Alicia I love this movie so much

SunnyHello Nice effects though.

CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Salubfoto It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

moonspinner55 British film-adaptation of Sheridan Le Fanu's novel "Uncle Silas" stars Jean Simmons as a 16-year-old orphan in 1845 England who is menaced by her nefarious uncle and his scheming partner, the girl's former governess, over the fortune her late father willed to her. Exceptionally handsome Two Cities Films production is full of cobwebs, castles and dark corridors, however the hysterical damsel-in-distress plot doesn't really hold together. Simmons nearly makes for a dandy target, but too often she moves lethargically (with her hands covering her face). Far better are Derrick De Marney and Katina Paxinou as the villains of the piece, with Paxinou taking her wicked witch role to its zenith (the film nearly dies for a spell when she is off the screen). More obvious now than it must have been in 1947, the story exposition at the beginning is clumsy and Charles Frank's direction is occasionally stilted or unsure. Still, there are pleasures to be had for those in the requisite silly spirit, and Robert Krasker's gorgeous cinematography is a feast for the eyes. **1/2 from ****

ctn-2 Jean Simmons plays the heroine, beautiful, kind and with some backbone. The reason for the title change in the USA is because it was her inheritance that attracted trouble, through no fault of her own. Some lovely costumes to enjoy, particularly the New Years Eve ball, as well as an insight into the disappearing English tradition of "mummers" performing a folk tale at Christmas. Frankly the movie is on the melodramatic side, but what is interesting is the lighting, camera work and POV (points of view) of the camera. It is an enjoyable film to watch, but the bad characters are all very bad, and the good all ever so good. Still, Jean makes a great go of it, and the camera work rewards the viewer! Some fun fight scenes too!

BrentCarleton This moody version of Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's classic Gothic novel is quite simply one of the most accomplished British films of the 1940's.With cinematography reminiscent of (and rivaling)that seen in David Lean's "Great Expectations," it is a pity that this picture is not better known.This may accrue from the fact that an American, heavily edited, and re-titled version ("The Inheritance") is the only print in U.S. circulation.At all costs avoid this butcher job, as the 6 minutes of missing footage are very germane to the story's narrative, mood and imagery.Jean Simmons is a reminder of yet another lost dramatic staple--a decorous, demure heroine, who speaks in complete sentences with flawless diction. Her lady like deportment combined with her unquestioned loveliness makes her a very sympathetic Lady Caroline. Mr. De Marney is similarly impressive as the sinister, titular character. But the film belongs to Katina Paxinou as the redoubtable Madame De La Rougierre. I believe Mr. Le Fanu would approve of her performance. In any case, her first appearance, as depicted with her malignant face peering through a rain lashed window pane, is as startling an entrance as one could hope for.Laurence Irving's art direction is superb, (and some of his sketches for this film are included in Edward Carrick's "Art and Design in the British Film," Dennis Dobson, London) fully realizing, as it does, the stories' atmospheric requirements, and amply demonstrating how superior sound stages are to location shooting.All told, this picture stands favorably alongside Thorold Dickinson's "Queen of Spades," Terence Young's "Corridor of Mirrors," Anthony Pelissier's "Rocking Horse Winner," Leslie Arliss' "Night Has Eyes," Jacques Tourneur's "Experiment Perilous," and Martin Gabel's "The Lost Moment," as one of a small group of visually distinguished Gothic melodramas of the 1940's, and far superior to the more recent television version, which despite the welcome presence of Peter O'Toole and Barbara Shelley lacks both flavor and mood.

Bondgirl1 The thing that I like about Uncle Silas a.k.a. The Inheritance is that it is not your average thriller. The suspense is built slowly as we see things that affect the life of the heroine, but she is not aware of them yet. The movie builds up more and more and it becomes an exciting suspense movie that packs a punch even for its time. Jean Simmons is practically a child in this movie, she was so young and beautiful as always. Great acting and gloomy characters make this a fun movie to watch on a stormy night. Lovers of old Gothic tales and suspense movies will not be disappointed.