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Hi.

Welcome to my blog. I’m Margaret Dumas, author of the Movie Palace Mysteries. These are some of the movies that are talked about or blogged about in my books. They’re some of my favorites.

Blithe Spirit

Blithe Spirit

Blithe Spirit

1945

Blithe Spirit was written and produced by Noel Coward, so you can expect wit and sophistication from both the living and the dead.

Charles Condomine (Rex Harrison), a writer, hires a medium to come to his home and conduct a séance as research for a book. His new wife (Constance Cummings) is charmingly tolerant, his friends are charmingly intrigued, and Madame Arcati (Margaret Rutherford) is a fizzy combination of eccentric spiritualist and aging British Girl Guide. (Tip: any movie with Margaret Rutherford is probably worth watching.)

Madame Arcati summons Elvira (Kay Hammond), the ghost of Charles’ first wife, and when the séance is over Elvira decides to stick around and make charming and sophisticated mischief for all involved. This gives Rex Harrison a chance to be very Rex Harrison. Nobody can do an exasperated “Look here…” quite as well. If you only know Sexy Rexy as Professor Henry Higgins from My Fair Lady, you’re in for a treat. (And if you don’t know My Fair Lady, you’re simply not living your fullest life.)

What you’ll have to get over:

Unfortunate green makeup that makes Elvira look a bit like she’s in costume as the Statue of Liberty.

The most Noel Coward line:

“You won’t die. You’re not the dying sort.”

Double Indemnity

Double Indemnity