Great energy created through well constructed juxtaposition gets this film revved up from the get-go. A car crash is followed by children nearly fist-fighting... then cross-cutting to sharks feeding. Castle uses some good depth of field on the ship creating a sense of transportation (restlessness is a key theme in the film). The staging/blocking is sound creating a sense for the relationships of the characters and their motivation. The direction is attuned for spectator identification and Castle's spooks have heightened effectiveness as a result. The dialogue has an honesty and naturalism reminiscent of Castle's The Americano. Then the titular uncle arrives and good acting all around keeps the film engaging and entertaining. The plot contrivances have to be overlooked simply for the fact that Let's Kill Uncle is a William Castle film! This is one of his better "screwball horror" films which followed his gimmick horror films.
16 Reviews
LET'S KILL UNCLE (William Castle, 1966) **1/2
Bunuel197628 April 2014
This seems among the hardest of Castle's efforts to come by: there is no legitimate home video release of it and, in fact, I had first acquired a poor-quality copy taken from a 16mm print but have now upgraded to a superior (if still rather soft) one sourced from TCM just in time for its inclusion in my ongoing centenary tribute to the director. The film, then, definitely takes him off the chiller course – opting for a black comedy vein which he would retain for his two subsequent efforts (both awaiting their turn, to be sure, in my current schedule), namely THE BUSY BODY and THE SPIRIT IS WILLING (both 1967). Besides, children are once again put at the forefront of the cast (and murder victim) list – as had been the case with the recently-viewed 13 FRIGHTENED GIRLS (1963) and I SAW WHAT YOU DID (1965).
The movie could well be confused with Nigel Patrick's HOW TO MURDER A RICH UNCLE (1957) but, here, we have a villainous relative trying to dispose of the rightful heir to a fortune – so the latter, a boy, decides to do the older man in himself before he can succeed in his nefarious scheme hence the title and, by extension, the delightful irony of the central situation! Adding to the amusement is the fact that, though the child is ostensibly protected by a police sergeant, the latter is totally oblivious to the battle-of-wills going on around him! Besides, the kid is a compulsive liar, for which he is constantly berated by his girl companion – played by Mary Badham of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962) fame – and of whose own female guardian the cop soon becomes enamoured. Most important of all, the uncle is a veritable (and published) WWII hero – so that his endeavours to get-rich-quick involve militaristic strategies, and a good deal of cold-bloodedness!
While the film is certainly no lost classic, it receives a definite boost once nominal star Nigel Green (in one of his best screen roles) gets his belated introduction; among the most inventive attempts by the protagonists to outdo each other are a precarious walk near a clifftop while under a hypnotic spell; a fall into a murky pool in which a shark is at large; the 'is it or isn't it?' poisoned mushroom sauce at dinner; a flight in a private plane with a low fuel supply; and a tarantula attack. The ending, then, which puts the deadly game squarely at a draw can be seen as a cop-out – but also that Castle was only pulling our leg throughout or, if you like, having some typically ghoulish fun at our expense despite not having an accompanying gimmick this time around or, as it turned out, ever again!
The movie could well be confused with Nigel Patrick's HOW TO MURDER A RICH UNCLE (1957) but, here, we have a villainous relative trying to dispose of the rightful heir to a fortune – so the latter, a boy, decides to do the older man in himself before he can succeed in his nefarious scheme hence the title and, by extension, the delightful irony of the central situation! Adding to the amusement is the fact that, though the child is ostensibly protected by a police sergeant, the latter is totally oblivious to the battle-of-wills going on around him! Besides, the kid is a compulsive liar, for which he is constantly berated by his girl companion – played by Mary Badham of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962) fame – and of whose own female guardian the cop soon becomes enamoured. Most important of all, the uncle is a veritable (and published) WWII hero – so that his endeavours to get-rich-quick involve militaristic strategies, and a good deal of cold-bloodedness!
While the film is certainly no lost classic, it receives a definite boost once nominal star Nigel Green (in one of his best screen roles) gets his belated introduction; among the most inventive attempts by the protagonists to outdo each other are a precarious walk near a clifftop while under a hypnotic spell; a fall into a murky pool in which a shark is at large; the 'is it or isn't it?' poisoned mushroom sauce at dinner; a flight in a private plane with a low fuel supply; and a tarantula attack. The ending, then, which puts the deadly game squarely at a draw can be seen as a cop-out – but also that Castle was only pulling our leg throughout or, if you like, having some typically ghoulish fun at our expense despite not having an accompanying gimmick this time around or, as it turned out, ever again!
