“Knowledge and book learning are not wisdom,” said the captain.
“Is this book wisdom?” asked Lucy, putting the manuscript back on the table.
“It has some elements of wisdom in it, me dear,” replied the captain. “I did not lead a very wise life myself but it was a full one and a grown-up one. You come to age very often through shipwreck and disaster, and at the heart of the whirlpool some men find God.”
― The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
Back in the forties there was a run of strikingly good fantasy films. At the top of my list is The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947). Rex Harrison is mesmerizing as the ghost of Captain Daniel Gregg, a 19th century Skipper. Gene Tierney gives the best performance of her career as Mrs. Muir. A skillful mix of humor and romance, it is well worth watching 76 years since it was released.
Bonus:
One of my late mother’s favorite movies.
A fantastic love story, with adventure and an exposition of virtues.
and a belief in the afterlife of souls.
Beautiful movie. And yet, I have always felt so sorry for poor Mr. Muir, waiting patiently in the afterlife for his wife to join him.