My Cousin Rachel (1952)

A young man plots revenge against the woman he believes murdered his cousin, but his plans are shaken when he comes face to face with the enigmatic beauty.

Director:

Henry Koster

Writers:

Nunnally Johnson (screen play), Daphne Du Maurier (from the novel by) (as Daphne du Maurier)

Stars:

Olivia de Havilland, Richard Burton, Audrey Dalton

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Olivia de Havilland	...	Rachel Ashley (as Olivia deHavilland)
Richard Burton	...	Philip Ashley
Audrey Dalton	...	Louise Kendall
Ronald Squire	...	Nicholas Kendall
George Dolenz	...	Guido Rainaldi
John Sutton	...	Ambrose Ashley
Tudor Owen	...	Seecombe
J.M. Kerrigan	...	Rev. Pascoe

Storyline

When Philip Ashley's much-loved (and rich) cousin Ambrose dies, he is convinced that Ambrose was murdered by his new wife Rachel to inherit his wealth. But when he meets Rachel and falls in love with her, he knows that his suspicions must have been unfounded. But were they, or is Rachel just trying to use Philip to get at the estate Ambrose left to him instead of to her? And will she murder him next?

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Plot Keywords:

love | suspicion | cornwall | brain tumor | wealth | 

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Taglines:

"She makes a secret potion for her lovers to drink!"

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

24 December 1954 (USA)

Also Known As:

Daphne du Maurier's My Cousin Rachel

Filming Locations:

Stage 6, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,200,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Features the only Best Supporting Actor Oscar nominated performance by Richard Burton. His subsequent six other acting nominations would all be in the Lead Acting category.

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Quotes

Rachel Sangalletti Ashley: What are you doing at this hour?
Philip Ashley: I wanted you to look at the moon and smell the fragrance of spring in the air.

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Connections

Version of My Cousin Rachel (2017)

User Reviews

DeHavilland & DuMaurier - a perfect match

This masterful, complex mystery story between a younger man and older woman deals with the very modern issues of trust in relationships, and how well you can know someone. This film was made long before I was born, but for any DuMaurier fan, it is a gift. It is no wonder that Daphne DuMaurier's books were so often made as films, with her combination of romance, mystery and mistrust that marked all of her work... it remains potent.

It is a shame that this Oscar nominated film has become all but lost. While this is a dark story, shot appropriately in noir/Gothic shadows, most video versions available (and bootleg DVDS) seem to be from time-darkened versions. How I long for this to be digitally remastered and made available in a really good DVD.

Obviously this film was recognized at the time it was made. Time has unfortunately underrated it, as I believe DeHavilland has also become underrated. The qualities that are valued in today's leading GIRL roles, flashy, young, trash talking, have no value for the pleasant, understated nuanced womanliness DeHavilland brought to this role. Her performance here is an acting lesson for film, especially as this role required the difficult job of balancing the audiences doubts about whether she is good or bad.

Burton's acting is a lesson too, in film intensity. He is much better here than in many of his later performances where he seems to have studied his pout a bit too much. This, and his role as George in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" are among his best work.

This is a must-see for anyone interested in acting, and complex, nuanced film story telling.