A Few Words About A few words about...™ The Ghost and Mrs. Muir -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

Every time I've viewed Joseph Mankiewicz' 1947 The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, I'm reminded of William Dieterle's Portrait of Jennie. Both magnificent films.

Fox's new Blu-ray is a solid affair. I'm presuming that a fine grain master has survived, as the overall look and textures, as captured in the image harvest have everything going for them.

Wonderful detail, perfect grain, and levels of gray that are magnificent. Shadow detail, so important to this film, is intact.

Charles Lang, who was responsible for the cinematography, created one of this major works with this film. Half a century behind the camera, from 1923 to 1973, Mr. Lang photographed some of the greatest films of the era. He won a single Academy Award, for A Farewell to Arms in 1932, and was nominated for seventeen others. Might that be a record?

As is the norm, I'm not going to discuss the film, but will simply suggest that all who have not had the pleasure of enjoying it, do so. Quickly.

Great commentary track, by the way by Greg Kimble and Herrmann archivist Christopher Husted.

Image - 4.75

Audio - 5

Very Highly Recommended.

RAH

Also great performances from Gene Tierney & Rex Harrison and one of Bernard Herrmann's best scores.

Tierney's most delicate performance. I never fail to be moved by the ending.

Earlier this year Fox asked for your help to Voice Your Choice and pick the title from each decade you would most like to see released to Blu-ray. Over 42,000 people cast 80,000 votes.To thank Home Theater Forum members for their participation in the Voice Your Choice promotion, Fox has put together three bundles on Fox Connect with special pricing: 1) Buy all 8 titles on Blu-ray for just $75. 2) Buy the four first place titles for $40. 3) Buy the four second place titles for $40

Here are the titles by decade:
1930s: Jesse James (1st place), Call of the Wild (2nd place)1940s: Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1st place), Black Swan (2nd place)1950s: Carmen Jones (1st place), Desk Set (2nd place)1960s: North to Alaska (1st place), Undefeated (2nd place)

I love this film! Since it's my Mom's favorite film, maybe I'll buy 2 copies.

Adam Gregorich said:

Earlier this year Fox asked for your help to Voice Your Choice and pick the title from each decade you would most like to see released to Blu-ray. Over 42,000 people cast 80,000 votes.To thank Home Theater Forum members for their participation in the Voice Your Choice promotion, Fox has put together three bundles on Fox Connect with special pricing: 1) Buy all 8 titles on Blu-ray for just $75. 2) Buy the four first place titles for $40. 3) Buy the four second place titles for $40

Here are the titles by decade:
1930s: Jesse James (1st place), Call of the Wild (2nd place)1940s: Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1st place), Black Swan (2nd place)1950s: Carmen Jones (1st place), Desk Set (2nd place)1960s: North to Alaska (1st place), Undefeated (2nd place)

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Will there be another Voice Your Choice promotion in 2014?

Paul Rossen said:

Will there be another Voice Your Choice promotion in 2014?

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Its up to Fox to announce, but I wouldn't be surprised

I'm really hoping these movies sell well. Having a voice in what is released is a great way to be involved in the process. Every studio should be doing it. I'd be very interested to see what titles get on the next list if there is one in 2014.

I know of one or two dozen titles I'd like to suggest for consideration.

Adam Gregorich said:

Its up to Fox to announce, but I wouldn't be surprised

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I sure hope that they can do something about Poor Little Rich Girl.

Matt Hough said:

I know of one or two dozen titles I'd like to suggest for consideration.

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*cough*Inferno in 3D *cough*

I've always loved the sense of whimsy and melancholy, colored with shadings of sadness and regret, that The Ghost and Mrs. Muir invokes. Maybe it's just me. Anyway, it's definitely one of my favorite films and I find the nuances of script and performance unusual for a movie from it's era. Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison are superb. George Sanders is at his smarmy best. The cinematography is gorgeous, and the Blu doesn't disappoint. Fox has delivered a very solid release. The only thing I found lacking are the extras - I would have loved something more meaty than two commentaries and a theatrical trailer.

dpippel said:

I've always loved the sense of whimsy and melancholy, colored with shadings of sadness and regret, that The Ghost and Mrs. Muir invokes. Maybe it's just me. Anyway, it's definitely one of my favorite films and I find the nuances of script and performance unusual for a movie from it's era. Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison are superb. George Sanders is at his smarmy best. The cinematography is gorgeous, and the Blu doesn't disappoint. Fox has delivered a very solid release. The only thing I found lacking are the extras - I would have loved something more meaty than two commentaries and a theatrical trailer.

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...like Bernard Herrmann's touchstone score isolated, which was my principle reason for wishing that this title had gone to Twilight Time instead.

One of my favorite movies. It has everything: beautiful haunting score by Herrmann, beautiful cinematography, beautiful Tierney, and an ending that always chokes me up. I never get tired of watching this. There are screen shots on Beaver and it looks amazing.

Robert Harris said:

Every time I've viewed Joseph Mankiewicz' 1947 The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, I'm reminded of William Dieterle's Portrait of Jennie. Both magnificent films.

Fox's new Blu-ray is a solid affair. I'm presuming that a fine grain master has survived, as the overall look and textures, as captured in the image harvest have everything going for them.

Wonderful detail, perfect grain, and levels of gray that are magnificent. Shadow detail, so important to this film, is intact.

Charles Lang, who was responsible for the cinematography, created one of this major works with this film. Half a century behind the camera, from 1923 to 1973, Mr. Lang photographed some of the greatest films of the era. He won a single Academy Award, for A Farewell to Arms in 1932, and was nominated for seventeen others. Might that be a record?

As is the norm, I'm not going to discuss the film, but will simply suggest that all who have not had the pleasure of enjoying it, do so. Quickly.

Great commentary track, by the way by Greg Kimble and Herrmann archivist Christopher Husted.

Image - 4.75

Audio - 5

Very Highly Recommended.

RAH

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Not a fan of the second commentary from Jeanine Basinger and Kenneth Geist?

I haven't listened to Kenneth Geist's commentary since I purchased the DVD, but I recall being irritated by the mild distain he seemed to have for the film, viewing it as something of a necessary chore Mankiewicz had to endure in order to become a reputable director. He seemed to dismiss it as something of a "chick flick" in a most derisive way. Naturally, as a major fan of this film, he didn't earn any points with me.

I finally got around to watching this fine film again on BD. What a treat, I hope to view it again with the Kimble commentary in the near future.

Just received today in my package of Fox Connect 50%-off sale discs. I put my old dvd in first to remind myself how it looks, and then I popped in the blu-ray. In a word...

STUNNING! I'm sitting here now, shy of 20 minutes in, and it is remarkable. Right up there with the best B&W blu-ray transfers I have seen. The dvd transfer was a little shaky, but the blu is rock solid.

Tierney is beautiful, and close-ups reveal her every eyelash. I'm listening to the 5.1 track first, just to enjoy Herrmann's music.

What a thrill it is to have one of my favorites in this quality. How incredible it is that today's technology makes this possible; how fortunate we (film fans) are to live in these times.

I voted for this title in Voice Your Choice. Thanks, Fox! Keep 'em coming.