ShareThisIn the romantic comedy "Ghost Town," Ricky Gervais plays a misanthropic dentist who acquires the power to see spirits. Things get sticky when a ghost (Greg Kinnear) asks the Gervais character to break up the impending marriage of the ghost's widow (Tea Leoni).Spooks in love stories? "Ghost Town" isn't the first film to try it. Here are five others, mostly comedies, that are worth seeing.-- "Topper" (1937): This may be the most purely joyous film in this subgenre. A pair of highly likable and very cosmopolitan ghosts, played by Constance Bennett and Cary Grant, set out to help liberate a sad-sack banker (Roland Young) saddled with a haughty wife (Billie Burke). The genteel screwball comedy inspired two lesser sequels and a '50s TV show.-- "Blithe Spirit" (1945): A newlywed novelist (Rex Harrison) accidentally invokes the frolicsome spirit of his first wife (Kay Hammond) and becomes convinced that she's trying to ruin his second marriage. When his new wife (Constance Cummings) dies, he has two ghosts to contend with. Margaret Rutherford plays a medium. Based on the play by Noel Coward and directed by David Lean -- what's not to like?-- "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" (1947): Rex Harrison again. This time he's the gruff ghost of a ship captain who sets out to scare off the new owner (Gene Tierney) of his seaside house, only to fall for her. Natalie Wood plays the Tierney character's young daughter. The film, nicely directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, is more touching than laugh-out-loud hilarious. The story was later made into a mediocre sitcom.-- "Ugetsu Monogatari" (1953): OK, this certainly isn't a comedy, but then life isn't always funny. Set during a civil war, the movie tells of a country potter (Masayuki Mori) who travels to the city to sell his wares and is seduced by the ghost of a princess (Machiko Kyo). Superbly directed by Kenji Mizoguchi, this picture -- winner of the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival -- perennially earns spots on best-movies lists.-- "Truly, Madly, Deeply" (1990): An interpreter (Juliet Stephenson) can't get over the sudden death of her lover, a cellist (Alan Rickman). When his spirit appears to her, she is reborn, and when she meets a social worker (Michael Maloney), she's attracted to him. Rickman's portrayal of a dead man is witty and controlled, and Stephenson is quite good as well. The film offers a droll portrayal of the afterlife, including a discussion among ghosts as to which video they should watch. Directed by Anthony Minghella.(E-mail Walter Addiego at waddiego(at)sfchronicle.com.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
Five great movies with ghosts
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