The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry (1945)

Simply A Masterpiece

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

hyped garbage

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Sound cinema's greatest cad George Sanders does a 180 as Uncle Henry, a shy, retiring much put upon brother in this charming and malevolent Robert Siodmak light noir.Cloth designer Harry Quincy lives a quiet life in servitude to his two needy sisters in a New England town. Sister, Lettie is particularly demanding feigning constant fragility that calls for a lot of Henry's time. When a visitor comes on strong at the office his life is transformed much to the dismay of his possessive sister who now turns on the full court press to abort his intended marriage.It's odd and vastly entertaining to watch Sanders defer to physically delicate harridan Geraldine Fitzgerald. Sanders pulls off his grand stretch with room to spare, garnering our sympathy and passive support for offing the monstrous Lettie; convincingly played by Eileen Fitzgerald firing off a combo of cutting remarks and hateful glances. Moyna Magill as sister Hester whines as well but transitions at times to the the most logical person in the room. As the love interest Ella Raines comes on as a man eater full steam to Henry but is no match for sister Lettie.This is director Siodmak's last light film before delving into the darkest (and some of the best) noir in history and while cannot be argued that Henry is a well paced suspense thriller along with the fact it is a given if ever their was a man with original sin it was Sanders the film sells out and while some may be disappointed by this ending you'll never stop pulling for George for a change.

The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry was different to what I had been expecting. I was expecting a cushy little number about a family life which becomes disrupted. However, the film was edgier and much more daring than I initially anticipated.The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry tells the story of Harry, a middle-aged man who lives with his two sisters: the good-natured widow Hester, and the young, beautiful but unstable Lettie, who is self-centred, possessive and a hypochondriac. Harry begins seeing a co-worker and becomes engaged to her, and it soon becomes clear just how possessive of her brother Lettie exactly is...The film explores the idea of dependency and dares to hint at the idea of incest between Harry and Lettie, something which would be shocking today, never mind in the 40s. Harry and Lettie's strange relationship will surely intrigue viewers and keep them captivated till the very end. The movie takes a few twists and turns - some predictable, others genuinely shocking, before drawing to a rather dull, cliché conclusion. Unfortunately, the movie, which held solid potential all the way through, is let down by a bad ending. It's not that the ending is bad as much as it is hurried and vague. I had to re-watch the last three minutes to fully understand what was happening. With a little more time and thought in the script, I'm sure a better ending could have been added.All the actors involved were simply wonderful. People who are familiar with George Sanders' work are in for a pleasant surprise as he portrays a rare protagonist role. He's excellent in it, too - sympathetic, comfortable and believable. Geraldine Fitzgerald is captivating and alluring as Lettie, giving her character a dangerous edge. Ella Raines gives a great performance as Harry's new girlfriend. Moyna Macgill and Sara Allgood are also very good in their roles and offer solid support for a brilliant lead cast.I just wish the ending was as gripping and daring as the rest of the film. However, I suppose we can't expect too much from an 80 minute B movie from the 40s. Perhaps if the film were to be remade today, it would be rewarded with a much more fitting ending.

Perhaps because I have a fondness for older movies, that is why I find this rather quirky film very amusing. Despite the strange and annoying obsession the younger sister has for controlling her brother's life, this story is filled with so many surprising twists, it kept me in sufficient suspense to see it through. Geraldine Fitzgerald gives a superb performance as Lettie, the needy, and manipulative sister. I found George Sanders performance touching as the patient, tender-hearted older brother Harry, caught between his loyalty to his sister and his first serious love, for the sophisticated Deborah Brown ( Ella Raines ), the self-assured woman he wants to marry. Ella Raines gives a strong and confident performance and the cattish attitude both Fitzgerald and Raines have towards each other is most entertaining. Moyna MacGill is lovely in her role as the kindly and sympathetic sister Hester. This is another film I will not give a synopsis for, rather I encourage the reader to watch and be their own judge of this interesting story with it's very unexpected ending.

Try to imagine Harry, an aging bachelor who lives in Corinth, New Hampshire, with his two sisters. It's enough to send anyone to commit a crime just so he can get away from these two vultures that totally dominate his life. Harry Quincy, and his siblings, are local aristocracy who are confined to share the big family mansion. The two sisters, Letty and Hester are constantly quarreling about the most menial things.When sophisticated Deborah Brown appears in the picture, Harry sees a way out to escape his poor existence in the provincial town. Little does he realize that Lettie, his domineering sister, wants for him. This turns Harry into a hatred for the sister that evidently feels another kind of love for his brother. After a bitter quarrel between Lettie and Hester, he decides he must take corrective action to get rid of his problems. In turn, he will destroy the cozy family life he, and his siblings, enjoyed."The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry" is a film that was ahead of its times in the subtle way it dealt with sibling incest, which is behind the action. Based on a stage play, this feature, directed by Robert Siodmak, was greatly distorted by the Hays Commission in an ending that frankly, doesn't make much sense and doesn't add anything to our enjoyment of it. As a matter of fact, the warning at the end, doesn't quite make sense. We have all been led to believe one thing, yet the arrival of Deborah, out of nowhere, and the dream sequence, doesn't add up. Yet, in spite of the flaws, out attention is held because of the story and what has come before this let down of a finale.George Sanders does wonders with his Harry Quincy, the man who might be involved with his own sister. This was one of his best movies and he contributes to the enjoyment of this melodrama. Lovely Geraldine Fitzgerald plays the strident sister Letty. She is also quite effective in the way she plays the part of the sister who might be involved in more ways than one with her own brother. Moyna Macgill, (Angela Lansbury's mother) has also great fun as Hester, the other sister. Sara Allwood appears as the family cook. Ella Raines makes a sophisticated Deborah Brown.Who knows what the film would have turned out like if Robert Siodmak, the director, would have been able to do the story as he probably conceived it.