Classic British Cinema - 'Blithe Spirit' Quiz

Answer: Noel Coward

The opening sequence takes the form of a Victorian sampler, a sampler often being a hand woven or stitched wall hanging produced to display the artistic skills of its maker.

It begins 'When we are young, we read and believe the most fantastic things' it then moves to a second page; 'When we grow older and wiser we learn, with a little regret that these things can never be'. As the screen fades we hear the voice of the playwright as he speaks these words, as only Noel Coward ever could, in his clipped English accent.

Answer: To research a book that Charles is intending to write.

Charles Condomine, played by Rex Harrison, had originally thought to invite the vicar and his wife but decided against it as they are considered "a: Dreary and b: they wouldn't approve at all". Instead, the Condomines invite Dr George Bradman and his wife Violet even though Ruth states that "He's as sceptical as we are, he'll probably say the most dreadful things".

The star character at the evening's activities is Madame Arcati; she is the village eccentric and local medium and she has been invited to their home in order to perform a séance as part of the research for his next novel.

The role of Madame Arcati is played by the wonderful Margaret Rutherford.

Answer: She'd had a premonition.

Madame Arcati apologises and blames it on the fact that she'd had a premonition that she would experience a bicycle puncture during her trip to the Condomines' house. En-route she had decided to return home and pick up her pump and, of course, she hadn't had a puncture at all. "Perhaps you will (have one) on the way home," responds Charles Condomine in a mildly sarcastic manner, a remark for which he receives a puzzled frown from Madame Arcati.

The entire party are sceptical about Arcati's powers and are barely able to conceal their amusement, Charles himself remarking only seconds before her arrival that he was hoping for a 'professional charlatan'!

Answer: A little girl

Some of the dialogue at this point in the film, at least to the modern ear, borders on being mildly racist... Mr Coward certainly wouldn't get away with it today!

Madame Arcati's control, or go-between in the spirit world, is a little girl named Daphne who died in February 1884 at the age of seven. Arcati prefers young girls as her control as she says that they're generally the best. "Some mediums prefer Indians of course, but personally I find them unreliable," she continues. The party prepare for the séance whilst Madame Arcati indulges in a few deep breathing exercises. Taking their seats around a small table, Madame Arcati selects a record to play on the gramophone during the séance. After rejecting both Brahms and Rachmaninoff she settles on the Irving Berlin song 'Always'; a selection that appears to cause Charles Condomine a little consternation. Cue the music... The séance begins!

Answer: Charles' deceased first wife, Elvira

"Oh my God!" exclaims Charles as he drops his drink, the glass smashing on the floor. The once sceptical Charles is clearly shocked at the arrival of the spirit of his dead first wife Elvira, played here by Kay Hammond. She had been recovering at home from a bout of pneumonia and, whilst listening to a BBC radio comedy show, had laughed so much that she suffered a heart attack and died! Elvira's apparition can only be seen and heard by Charles and, as he leaves the room to say goodnight to his guests, Elvira has a little joke with Ruth, played by Constance Cummings.

As Mrs Condomine leans on the couple's piano to light a cigarette Elvira gently blows out her match.

Answer: She carries a vase of flowers across the room.

After a number of arguments between Charles and Ruth over the unseen Elvira, Charles pleads with the spirit to prove to Ruth that she is actually there in the room. At Charles' request, Elvira collects up a vase of tulips and carries it across the room towards Ruth. "How dare you, Charles? You ought to be ashamed of yourself," says Ruth, clearly frightened.

The spirit then decides to have some fun and threatens her with a chair. Ruth tries to escape through the French doors only for the heavy curtains to be drawn across them blocking her way.

The spirit then throws a small ornament into the fireplace, smashing it. With this, Ruth with her hands raised above her head, runs screaming from the room.

Answer: Puff Adder

The following day Ruth travels to London to visit the Psychical Research Society for advice. On her return that evening, she discovers that Charles, the cook, the maid and the gardener have each been involved in an accident and the realisation hits her that Elvira means to kill her husband.

