MovieChat Forums > The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) Discussion > George Sanders so miscast.

George Sanders so miscast.

posted 13 years ago by DenLilleHavfrue85
35 replies | jump to latest

Rex Harrison was great. Gene Tierney was gorgeous, and good in most scenes, though I thought she overacted in one or two scenes which kind of took me out of the movie.

I was pretty much enjoying it though until George Sanders entered the picture. Don't get me wrong, I love George Sanders - I just thought he was terribly miscast in this. The first day he met Mrs. Muir...oh my God, I couldn't believe what a CREEPER he was! And she LIKED it! And George Sanders ain't exactly Cary Grant. I realize that this was the 1940s and that the leading men are much more forward which in some cases could be a turn-off to us modern gals in real life, but my boyfriend and I laughed so hard at his creepiness (yeah I get he was supposed to be smarmy, but come on). We rewound it so my sister could watch and she almost fell off the couch from laughing so hard. He's stalking her, he's all up in her grill, he writes children's books as "Uncle Neddy," and he can't wait to meet her daughter. Then the kicker was when he took her handkerchief and sniffed it.

His following scenes were a little better, but I was still just jarred out of the movie. The end of the movie was romantic and I liked it, but I didn't feel very emotionally involved with the characters (not because of George Sanders, I just never felt very attached to them). Overall, a decent movie, but I don't understand the rave reviews, honestly. I didn't know that it was based on a book - perhaps I would like that better.

"I don't want to make money. I just want to be wonderful."

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] 9 years ago

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[–] paramitch 9 years ago

I completely disagree. Sanders was fantastically cast. He needed to be (1) believably creepy (to us) but also (2) believably sexy to Lucy.

Both of which I thought he accomplished wonderfully. I loved that trademark Sanders purr he brought to his character.

It made sense that his brazen pushy guy would make an impression on Mrs. Muir. She could stay distant from all others and push them away. But Sanders' character managed to get past her defenses in a way I found very real and believable.

The worst part is that we (the audience) know, just as Daniel does, that it won't end well. But he's life, and her choice.

Lucy's mistakes make the ending all the more moving. It's when true love finally wins out.

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I keep thinking I'm a grownup, but I'm not.

[–] liscarkat-2 8 years ago

OP missed the point of his character, who was supposed to be an overly charming, oily womanizer and cad. Sanders was perfect.

[–] heyteegs (1207) 5 years ago

Funny, the ‘creep’ part was typical George Sanders. I didn’t buy him as the romantic lead though. I don’t recall another movie in which he played the romantic lead.

[–] liscarkat (19447) 2 years ago

He wasn't the romantic lead in "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir". He was the creepy romantic rival.