Monday, May 21, 2012

The Ghost and Mrs Muir--with Harry Nilsson



This late sixties sitcom followed in the tradition of that period's supernatural themed comedies. It was a TV version of a hit 1940's film wit Edward Mulhare (later of KNIGHTRIDER) making a nice replacement for Rex Harrison as the ghostly sea captain who haunts Gull Cottage. Hope Lange (who would go on to play Dick Van Dyke's wife on THE NEW DICK VAN DYKE SHOW) was perfect as writer Carolyn Muir who moves into the isolated cottage with her housekeeper, her dog and two young children. Charles Nelson Reilly stole every scene he was in (here or anywhere else!).

The show ran switched networks in the midst of its run.

This episode features a rare television appearance by soon to be superstar Harry Nilsson. Described by the Beatles in 1968 as their favorite American "group," Nilsson burned brightly as a singer and a songwriter for a few years before falling victim to the rock 'n' roll curse of drugs and alcohol. He recovered for a while but his career didn't.

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