The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) | Keeping the Score Series

Be it a gentle piano interlude or a glorious orchestral fanfare, no element of filmcraft sets a movie’s tone and identity quite like the musical score. Film music has the power to underline a filmmaker’s narrative ideas, forge our bond to a heroic character, and move us to the point of tears. Join us all year long as we showcase cinema’s iconic composers whose musical talents enrich the images we see on screen and have us humming their unforgettable melodies as we exit the auditorium. The series continues in October with the 1947 melodrama THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR. 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗧𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀: princetongardentheatre.org/specials

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗲: Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s second film is a wistful supernatural romance that pairs together Rex Harrison and the luminous Gene Tierney. Determined to independently build a new life with her daughter, an Edwardian-era widow moves into an isolated seaside cottage once owned by an ornery sea captain. With an unforgettable sweeping score from Bernard Herrmann and breathtaking black-and-white cinematography from Charles Lang, experiencing this classic on the big screen is not to be missed. Also starring George Sanders, Edna Best, and an 8-year-old Natalie Wood.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲: Bernard Herrmann, best known for his iconic collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock and work on classic films like Taxi Driver and Citizen Kane, enjoyed a long and varied career. THE GHOST AND MRS MUIR benefited greatly from the composer’s versatility. As the story itself blends genre elements of horror, melodrama, and romance, Herrmann’s score nimbly shifts its tenor to suit whatever mood each individual scene calls for. The result is a musical accompaniment that unifies director Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s ambitious tonal melange, selling both the terror and allure of Rex Harrison’s grizzled phantom. THE GHOST AND MRS MUIR is a unique gem of romantic fantasy, and it would not have so been without Herrmann’s score.

𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 $𝟭𝟬!Become a member of our nonprofit theater for as little as $40 a year. Learn more at princetongardentheatre.org/membership

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