl to direct the film. In a 24 Jun 1946 memo to producer Fred Kohlmar and screenwriter Philip Dunne, Zanuck expressed his admiration for Stahl’s work on Holy Matrimony (see entry below), a film he felt had “exactly the same type of English humor and sentiment” as The Ghost and Mrs. Muir .
- Zanuck went on to endorse Norma Shearer for the role of “Lucy.” “Many people, including [Twentieth Century-Fox president] Spyros Skouras, believe that Norma Shearer has one great picture left in her yet,” he wrote, “and that she would make the same comeback that Joan Crawford made last year [in Mildred Pierce
Asta (born Skippy) was a Wire-Haired Fox Terrier best known for his acting work in the 1934 screwball comedy The Thin Man. He was trained by Frank Weatherwax and owner Henry East. He later appeared in The Awful Truth (as Mr. Smith), Bringing Up Baby (as George, the bone-hiding pup of Katharine Hepburn), and Topper Takes A Trip (as Mr. Atlas). Due to the enormous popularity of Asta, interest in pet terriers skyrocketed.
Ninotchka
