Blithe Spirit 1956 Live TV Theatre (Lauren Bacall, Claudette Colbert, Noel Coward, Mildred Natwick) 

Just watch the actors...the snap and speed of the dialogue, the perfect stage direction. It is just perfect. Colbert and Bacall never looked more beautiful and Coward's rolling 'R's" are a delight.

This is marvellous to see Noel Coward performing in one of his own classic plays!

Incredible absolutely amazing Lauren was 32 yrs old in Bleith Spirit and went on in life to live another 57yrs marvellous lolx 😀❤😀

Fun seeing Bacall playing someone so whimsical and capricious!

I have always enjoyed the film version with Rex Harrison and Margaret Rutherford, but this was a fantastically done rendition! The casting was wonderful ! I loved the whole thing!!

I saw this in 1956. TV offered much more of this sort of thing in the early days.

In about 1961 I played Elvira in a production by the Mount Barker repertory group in South Australia. I still have my script and a ticket for the play. I was 21 and admission to see the play was 4/- ( four shillings). I remember at the cast party after the last night, one of the local ladies at the party told me that I was so funny that she wet herself laughing. What higher compliment could a budding actress ask for. I recently celebrated my 81st birthday and watching this production was the first time I've ever seen one. Great fun to relive it.

Lauren Bacall was really wonderful in this live broadcast of "Blithe Spirit"! Humphrey Bogart was very proud of her performance. He told Bacall she remained alive and in character all through the play. And she did.

Back during a time when you could get Broadway quality plays on television

What a gem! Future generations -- if there are any -- and if there is an internet -- may travel in time to see Noel Coward, Lauren Bacall, Claudette Colbert and Mildred Natwick. It is truly like magic. And wasn't Bacall ravishing in that ghost outfit!

Great cast. Very few actors today can match these great people, VERY FEW!

Obviously nothing can touch the sheer perfection of the film, one of the best, it just sparkles, but, this was fascinating to see, amazing it has survived at all. Many thanks.

I remember reading Lauren Bacall's biography and her mentioning doing this play on TV. It's amazing that we actually get to see it. Thanks so much for posting this!

Lauren Bacall looks lovely and her gown is timelessly elegant.

As of today, Marion Ross who played Edith is still alive at the age of 93.

What wonderful women in this production. Mildred Natwick!

This is wonderful! Watch Mildred Natwick in the Robert Redford movie Barefoot in the Park also. You will laugh out loud. She was great in The Trouble With Harry too.

Holy Crap! How'd this get on here? What a pleasure!

THIS. IS PURE GOLD.

The “hells” and “damns” caused a stir for 1956 television.

Brilliant performances a very magical area 1956 simply wonderful lolx 😀❤😀

Thank you Thank you THANK YOU for posting this. No wonder they called him ' Master"!

Wonderful👌. Thankyou. ‘That cuckoo is very angry ‘ ‘How can you tell? ‘Timbre..’😆

This is adorable. I wish the quality was better then I could watch it on a bigger screen. I absolutely love Mildred Natwick. Thank you for posting.

"Morally untidy". What a way to put it.

I worked with Marion Ross in 1986. She had some very interesting tea to spill about the behind-the-scenes dynamics between Coward and Colbert! This was Marion's first tv job!

What a delightful surprise! Aside from Colbert and Bacall, how nice to see Brenda Forbes! She was a wonderful actress not seen enough. She and Noel Coward were friends. I met her in the early 1970s and she was a sweetheart. Thank you, Brenda!

This is a RARITY!! Thank you !!!

Bacall was MAGIC. RIP

Wonderful to see this! I should add that I think I fell in love with Lauren Bacall long before I even knew what being 'in love' meant. Great to see her here doing a play.

I read Lauren Bacall's autobiography a few years ago and have been looking for this production ever since. I really enjoyed it. Thanks @AMan, this is a pure delight! :)

Mildred Natwick - just LOVE her. She's so funny.

