The Latest vs. the Greatest: ‘The Haunted Mansion (2023) vs. ‘The Ghost and Mrs. Muir’ (1947)

Promotional art for the 1947 film "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir." MovieStillsDB

Commentary

When Disneyland opened in 1956, many of its rides and attractions were not related to any particular film or short Walt Disney Pictures had made. In its 66 years of existence, all the un-themed attractions have gradually been removed or given the theme of some Disney production. The few exceptions—rides that couldn’t be correlated to a movie but were too popular to remove—have been made to fit the theme in a different way. Since they weren’t based on movies, movies have been based on them.

Since the success of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise, the studio has tried to recreate its popularity with other movies inspired by rides. The latest attempt of this kind is “Haunted Mansion,” which premiered at Disneyland on July 15 before being released throughout the United States on July 28. This isn’t the first time the popular spooky attraction in Disneyland’s New Orleans Square has been made into a movie. In 2003, comedian Eddie Murphy starred in a black comedy based on the ride, which did well financially despite being panned by critics.

You may be repulsed at the very mention of Disney Studios, Disneyland, or any film related to the company. I can’t blame you, given the company’s current corruption and the low moral and artistic caliber of its releases in the last few decades. However, whether we like it or not, people are bound to talk about the latest releases. You may want to join the conversation, but it will be hard without subjecting yourself to the film. To save you the time you would waste doing so, let’s review this movie’s basic features and consider a classic film that includes similar concepts without the modern content.

The Latest

The new “Haunted Mansion” is a much darker take on the Disneyland ride than its predecessor. While it too is considered a “horror comedy,” it contains much more horror and much less comedy than the movie made 20 years ago. Not surprisingly, the 2003 film was only rated PG “for frightening images, thematic elements and language,” while the 2023 earned a PG-13 rating for “some thematic elements and scary action,” according to the Motion Picture Association’s rating system. This new film has been in the works since 2010. Just like its story’s titular house, this production seemed to be haunted by some foul spirit which didn’t want it to succeed. Eventually, Katie Dippold wrote the screenplay and Justin Simien directed the film.

The UK special screening of Disney's "Haunted Mansion" at Cineworld Leicester Square in London, England, on July 25, 2023. Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures UK

Widow Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) buys a historic house in New Orleans to convert into a bed and breakfast. She and her son, Travis (Chase Dillon), move from New York to start this new life for themselves. However, as soon as they move into their new home, they discover they aren’t alone. She seeks professional help, including Catholic priest Father Kent (Owen Wilson), ghost tour guide Ben Matthias (LaKeith Stanfield), flamboyant psychic Hannah (Tiffany Haddish), and haunted house historian Bruce Davis (Danny DeVito). However, once these people come into the house, the resident ghosts won’t let anyone leave. Can Hannah contact famous medium Madame Leota (Jamie Lee Curtis) and find out why so many ghosts haunt this mansion?

Hollywood’s depiction of ghosts has alternated between horrifying and comical for generations. Nevertheless, despite its Disney label, this movie features haunting spirits which are a far cry from “Casper the Friendly Ghost.” It’s understandable this production team wanted to do a more serious story about a haunted Southern mansion, but the ghosts’ composition and appearances are too disturbing for the film to be anything but a horror film. Since the filmmakers obviously think the only other option is a goofy children’s movie, they should look at the classic films that deal with the supernatural as an example to the contrary.

The Greatest

When I first heard Disney was releasing a “Haunted Mansion,” I immediately thought of “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir” from 1947. Few movies from Hollywood’s Golden Era of the Motion Picture Production Code (1934-1954) include ghosts as prominent characters, but that’s just one of the reasons why this 20th Century Fox film is a masterpiece. The movie stars classic actors Rex Harrison and Gene Tierney as the title characters with direction by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and dramatic scoring by Bernard Hermann. If the title sounds familiar to you but you don’t remember seeing this film, you probably watched the television show of the same name, which ran for two seasons in the 1960s.

Publicity still from the 1947 film "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir." MovieStillsDB

“The Ghost and Mrs. Muir” tells the story of young English widow Lucy Muir (Tierney), who wants to find a new life for herself and her daughter (Natalie Wood) away from her domineering mother-in-law (Isobel Elsom) and sister-in-law (Victoria Horne). She rents a charming seaside house called Gull Cottage, which everyone warns her is haunted by the spirit of its late owner, sea captain Daniel Gregg. Lucy isn’t afraid, so she, her daughter, and her maid (Edna Best) move into Gull Cottage. However, it isn’t long before Lucy has an encounter with Captain Gregg’s ghost, a salty but charming rogue. He is haunting the cottage because everyone believes he committed suicide when his death was in fact an accident. Captain Gregg and Lucy form a close friendship as he dictates his memoirs to her, which she then plans to publish. However, their budding but hopeless romance is interrupted when Lucy meets charming author Miles Fairley (George Sanders), who is very interested in her.

These two movies have a lot of similarities. Both are about young widows with a child, a daughter in the older film and a son in the newer one, who move to a different area to start a new life. In both cases, the widow chooses a unique old house that proves to be haunted. In the 1947 film, however, there is just one ghost, while the 2023 film’s house is full of ghosts. Also, Captain Gregg is a very friendly, lively-looking specter, while the spirits in “The Haunted Mansion” are all frightening. There is, however, one ghost in the haunted New Orleans home called the Mariner Ghost (Creek Wilson), which is similar to the nautical ghost who haunts the British cottage. Both leading ladies encounter a man who is not what he says he is; Gabbie meets a conman who claims he is a priest and exorcist, and Lucy courts a man who is secretly married. Both films end with a ghostly reunion.

A Haunting Realization

If you like ghost movies, you must see “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.” Even if you don’t usually enjoy supernatural films, I wager you’ll love this movie because it isn’t scary or occult; it’s an artistic masterpiece with an amazing story. Women will love the beautiful romance, while men will appreciate the nautical flavor. Children of any age can enjoy this wholesome yet intelligent tale as much as their parents. As always, if you are looking for movies for the whole family, you’ll most likely only find them from Hollywood’s Golden Era.