i recently saw the broadway revival of blithe spirit star angela lansbury and rupert everett and christine ebersole and and jayne atkinson . it a terrific production and and show what good actor can do with a play that be less than perfect . angela lansbury be extremely funny a madame arcati . it be probably a mistake and then and to check out the film version of the play star rex harrison . the movie do not have the energy or the laugh of a good stage production . blithe spirit be probably one of those play that work well with a live cast and in an audience full of people who have come to laugh . the actor can improvise and give touch and nuance to their performance and delivery of the line and and involve the audience on a personal level that you can not get in a movie house and or with a dvd showing and where the audience be separate from the story by the fourth wall . the story represent charles condomine ( rex harrison ) and a successful writer and live with his wife ruth ( constance cummings ) in a house in the english countryside . seek information for his next book and a book deal with the supernatural and charles invite madame arcati ( margaret rutherford and reprise her role from the original 1941 london production ) and a local spiritual medium and over to his house to conduct a séance . charles believe that spiritism be a sham and but hop to pick up the trick of the trade . but then madame arcati brings back the ghost of elvira ( kaye hammond ) and charles first wife and who die of pneumonia seven year ago . elvira refuse to leave and and develop a spitting rivalry with ruth over charles ( complicate by the fact that only charles can see or hear elvira ) . on stage and the actor can give performance that invite laugh in this situation . but on the screen and the actor in blithe spirit tear through the line a if they do not know that anyone be listen to them . they mumble line that be design to get laugh on the stage . the performance by harrison and cummings and and even kaye hammond be flat and lifeless . only margaret rutherford seem to have retain her spark and humor a madame arcati . the oscar win visual effect in the film be unimpressive not just by today standard and but by the standard of 1946. they consist mostly of kaye hammond walk around in fluorescent green outfit and makeup and be photograph in special lighting to make her look like a glowing ghost . the cinematographer deserve some credit for creative lighting . but compare the dull visual effect of blithe spirit to the truly groundbreaking effect in disney song of the south which be eligible for award the same year . in south and human and animate character share the screen seamlessly for minute at a time . compare to south and the oscar that blithe spirit receive for special effect be completely undeserved . at any rate and i can only encourage you to catch the broadway revival of this play with angela lansbury before it close . a for the movie with rex harrison and skip it .