Thank you so much! I've seen various live productions of this piece and of course the film, but this was my first time seeing this production! what a joy!

How brilliant was Claudette Colbert! In a uniformally excellent cast Ms. Colbert truly stood out - particularly as Ruth is a much less showy role than Elvira or Madame Arcati. And l don't think she had even one solo close up! I have seen Blithe Spirit on stage several times, and my favourite Arcatis were Angela Lansbury and the sublime Fenella Fielding.

I am pleased to see this version for the firs time with some of my all time favourite actors. Thank you!

I remember standing next to Noel Coward when I was 2ish ... this would have been very few years after this play, I distinctly recall him and he looked exactly like he does in this play. Yes, he was wearing a white shirt and a black necktie- and smoking a cigarette and he looked at me and smiled. I didn't know his name but I recognized him as somebody from TV. This was at a house where he was a guest (which he was a lot). That's all I remember with that memory though.

I have been looking for a recording of this, since reading about it in Lauren's autobiography... thank you!!

How good theatre can be when it's done right! Being live in front of an audience it's as if you're in a Broadway house enjoying a stage full of first rate actors! Thanks for posting this wonderful rare telecast, AMan!

My heaven’s, Marion Ross is 93! Wonderful!

"Is there anyone there? One rap for yes; two raps for no."

I read Ms. Bacall’s autobiography, and shortly after that, saw her, live, in Woman of the Year, She’s amazing!

Oh wow,thank you what a treasure this is.

I found the album last year! I couldn't believe it actually happened with this cast. Thank you so much for this video!

How delicious! Thank you, AMan, how generous of you to share this with us.

What a treasure!! Thank you so much!

Came across this by chance. Blithe Spirit with Noel Coward. Wonderful presentation.

More more more tv plays ! I always enjoyed those.

Thank you so much for uploading, I really enjoyed it. Mildred Natwick was a great actress that so many know so little about.

Amazing, thank you for uploading this!!!!!!!!!!!

Loved seeing this. So many years since I saw it and so great to see Noel Coward in his play. Thank you for sharing

what a treasure 💖 I've enjoyed every second of it.

The maid Edith is played by Marion Ross, who two decades later played the mum in Happy Days.

1956! I was 2. This was a great B&W presentation. Don’t you just wonder what all the colors really are? I saw the play on Broadway in the 70s (grew up in NJ) but can’t remember the cast. Noël Coward was a genius with understanding human behavior.

Such fun and oh so diabolical. Well done and enjoyed. Take a bow

This is wonderful, one of my favorite ghost stories.

Colbert and Bacall are superb in this.

My 1st play in high school- 47 yrs ago- I was Edith, and still can remember the song “Always’!

Incredible actors, incredible performances!! An amazing delight from start to finish!!

I almost cried with nostalgia when Claudette Colbert walked on stage in this play. She was a #1 movie star in the 40's. I probably seen most of her films when I was a kid. She was in a play here in Chicago at one of those Drury Lane Theaters. I met her after the show and she was so kind and grateful to meet a fan. The others in this play were great also, but Claudette was my favorite. She was the kind of star that everyone seemed to like has the public liked a James Stewart or a Doris Day.

Such sparkling dialogue.

Excellent! This is much better then the remake they made a few years ago ! Great acting great actors! Too bad there isn’t any good actors left like these actors of passed! Thank you for posting this I enjoyed every minute of it .. I love the original as it’s one of my favorites but this one does it justice …

This was a pleasant surprise to 'pop' up on my computer screen. Oh, how I loved those early TV specials. I want to see more of them. So many of them should be remastered and put on DVD.

Thank you for posting this. Theatre is wonderful and these Actors live on .🎙📽

Thank you for this. I really enjoyed it. By the way, Mildred Natwick played Madame Arcati in the original Broadway production.

Perfect writing. Good to see Marion Ross. Brilliant production. Listened to vinyl recording of this 35 years ago. So good to see the actors. Thanks!

