Onkel George und seine Mörder

Nigel Patrick and John Paxton have done quite a neat job with Daix' play about an uncle - in this version, a wealthy Canadian - called "George" (Charles Coburn) who comes to Britain to visit his landed, but impoverished family headed by Patrick ("Sir Henry"). The family see this as in ideal opportunity to sort their finances out, and that means that their unsuspecting guest could be in quite a bit of peril! Except, that is, that the would-be assassins couldn't organise the proverbial piss-up in the brewery - indeed their efforts to relieve the old man of his life and his fortune have far more profound effects on their own family. Soon it starts to diminish quite rapidly as their cock-eyed schemes go awry with disastrously lethal results. At this rate, there won't be anyone left to inherit - except, perhaps, the sagely old Katie Johnson who knows where the secrets (and the bottles of wine) are kept... It's a fun story this. Patrick and Coburn work well together, with a strong supporting cast from Wendy Hiller, Anthony Newley and the eagle eyed amongst us might spot Micael Caine (just 24). The production isn't up to very much, it has to be said - but the plot holds together well, with some decent comedic moments and a rather fitting, quirky, ending that I quite enjoyed.

If you liked The Ladykillers, you'll want to rent How to Murder a Rich Uncle the next time you have a movie night planned. Just don't want it with your family!

In this British comedy, a high-brow family is in financial ruin, but they desperately want to hide that from the public. Nigel Patrick, the patriarch of the family, plots along with his wife, Wendy Hiller, and son, Kenneth Fortescue, to murder their extremely wealthy uncle and inherit his fortune. Katie Johnson, Athene Seyler, and Paddy Webster also live in the house, and while everyone pitches in to take part in an "accidental" murder, something always goes wrong! The titular character just can't be killed!

Charles Coburn plays the rich uncle. He just has one of those faces that make you want to wrap him up in a big hug, doesn't he? I've had a soft spot in my heart for him ever since I first saw him as Piggy in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and I've called him 'Piggy' ever since. Not only is Piggy absolutely adorable, but his character in How to Murder a Rich Uncle is written to be incredibly likable, so the audience is put in a very difficult situation. How can we possibly root for Nigel Patrick and his family, even though they're the protagonists, when their main goal is to kill the lovable Charles Coburn? The answer is simple: root for Piggy and watch with baited breath and hope he stays alive as long as he can.

As a side note, in a very small part, in which he's on screen for only a few minutes and only speaks "Aye" three times, Michael Caine is seen in one of his first movies. This is an adorable, hilarious film that you can't help but love, even though you don't really like the main family. Rent it and see if you like it!

The plot is all in the title so we don't have to do a summary.

The best thing in the film is Nigel Patrick. Perhaps because he directed it he allows himself to be more flamboyant than usual. He's the sort of impecunious post-war aristocrat who cleans his shotgun on family evenings by the fire and tells his wife of thirty-six years (Wendy Hiller) he's been "pleased" with her and it's a high compliment.

Having seen "The Ladykillers" numberless times I can't help but smile whenever Katie Johnson comes in.

Kenneth Fortesque does his best to channel a youngish Ian Carmichael.

And the uncle, Charles Coburn? He's Charles Coburn and drifts through the film unconscious of his danger.

On the down side, Anrhony Newly, as the young criminologist, gets kind of boringly pretentious and he doesn't have (the actor playing the Teddy Boy from "The Ladykillers") terrified that Newly will usurp him as a physical comedian.

The deaths could have been a lot more light-heartedly ironic. The score is a bit heavy-handed and us often designed to force us to "feel" a ceetain way.

In a few more years Michael Caine, on a small parr early in his career) could replace Newly on a lightfingered way but as it stand Caine fans will be disappointed by his appearance here. He's not yet a star and has little to do.

It"s not one of the great dark comedies, bit t'will serve.

I first saw this film when it was released at the Odeon Temple Fortune and have remembered it ever since.I have just obtained a copy and i have to say that it wears very well.This was the last film of Katie Johnson and i think that this was trying to build on her great success in The Ladykillers as the film is also a black comedy.It doesn't have the edge of The Ladykillers but it is still very good fun.A great cast featuring a very young Michael Caine who doesn't speak a word.The film was co directed by one of my favourites Nigel Patrick with assistance from Max Varnel,son of Marcel.There is one unusual feature towards the end when a ghostly Nigel Patrick introduces the whole cast once again.He refers to Caine as Mike Caine.

It has been decades since this film, to my knowledge, has been broadcast on British Television. Probably so to stop giving ideas to conniving families, but from what I can remember, it is one of the funniest "black comedies" I have ever seen. If I remember correctly there was a long winded scene involving a poisoned tea-bag which poisoned the wrong person, also when the elderly batty cousin digs out some old cheque books with large amounts paid out in the past, suggesting that as they paid out well before, then surely the cheque book would still be usable. I would relish seeing it again and would sincerely hope it would actually be as funny and enjoyable as I last remember it. See it if you can.