William Castle is a great children's director
gridoon202424 April 2021
"Let's Kill Uncle!" is an enjoyable black comedy, though a little too soft at the end. Its strongest point is the genuine, natural relationship between Barnaby and Chrissie; both look and act like real (early) teens, smart and resourceful but not "Disneyfied", and both young actors are bright and talented. **1/2 out of 4.
A fun little thriller!
Wizard-823 March 2003
Though it starts off somewhat slowly, things instantly pick up when Nigel Green enters the scene. He is a hoot as the coniving uncle, and his various activities (like practicing judo in the house) and dialogue are hilarious (the breakfast conversation with his nephew is the best such scene. I would say the movie gets better as it goes along, getting more twisted with its black comedy. However, the final minute of the movie is a real disappointment. It's as if the screenwriter was running out of time to submit the script to the studio, and wrote in an ending both strange and feeling unfinished.
It's still worth a look - if you can find it. It seems that Universal has withdrawn the movie for some reason, and currently the only way to watch the movie is through bootlegs. Perhaps the current owners of the studio are uncomfortable with the whole uncle-trying-to-kill-nephew/nephew-trying-to-kill-uncle thing, even though all this is never presented in a serious manner. Let's hope they eventually find a sense of humor.
It's still worth a look - if you can find it. It seems that Universal has withdrawn the movie for some reason, and currently the only way to watch the movie is through bootlegs. Perhaps the current owners of the studio are uncomfortable with the whole uncle-trying-to-kill-nephew/nephew-trying-to-kill-uncle thing, even though all this is never presented in a serious manner. Let's hope they eventually find a sense of humor.
Let's Play at Castle Kiddie!
Coventry30 August 2022
William Castle perhaps wasn't the greatest horror director in history, but he remains - and deservedly so - a favorite of many fans who don't take themselves, nor the genre, too serious. Castle is most legendary for his gimmick-featuring semi-classics, like "The Tingler" and "House on Haunted Hill", but he also made a variety of lesser-known films, like the child-friendly, but certainly not too childish, "Let's Kill Uncle".
When a millionaire (cameo by Castle himself) dies in a vicious car crash, his only son is escorted by a police officer to go and live on the island mansion of his uncle Kevin Harrison; - his only living relative and a former war-hero. The arrogant kid, Barnaby, and the police officer arrive on the island first, and make friends with a woman and her niece. When uncle Kevin finally arrives, he makes it abundantly clear to Barnaby straight away that he intends to kill him, because he's broke and needs to inherit the complete fortune of his brother. Since the adults don't believe him, Barnaby teams up with the little niece and decide it's best to kill the uncle before he kills them.
The goofy but effective premise only kicks in gear when Nigel Green (as uncle) arrives on the island in his plan, and for some strange reason this takes more than half an hour. The start is thus slow, but Green compensates for this tremendously with a fantastically over-the-top performance. The death traps are also very ingenious with a shark in the hotel pool, tarantulas, and a walk towards the edge of cliff while hypnotized. The ending is a bit of a downer, but by then the film already earned a place in your heart.
When a millionaire (cameo by Castle himself) dies in a vicious car crash, his only son is escorted by a police officer to go and live on the island mansion of his uncle Kevin Harrison; - his only living relative and a former war-hero. The arrogant kid, Barnaby, and the police officer arrive on the island first, and make friends with a woman and her niece. When uncle Kevin finally arrives, he makes it abundantly clear to Barnaby straight away that he intends to kill him, because he's broke and needs to inherit the complete fortune of his brother. Since the adults don't believe him, Barnaby teams up with the little niece and decide it's best to kill the uncle before he kills them.
The goofy but effective premise only kicks in gear when Nigel Green (as uncle) arrives on the island in his plan, and for some strange reason this takes more than half an hour. The start is thus slow, but Green compensates for this tremendously with a fantastically over-the-top performance. The death traps are also very ingenious with a shark in the hotel pool, tarantulas, and a walk towards the edge of cliff while hypnotized. The ending is a bit of a downer, but by then the film already earned a place in your heart.