And just a word of appreciation for the Stage Manager who had to rebuild such a complex and beautiful set after the ghosts had wrecked it, for the following evening's show.

What a gem!! I had no idea this existed. Thank you so much for sharing!

A gem... so happy I stumbled upon this. Thank you!

I've been wanting to see this for years! Thank you!

An exhausting day ended by seeing this on my feed. Simply smashing!!! Thank you!

What a marvellous treat! Thank you so much!

I’ve wanted to see this for so long 😭😭😭

Great cast of actors

Thank you so much for uploading. What a treat, what a cast! Pure talent.

Oh I simply adore the medium and the whole show...Just wonderful...THANKYOU YOU MADE MY NIGHT!

Sublime. What a rare treat. Thank You so much for uploading this!!! Subscribed :)

Thank you. Just wonderful.

All I can say is I agree with everyone. Thanks AMan for a superb post. What a treat.

A true gem

I've always loved this in any format movie or play! To see it with Noel Coward is beyond!! Thank you so much was too young to hope to see it, I'm beyond thrilled 😍

High octane stuff! A pure delight to witness such quality in every facet of the play.

What a treat!!!

My goodness! Never knew this existed. Only aware of movie with Rex Harrison. Claudett Colbert AND Lauren Bacall?! Looking forward to seeing this. Thanks for sharing!

Marvelous ensemble acting by masterful pros. Like a Beethoven string quartet.

Mildred Natwick was first rate but how I would LOVED to see Margaret Rutherford when she played Madame Arcati on stage!

What lovely thing to see xx

Lauren Bacall as Elvira is literally a dream come true. Thank you youtube algorithm ❤

Thank you so much for posting this jewel. I’m not native-English speaker but I really enjoyed the play!!!!

Lauren Bacall and Claudette Colbert are both absolute perfection and perfect fits for the roles of Elvira and Ruth.

Enjoyable. A kinescope, so not, as the announcer says, in color. The performances are excellent, especially Mildred Natwick.

I LOVE IT!!!! 1956!!! Who would have thought a 20-year-old like me would love something from 1956!!!!

Thank you for this! A lovely piece for a Sunday morning.

Lauren Bacall at her most wonderful.

The role of Charles Condomine was not written by Coward for himself, as several others are - the first Charles was Cecil Parker, and in America it was Clifton Webb. Thanks very much for the upload - I have had an lp version of this telecast for many years, and it's great to see it. The cuts are regrettable, making everything a little squeezed in, but we have to be grateful to William Paley of CBS for making it happen in the first place.

One of my Favourites I really admire Noel Coward .

CLASS....PURE CLASS.

Happy to heard the speaking voice of claudette colbert so beautiful

I love this. Thank you so much for posting💜

Thank you so very much. I saw this as a little girl enjoyed it so much One of my favorites

My first introduction to this wonderful play was as a child. It was musicalized during the 1964 Broadway season as HIGH SPIRITS directed by Coward himself (with uncredited assistance by Gower Champion). Coward's close friend Beatrice Lillie starred as Madame Arcati and was truly hilarious. Otherworldly Tammy Grimes was perfectly cast as Elvira. I saw a lot of big musicals that year (FUNNY GIRL, GOLDEN BOY, HELLO DOLLY, FADE OUT-FADE IN) yet this was the one I have the fondest memories from. I can still remember the audience reacting with gales of laughter throughout the show. The music fit the play closely and was a fine score by Hugh Martin and Timothy Gray. Years later I caught the straight play version with one of my favorite stage actresses, Geraldine Page. She was totally miscast in the role of Arcati and couldn't pull off the role at all which surprised me. Much later I saw the play again with Angela Lansbury mainly because I knew it was probably my last time seeing her live on stage. She was enjoyable though in her mid-eighties at the time. Yet, I have to admit seeing Mildred Dunnock as Arcadi for the first time tonight (thanks to AMan) was a revelation. A dramatic actress (right up there with Page) she knew how to be hysterically funny. I loved her performance. So nice to be enlightened by her all these years later.