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.

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!

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