"This is a fight Charles; it's a duel to the death between Elvira and me!" spits Ruth. "Elvira is as trusting as a Puff Adder and a good deal more dangerous into the bargain," she explains to her disbelieving husband. "She came here with one purpose and one purpose only and, if you can't see it you're a bigger fool than I thought you!"

Ruth goes on to explain that she is going to see Madame Arcati and instructs Charles to tell Elvira that she has gone to see the vicar, should she ask. Just as Ruth is about to leave, Elvira's spirit tries to encourage Charles to drive her to the cinema in Folkestone that evening despite the dreadfully poor weather. With his suspicions now aroused, Charles suddenly realises that Elvira has tampered with his car. He rushes to the door to prevent Ruth driving away but he is too late; the sound of the car containing his wife disappearing into the distance. A short time later, the door to the house flies open and an unseen spirit races into the drawing room and slaps Elvira hard across the face. The very recently deceased Ruth has returned to have her revenge over the interfering Elvira!

Answer: Budleigh Salterton

"On looking back on our married years Elvira, I see now with horrid clarity that they were nothing but a mockery," complains Charles to the disinterested spirit. "You were feckless and irresponsible and morally unstable. I realised that before we left Budleigh Salterton!"

Elvira had despised the town whilst they were there on honeymoon and soon after had come to despise Charles as well, embarking on any number of secret and sordid liaisons with her admirers. "Guy adored me," she whimpered during an earlier conversation at home over her day out with her friend Guy Henderson in his little launch. It was during this dalliance that Elvira had contracted the pneumonia that was to be partly instrumental in killing her. Instead of going to visit her aunt in Exmouth, as she had told her new husband, Elvira had also indulged in illicit meetings with a cavalry officer, a certain Captain Bracegirdle, on the moors!

"Did he make love to you?" asks Charles. "Of course, only very discreetly," mutters the simpering Elvira.

Answer: Sudbury, Suffolk

"What was the the Sudbury case? I wish you'd explain," asks Charles Condomine.
"It was the case that made me famous Mr Condomine. It was, what you might describe in theatrical parlance, as my first smash hit," replies the enthused Arcati.
Not fully explained in the dialogue, the Sudbury case had resulted in Madame Arcati dematerialising the spirit of old Lady Sudbury after she had been trapped in her family's private chapel for over 70 years. It appears that those who might summon spirits do not need to be present at the séance.
After a number of failed attempts to return Elvira's spirit, all that Arcati achieves is to manifest the until now unseen spirit of the recently deceased Ruth! Eventually Madame Arcati determines that, in order to effectively return the spirits of both Elvira and now Ruth, a séance must be performed in the same house in which it originally took place.

On their return to the Condomines' house, Arcati is convinced that someone else there possesses psychic powers and that it is this person that summoned up the ghosts of both Elvira and Ruth. Following many failed attempts to exorcise the spirits, Arcati realises that the person who had conjured up Elvira is still in the Condomines' house. As she calls upon this person, or spirit, to appear they hear footsteps approaching... The door to the lounge slowly opens, the lights go up and standing there in the doorway is the one responsible...

Answer: Edith, the maid

Edith the maid, played by Jacqueline Clarke, had been recovering upstairs in bed from her accident a few days before.

"If she's been the cause of all this unpleasantness, I'll give her a week's notice tomorrow!" snaps the spirit of Ruth Condomine.

Madame Arcati proceeds to hypnotise the distressed maid. Edith has no idea as to how she has suddenly found herself in the Condomines' study. "Are you sorry for having been so mischievous, Edith? You know what to do now, don't you Edith?" asks Arcati. "Oh yes madam," replies the entranced maid and with her hands raised she begins to sing the words to the song 'Always', the lyrics to the music played on the night of Elvira's initial manifestation. With this, the spirits begin to fade until, before long, they have vanished completely. Madame Arcati recommends that Charles leaves the house and takes a long holiday. As he drives away from his home on that bright afternoon, he is involved in an unfortunate car accident and is very soon reunited, as a spirit, with his two former wives... Poor Charles!