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Uncle Silas (film)

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Uncle Silas
British Theatrical poster
Directed byCharles Frank
Written byBen Travers, from the novel by Sheridan le Fanu
Produced byJosef Somlo, Laurence Irving
StarringJean Simmons
Derrick de Marney
Katina Paxinou
CinematographyRobert Krasker
Edited byRalph Kemplen
Music byAlan Rawsthorne, played by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Muir Mathieson
Production
company
Distributed byGeneral Film Distributors
Release date
  • 8 October 1947 (1947-10-08)
Running time
103 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budgetover $1 million[1] or £366,300[2]
Box office£96,400 or US$269,920 (by Dec 1949)[3] or £82,700[2]

Uncle Silas (US: The Inheritance) is a 1947 British drama film directed by Charles Frank and starring Jean Simmons, Katina Paxinou and Derrick De Marney.[4] It is an adaptation of J. Sheridan Le Fanu's 1864 novel Uncle Silas in which an heiress is pursued by her uncle, who craves her money following her father's death.[5]

The film was shot at Denham Studios with sets by the art director Ralph Brinton. The costumes were designed by Elizabeth Haffenden.

Plot

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Caroline Ruthyn is the teenage niece of her elderly uncle Silas, a sickly and at one time unbalanced rake 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 vast fortune is reason enough for Caroline to be wary, but her fears increase when she meets Silas's brutal son, her cousin, and when she discovers that her fearsome former governess, Madame de la Rougierre, is working with her uncle...

Cast

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Reception

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The film was a box office flop. Producer's receipts were £70,500 in the UK and £12,200 overseas.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Cane (22 October 1947). "Film Reviews - Uncle Silas". Variety. Vol. 168, no. 7. New York, NY: Variety Publishing Company. p. 13.
  2. ^ a b c Chapman, J. (2022). The Money Behind the Screen: A History of British Film Finance, 1945-1985. Edinburgh University Press p 353. Income is in terms of producer's share.
  3. ^ Gillett, Philip (28 June 2003). The British Working Class in Postwar Film. Manchester University Press. p. 200. ISBN 978-0-7190-6258-2. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  4. ^ BFI.org
  5. ^ Fowler, Roy; Haines, Taffy (15 May 1990). "Interview with Sidney Gilliat" (PDF). British Entertainment History Project. p. 46.
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