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| Noel Coward and Claudette Colbert |
BLITHE SPIRIT on
Ford Star Jubilee Season One, episode five (1956). Director: Noel Coward. LIVE.
Charles Condomine (Noel Coward of
The Astonished Heart) and his second wife, Ruth (Claudette Colbert of
Thunder on the Hill), invite the medium Madame Arcati (Mildred Natwick of
A Woman's Vengeance) to their home for a seance. Unwittingly the somewhat vague Arcati summons up the ghost of Charles' first wife, Elvira (Lauren Bacall of
Sex and the Single Girl), who can be seen by Charles but is invisible to Ruth. Eventually Ruth acknowledges that Elvira truly exists and is occupying their home, and schemes to send her back to the ether. Meanwhile Elvira is scheming to have Charles join her forever in the "hereafter," but her plans may go awry ...
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| Coward with Lauren Bacall |
This live TV adaptation of Noel Coward's famous very dark comedy is worth seeking out as it's quite funny and wonderfully acted by all. Coward, of course, knows just how to handle this material, and while she might seem like a lightweight in this company, Bacall is much better than expected as Elvira. Then we have Colbert, proving again what an acting powerhouse she is as Ruth -- she nearly walks off with the whole show. In one of her earliest roles Marion Ross of
Happy Days and
Lizzie is wonderful as the frenetic maid, Edith, and there are fine turns by Philip Tonge as Dr. Bradford and Brenda Forbes as his wife. Mildred Natwick is so good as Madame Arcati that she
almost makes you forget Margaret Rutherford's superb portrayal of Arcati in the
1945 film version. Can one detect a definite if unintentional note of misogyny in this play -- possibly -- as at least one of these women certainly doesn't deserve her fate. One can imagine Condomine going off to the nearest gay beach when the play is over!
Verdict: Exciting, beautifully-acted live theater on TV! ***1/2.
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