The Inheritance (1947)
"Uncle Silas" (original title)

Caroline Ruthyn is the teen-aged niece of the her uncle Silas, a sickly and at one time unbalanced man who becomes her guardian on the death of her father. The fact that Silas is broke and ... See full summary »

Director:

Charles Frank

Writers:

Sheridan Le Fanu (novel), Ben Travers (screenplay)

Stars:

Jean Simmons, Katina Paxinou, Derrick De Marney

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jean Simmons	...	Caroline Ruthyn
Katina Paxinou	...	Madame de la Rougierre
Derrick De Marney	...	Uncle Silas
Derek Bond	...	Lord Richard Ilbury
Sophie Stewart	...	Lady Monica Waring
Esmond Knight	...	Dr. Bryerly
Reginald Tate	...	Austin Ruthyn
Manning Whiley	...	Dudley Ruthyn
Marjorie Rhodes	...	Mrs. Rusk
John Laurie	...	Giles
Frederick Burtwell	...	Branston
George Curzon	...	Sleigh
O.B. Clarence	...	Vicar Clay
Frederick Ranalow	...	Rigg
Patricia Glyn	...	Mary Quince

Storyline

Caroline Ruthyn is the teen-aged niece of the her uncle Silas, a sickly and at one time unbalanced man who becomes her guardian on the death of her father. The fact that Silas is broke and greedy and young Caroline is the heir to her father's great fortune is reason enough for Caroline to be wary, but her fears escalate when she meets Silas's perverted son and when she discovers that her fearsome former governess, Madame de la Rougierre, is in league with her uncle.

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Plot Keywords:

governess | uncle niece relationship | gothic horror | based on novel | character name in title

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 April 1948 (Finland)

Also Known As:

The Inheritance

Filming Locations:

Denham Studios, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Two Cities Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of Onkel Silas (1977)

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Soundtracks

"My Hat, It Has Three Corners"
(uncredited)
American traditional song
Played in the background during the scene in the Dover hotel.

User Reviews

Full-bodied Gothic Thriller!

I really enjoyed "Uncle Silas", although it's called "The Inheritance" on the VHS copy that I own and there are seemingly five minutes of footage missing. It's a wonderful, creepy little film about a young woman, Caroline (lovely Jean Simmons), who goes to live with her scheming old Uncle Silas in his big, gloomy mansion after her father dies. Uncle Silas (perfectly played by Derrick De Marney) and his accomplices; a French governess, Madame de la Rougierre (marvelously played by Katina Paxinou), and his son, Dudley (well played by Manning Whiley) are planning to do away with the heroine to gain her fortune. Thankfully, there are intervals where the young woman visits with her sympathetic cousin Monica (nicely played by Sophie Stewart). Brilliant music score by Alan Rawsthorne is available on CD through Amazon.com on a collection called Rawsthorne:Film Music. Nice cinematography and sets add the finishing touches to this atmospheric film. I got my VHS copy from Movies Unlimited.com.