The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry (1945)

Written by CinemaSerf on December 2, 2023

George Sanders is the eponymous character, the last in a line of once wealthy members of the "Quincey" family, who lives a rather hen-pecked existence with older sister "Lettie" (Geraldine Fitzgerald) and the widowed "Hester" (Moyna MacGill). His only real respite comes from his design work at the local factory and from their head-screwed-on housekeeper "Nona" (Sara Allgood). It's when he meets "Ella" (Deborah Brown) that feathers start to ruffle and we embark on quite an engaging thriller that shows just how determined the elder sibling is to keep "Harry" on a tight leash. "Lettie" is cleverly subtle. She knows what buttons to press with her rather wimpish brother - and it's pretty clear that she is determined to split them up. Can she? Will she? Will he get a grip in time? It's the last half hour that sees the tension build nicely to a suitably fitting conclusion with a twist at the end that is maybe just little too convenient, but still it rounds off a surprisingly superior story of family politics, deception and bit of retribution, too. Sanders is on good form as the put-upon character and Fitzgerald adds something a little of the "Mrs. Danvers" to her role. Packs loads into eighty minutes and is well worth a watch.