Universal Pictures
William Castle, probably the only film producer to have his own fan club, was known for his gimmicky horror movies including The Tingler, The House on Haunted Hill and 13 Ghosts. He also capitalized on What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? by casting Joan Crawford in the film Strait-Jacket. But while Castle’s films were popular, he longed for recognition from the peers that just brushed off his populist fare. When Castle bought the rights to Ira Levin’s novel Rosemary’s Baby, he thought that would be the film to make him an A-list director but the studio insisted someone else helm the film so he was reduced to a producer role while Roman Polanski turned out what is regarded as a classic. Castle attempted to break away from the gimmicks and made some films for Universal before becoming an indie producer with films like Bug and Shanks and the TV series Circle of Fear, but he could never really escape the notion that he was more showman than director. Thanks to home video, more of Castle’s lesser-known works are being discovered and one of them is the 1966 thriller Let’s Kill Uncle now on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.
Review
Let’s Kill Uncle tells the story of 12-year-old Barnaby Harrison, recently orphaned and now on his way to a remote island to live with an uncle he’s never met, but knows stories of the man’s life as a mercenary. Barnaby has also inherited $5 million. He’s accompanied to the island by police detective Frank Travis, who is only supposed to stay the night until Uncle Kevin arrives, but both the elder and younger Harrisons ask him to stay for a few extra days, and meeting island resident Justine — whose niece rode over on the ferry with Frank and Barnaby — makes the stay more enjoyable. Her niece Chrissie already has a prickly relationship with Barnaby from the eight hour ferry ride, and while the two children clash, they still manage to enjoy each other’s company whether they want to admit it or not. But after Barnaby is lured out of bed by Uncle early one morning and ends up hypnotized and about to walk off a cliff, Barnaby is sure Uncle Kevin wants to kill him for the inheritance. The problem is no one believes a 12-year-old, so he enlists Chrissie to help him in a game of who can kill whom first.
It all sounds rather dark and dramatic, and apparently the novel upon which the film is based is much more dark and disturbing, but Castle was saddled with directives from a studio that wanted a thriller kids could enjoy, so at times the plot is a bit juvenile and often quite over-the-top, especially when a shark appears in the swimming pool of an old abandoned hotel. It’s interesting to note that when there is a scene of sharks just off the side of the ferry, the music used is astonishingly similar to the music John Williams composed for Jaws less than ten years later. There is also a hilarious use of the musical cue from The Creature from the Black Lagoon when a character known as The Ketchman first appears. Fans of The Creature will recognize the music instantly. Castle made the best with what he had, getting decent performances from the kids (Pat Cardi and Mary Badham, who is best known for playing Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird and was, at the time, the youngest actor ever nominated for an Oscar) while Nigel Green seems to be enjoying himself hamming it up as the murderous relative. Robert Pickering and Linda Lawson are basically what the audio commentators refer to as cutout characters who are just there to react or push the story along but have very little to do with the main plot. The characters may be disposable, but the performances are fine. The film’s ending comes out of left field and was apparently tacked on by studio orders and pretty much derails everything that came before it, which is a shame because if Castle had been able to deliver the film he wanted, it could have been a more memorable thriller. As it stands, it’s a nicely photographed film for kids that offers a few thrills for the very young, but adults may find it a bit ridiculous.
Video & Audio
Kino Lorber’s Blu-ray is derived from a brand new 2K master and it looks lovely. Even with the slightly over-lit TV sitcom look of the film, the colors are vibrant and the blacks are nice and deep inside the creepy hotel (which is an impressive set considering the film’s obviously meager budget). It also has a proper film-like quality with a fine grain pattern. The mono audio track is free from any hiss, and the dialog is never drowned out by music or sound effects. It’s another stellar job from the folks at Kino Lorber.
Special Features
- Audio commentary by Film Historians Kat Ellinger and Mike McPadden. The two discuss some aspects of the film as it plays out, praising it a bit too much at time, but spend a lot of time talking about Castle’s career and the novel upon which the film is based. They do mention how Castle worked well with his child actors, often a father-figure for them while on set, and his frustrations with the studio’s suggestions (Universal head Lew Wasserman thought the original $10 million inheritance was too much and wanted it brought down to a million but they compromised on $5 million). They also talk about the critical reaction to the film and name drop a friend and local Baltimore critic Lou Cedrone, who placed the film on his Worst Films of 1966 list. There is some good information on the film within the commentary but it does tend to meander off topic from time to time with some trivia like Morrissey naming his second album, ‘Kill Uncle’, after the film. Still a good value.
- Mr. Castle and Me (14:44) features Pat Cardi (Barnaby) in a new interview discussing his time on the set with Mr. Castle and his admiration for the director and his co-stars.
- An original Theatrical Trailer (2:20) and a Teaser Trailer (1:08).
Overview
Let’s Kill Uncle may not be one of William Castle’s better or well-known films, but it’s certainly a must for Castle completists. The Blu-ray offers a very nice presentation of the film and a couple of nice extras, so fans of Castle or off-beat films should consider this as an addition to their collection.
Kino Lorber generously provided Hotchka with the Blu-ray for reviewing purposes.
Universal Pictures
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