A different type of William Castle film
AlsExGal22 December 2022
The old Castle is gone, and the one that emerges wants to focus on black humor, and a kind of family friendly suspense. This considered, it's not so bad. The star is young Pat Cardi, a rich orphan sent to live with his globe-trotting war hero uncle, Nigel Green. Cardi befriends Mary Badham, who is being sent to live with her aunt Linda Lawson on the same island. The two are warned not to go near the old deserted hotel, so of course, that's where they head first, only to encounter a shark in the murky swimming pool (the same shark stock footage is shown several times throughout the film) and they sense danger all around, but the grownups auntie Lawson and Robert Pickering (a detective hired to safely transport Cardi) don't believe them, and are busily involved with each other.
Nigel Green is amusing, from his judo practice to his hammy meal presentation wearing a big chef's hat, but he's up-front with Cardi. He's out to kill the kid for his fortune, via hypnosis, poison mushrooms, the pool shark, whatever it takes. It becomes 'who can outwit who - the kids versus the uncle, to survive. There's nothing really scary here, and the slight wackiness of Green keeps the viewer from feeling any real suspense, but it is sort of a fun watch.
I prefer Castle's acid pit or blood filled bathtub for memorable gimmicks but I'd give this a solid 6/10.
Nigel Green is amusing, from his judo practice to his hammy meal presentation wearing a big chef's hat, but he's up-front with Cardi. He's out to kill the kid for his fortune, via hypnosis, poison mushrooms, the pool shark, whatever it takes. It becomes 'who can outwit who - the kids versus the uncle, to survive. There's nothing really scary here, and the slight wackiness of Green keeps the viewer from feeling any real suspense, but it is sort of a fun watch.
I prefer Castle's acid pit or blood filled bathtub for memorable gimmicks but I'd give this a solid 6/10.
Worth a second look
swftintrdr125 November 2005
I remember this movie from my youth. I must have seen it for the first and last time around the mid-70's. I too finally found a DVD copy on the internet. I have always been drawn to see this movie in it's entirety, for I do not remember much of the movie besides the old hotel and the shark in the swimming pool. (Cheesy clips of the shark really "age" this movie compared to today's fix capabilities.) Approaching the young age of 40, perhaps I was trying to recapture some of my youth. None the less, the movie was a thrill to see after all of these years. I will keep it in my collection and let my boys watch it as I did in my younger days. Nigel Green is quite good in this movie, I must admit.
An Uncle To Die For
bkoganbing9 October 2010
This is one of the weirdest films I've ever run into. Not great or even good, but totally strange.
Young Pat Cardi's multi-millionaire father dies in a car crash and he inherits the wealth, but has to go to live with his uncle Nigel Green, a most mysterious individual who lives on an island that sharks abound in the waters around. It wasn't always so, at one time the island wherever it is was a tourist spot. But the multiplying sharks did drive the tourists away and then the natives of the island whose living depended on the tourist trade.
Cardi's whose wealth and new position even merits a policeman accompanying him in the person of Robert Pickering. Also on the ship is Mary Badham, a young girl going to live with an aunt on the island played by Linda Lawson.
These two have not had Beaver Cleaver childhoods and they fight a lot, but are drawn to each other, especially when it turns out that Nigel Green is trying to kill Cardi and grab his brother's money for himself. When he doesn't succeed the kids decide to do it to him before he does it to them.
Directed by horror specialist William Castle, Let's Kill Uncle marked the nadir of his career. It's a black comedy that simply doesn't work. In fact the two kids are so annoying and obnoxious one is wishing Green actually did kill them.
As for Nigel Green he saunters through the whole procedure with a twinkle in his eye and the satisfied look of a man knowing paycheck had already cleared the bank.
No frights in this film even with the menacing sharks who even turn up in the swimming pool. Just a lot of guffaws.
Young Pat Cardi's multi-millionaire father dies in a car crash and he inherits the wealth, but has to go to live with his uncle Nigel Green, a most mysterious individual who lives on an island that sharks abound in the waters around. It wasn't always so, at one time the island wherever it is was a tourist spot. But the multiplying sharks did drive the tourists away and then the natives of the island whose living depended on the tourist trade.
Cardi's whose wealth and new position even merits a policeman accompanying him in the person of Robert Pickering. Also on the ship is Mary Badham, a young girl going to live with an aunt on the island played by Linda Lawson.
