Onkel George und seine Mörder

Is there any way to get a copy of this film? I saw it several times when it was released in the 50s and have never seen it again....I have tried to check on its DVD availability to no avail and have never seen it listed on TV.....It is absolutely hilarious and the cast contains actors who were famous veterans and some (Anthony Newley and Michael Caine) appearing in small but marvelous roles. I don't understand why it hasn't had a big following, enough to be able to see it and obtain a copy. Nigel Patrick is at his top form as the patriarch of the family down on its financial luck. One scene has himself and Wendy Hiller dressing as always for dinner which she has had to cook. It's a funny movie in itself, but as a satire of the British stiff upper lip, among other things, it deserves re-seeing many times.

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!

Henry Clitterburn is in charge of running an old, crumbling estate. His problem - he doesn't have the funds he needs. Enter a rich old uncle from America. Henry believes that if the uncle were to pass, his money troubles will be solved. Surely Henry can come up with a foolproof plan to do away with his doddering old uncle, right?

What a cleverly written, humorous, entertaining film! Even though How to Murder a Rich Uncle only bears passing resemblances, for whatever reason, I was reminded of Ten Little Indians mixed with Arsenic and Old Lace. The comedy in How to Murder a Rich Uncle is incredibly dark. Much of the humor is derived from death being treated in a matter-of- fact manner. Each attempted murder of Uncle George is more elaborate than the next. Sure, all are doomed to failure (well, they don't kill their intended victim), only adding to the humor. The final one is so ridiculously complicated that it reminded me of something out of Wile E. Coyote's twisted brain. And with each attempt on his life, the unaware Uncle George manages to stumble his way out of trouble. Very funny stuff.

The cast in How to Murder a Rich Uncle is superb. Nigel Patrick, Charles Coburn, Wendy Hiller, and Anthony Newly all give very fine performances. All, however, are upstaged by Katie Johnson. In what would sadly prove to be her last role, she steals the scene every time she's on-screen. Finally, there's the impossibly young Michael Caine in one of his very first roles. He's okay in his small part, but there's nothing to indicate he'd go on to the long, distinguished career he's enjoyed.

Wondrous British comedy about Henry, a destitute aristocrat (Nigel Patrick) and his family living in a rotting castle. Along comes a wealthy uncle from America (Charles Coburn), making a visit to his family home. So Henry decides to do away with the old boy, but being a black comedy, none of his plans go as planned.

In a similar vein to the classic film THE LADYKILLERS, this one is a riot as the plot goes on its murderous-but-merry way and boasts an excellent cast.

Coburn is a delight as the unsuspecting uncle with a fondness for martinis, and Patrick (who also directed) is the perfect hapless plotter. Also in the cast are Wendy Hiller as the dutiful wife, Athene Seyler as the grandmother, Katie Johnson as the vaguely related Alice, Kenneth Fortescue as the son, Patricia Webster as the daughter, Anthony Newley as her criminologist boyfriend, Noel Hood as Aunt Marjorie, Ian Wilson as Harold the postmaster, Trevor Reid as the Inspector, Cyril Luckham as the coroner, and Michael Caine in one of his first film roles.

A total delight and full of surprises. This one marks Katie Johnson's only film followup to THE LADYKILLERS and proved to be her final film.

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.