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Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

Such a frustrating disappointment

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

And to Katie Johnson, too, that cute old British sweetheart who stole the scenes in that 1955 Ealing comedy out from the hands of Alec Guennis and Peter Sellers. Having died only a month before the British release of this black comedy, Johnson had a lengthy career but had only come into her own thanks to "The Ladykillers", leaving a sad quality to the history of this delightful film.I must admit when watching this, I had a sudden urge to utilize this in a plot line on "Downton Abbey" as a great family on a great estate discovers that they are destitute and must somehow plot to murder wealthy uncle Charles Coburn who had left England years before to move to America and is only now coming over for a visit. Family patriarch Nigel Patrick has it set up that he will accidentally shoot Coburn as he arrives, but ironically, it is a distant cousin that is killed instead. One by one the family with the exception of Coburn, Johnson and Patrick are all killed off, and that includes Patrick's irritating mother (Atheyne Seyler), unknowing wife (Wendy Hiller) and cousin Kenneth Fortescue who had intended to drowned his uncle yet fell in the water himself, only to die of pneumonia. A sweet bond is started between Coburn and innocent Johnson, another distant cousin who is considered the black sheep of the family simply because she seems so simple. As luck turns out, Coburn is accused of knocking off his family, thanks to the presence of Anthony Newley, boyfriend of one of Patrick and Hiller's daughters, seen taking notes at family functions as certain "hints" are dropped. Deliciously droll in every way, this remains consistently funny in the way everybody is dispatched, along the lines of "Kind Hearts and Coronets", later musicalized for Broadway as "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder". In spite of how close it seems to the Ealing comedies, it was independently made and released by Columbia, which is perhaps one reason why it is not known as well. This was one of the first major roles for a young Michael Caine, barely recognizable as a town local. Patrick underplays his role of the murderous nephew, a smart choice that would have been much broader had Alec Guennis played the role. In fact, Patrick plays the part without much guilt, as if his family duty called for those killed to be willing victims to the future of the family, and that is what makes this film all the more intelligent. The ghosts of the deceased make curtain call appearances, but there is delightfully sweet close-up of Coburn and Johnson as the film ends. This is a must for those who like intelligent comedy with a bit of naughtiness to 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.

Nigel Patrick does double-duty as star and director of this low-key but hilarious spoof of such genteel British thrillers as AND THEN THERE WERE NONE. John Paxton's script finds rich American uncle Charles Coburn paying a visit to the English ancestral home where, unbeknownst to him, his aristocratic nephew (Patrick) and the rest of the requisite wacky family members are suffering a severe money deficiency. No sooner has kindly old Uncle unpacked than Patrick, his wife Wendy Hiller, and nearly all of the rest of the cash-crazed clan are plotting the unsuspecting Yank's untimely demise in hope of inheriting his fortune. Much to their dismay -- and the viewer's merriment -- all their efforts to provide Coburn with an "accidental death" backfire big-time (heh heh)... Katie Johnson of THE LADYKILLERS fame nearly steals the show as a sweetly dotty yet vaguely spooky cousin who takes a shine to Coburn. I was surprised, though, by the youthful Anthony Newley as the crackpot criminologist suitor of Patrick's and Hiller's daughter. Not only is Newley far less grating than he became in later films, he's downright funny! Also, keep your eyes peeled (or should I say "pealed" :-) for a very young Michael Caine as a gangly bell-ringer. In a running sight gag to which mere words can't do justice, Caine teams up with a much shorter fellow to ring the church bells for each new funeral; I'd even go so far as to say it's one of the highlights of the movie. This...RICH UNCLE is well worth putting out the "Welcome" mat for!

It has been years since I saw this film, but it has left some vivid memories.