These two have not had Beaver Cleaver childhoods and they fight a lot, but are drawn to each other, especially when it turns out that Nigel Green is trying to kill Cardi and grab his brother's money for himself. When he doesn't succeed the kids decide to do it to him before he does it to them.
Directed by horror specialist William Castle, Let's Kill Uncle marked the nadir of his career. It's a black comedy that simply doesn't work. In fact the two kids are so annoying and obnoxious one is wishing Green actually did kill them.
As for Nigel Green he saunters through the whole procedure with a twinkle in his eye and the satisfied look of a man knowing paycheck had already cleared the bank.
No frights in this film even with the menacing sharks who even turn up in the swimming pool. Just a lot of guffaws.
Kiddie movie about murder...awkward and under-developed, but certainly unusual
moonspinner559 October 2010
Orphaned, imaginative youngster (Pat Cardi), living on an isolated (some say haunted!) island with his uncle (Nigel Green), learns that his bug-eyed relative wants him dispatched permanently in order to cash in on the lad's $5M inheritance. The boy then involves his bickering playmate (Mary Badham) in turning the tables on the nefarious grown-up, who seems to take delight in this deadly game of cat-and-mouse. Screenwriter Mark Rodgers, working from a novel by Rohan O'Grady, and Castle appear to be targeting the family audience with this thriller. Much like their goal, the film is curious and intriguing without being truly provocative. The kids plot to poison Uncle with mushrooms but are somehow thwarted, while Uncle--armed with a can of gasoline--attempts to set the two on fire (but how would he explain their deaths to the authorities?). You absolutely cannot look for logic in a Castle screamer, but imagine how good--if not great--his films might have been with a little smarts! *1/2 from ****
Pointless and somewhat disturbing
preppy-311 October 2010
Young Barnaby Harrison's (Pat Cardi) father has died in a car crash--and Barnaby is set to inherit 5 million dollars. Barnaby's uncle Kevin (Nigel Green) is next in line and is prepared to kill Barnaby to get the money. The two are stuck on an island and try everything they can do to kill one another. By the way--this is aimed at kids!!
I never caught this as a kid on TV like most people seem to have. I can see how a kid might enjoy this cause it's FAR too silly to take seriously and some of the "games" are fun (in a sick sort of way). Seeing it as an adult I found it slow, stupid and somewhat disturbing about having a movie where an adult is trying to kill a kid whose father has just died! To make it worse it throws in an ending which comes out of nowhere and renders the entire film pointless. This only gets a 2 because Cardi, Green and Mary Badham (as Chrissie) aren't that bad in their roles. But this is a pretty sick and dull little item that is almost impossible to see today--for good reason!
I never caught this as a kid on TV like most people seem to have. I can see how a kid might enjoy this cause it's FAR too silly to take seriously and some of the "games" are fun (in a sick sort of way). Seeing it as an adult I found it slow, stupid and somewhat disturbing about having a movie where an adult is trying to kill a kid whose father has just died! To make it worse it throws in an ending which comes out of nowhere and renders the entire film pointless. This only gets a 2 because Cardi, Green and Mary Badham (as Chrissie) aren't that bad in their roles. But this is a pretty sick and dull little item that is almost impossible to see today--for good reason!
Excellent escape movie...
jarthurconley24 October 2003
Although I haven't seen the movie in well over twenty years, I distinctly remember some classically original scenes--a shark circling in the swimming pool is at the forefront of these scenes.
There is a charm to the movie hard to put one's finger on. Perhaps it's a film that begs (and succeeds) to bring out the adventurous core-child in each of us.
The problem: I've been searching for this movie for over twenty years. If I can buy a copy from someone, or if someone knows when it might be aired....PLEASE let me know.
Thank you, Jay
There is a charm to the movie hard to put one's finger on. Perhaps it's a film that begs (and succeeds) to bring out the adventurous core-child in each of us.
The problem: I've been searching for this movie for over twenty years. If I can buy a copy from someone, or if someone knows when it might be aired....PLEASE let me know.
Thank you, Jay
A curio to say the least
michaeldukey20006 April 2007
William Castle was losing touch with his audience around this time and the cheap and efficient producer side of him was clearly winning over the carny style director side of him.The concept of a black comedy geared for kids was a bit novel but Pat Cardi is just too annoying as the little boy and some of the plot devices and effects are real eyeball rollers even for a vintage Castle movie.Nigel Green clearly knows what he's doing and refuses to play down to the material.It may seem like he's going over the top at times but his character is supposed to enjoy outwitting and doing away with the boy that stands in the way of his inheritance.As others have stated the scenes with the shark in the pool are pure hokum guaranteed to illicit peals of laughter as they shift from one scene of a rubbery fin by the diving board to an old and grainy shot of a shark in the ocean.The basic concept of who's killing who? Child or adult? could be remade quite effectively today but this is largely a flop, Stick with The TIngler Or House On Haunted Hill.
Forgotten William Castle entry at the tail end of his career
kevinolzak23 August 2023
1966's "Let's Kill Uncle" was director William Castle's direct follow up to his second Joan Crawford vehicle, "I Saw What You Did," sharing with that entry a child friendly sense of fun that precludes any real danger. This time his protagonists are both preteens, Pat Cardi as 12 year old millionaire Barnaby Harrison, whose father left him a fortune after perishing in a presumed car accident, and Mary Badham as Chrissie, initially bored with the boy's seemingly tall tales before learning the actual facts from his guardian, police Sgt. Frank Travis (Robert Pickering). All three land on Serenity Island where Chrissie has gone to live with pretty maiden aunt Justine (Linda Lawson), while Barnaby resides with the sole other occupant, his Uncle Kevin (Nigel Green), a decorated WW2 hero with a literary background in 'killing the enemy.' Poor Chrissie is frightened by a disabled fisherman (Ref Sanchez) who stays at a rundown hotel that has a small pool with a shark in it, which she discovers soon enough after falling in. Things start happening once Uncle Kevin arrives by plane, his cheerfully disarming nature belying a sinister intent that becomes clear almost immediately, hypnotizing the boy to walk straight off a cliff so that he alone will inherit the $5 million. The unexpected presence of Justine saves Barnaby from certain death, but the adults don't believe his wild story of an avaricious uncle desperate to collect, and to his great surprise, the war veteran cheerfully admits his guilt, calling upon his nephew to 'play the game' in order to survive. Chrissie becomes his staunch ally in self defense, picking poisonous toadstools for a dinner of steaks, or seeking out one of the island tarantulas for a sneak attack. The material is there for a crackerjack 'cat and mouse' triumph with tongue firmly in cheek, but Castle's once gifted directorial eye seems to have deserted him at this stage, four more box office failures to follow ("The Spirit is Willing," "The Busy Body," "Project X," and "Shanks"), one massive success in a production both written and directed by Roman Polanski, "Rosemary's Baby." The budget was so pitifully small with the phony jungle sets that even a 1940s Tarzan movie would look more convincing. Nigel Green was just starting to make a name for himself in the US, and gives the picture tremendous weight after a half hour buildup without him. Mary Badham, so engaging here and as Gregory Peck's daughter in "To Kill a Mockingbird," that it was a shame that her acting career ended at such a young age. Pat Cardi struggled for a bit longer, his only adult roles a chimpanzee in "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" and the nerdy star of the cult classic "Horror High," earning him most acclaim in the decades since (he not only got along well with Mary during shooting but also remained a lifelong friend). Cardi insisted that the abrupt climax was compromised by studio interference, it would be interesting to learn what Castle himself had intended.
Odd Little Known Thriller
hillari11 December 2000
One of Castle's oddest entries concerns an orphaned boy who is due to get an inheritance. However, his evil uncle has plans to kill the boy before he can collect. Between the boy and a girl he meets on the island where he's staying with friends, they cook up a plan to thwart the uncle's plans. There is a long sequence near the end involving hypnotism, a shark and a pool that is too strange for words.
I am never disappointed with William Castle
searchanddestroy-117 November 2023
Whatever his inspiration is, I am never deceived with Willial Castle's movies, especially for his last part of career. I mean his spookie period, cheap terror style, yes, but so inventive, crazy in the good way; of course there always will be Castle's fans to criticize what he did. I love his work, because he gave us stories we did not find anywhere else. This one is not his best, far from that, maybe was it destined to young audiences, but that's not a reason to put it in the comedy category. It is not a comedy for me, though there are many light hearted sequences. The most important for me being it remains entertaining.
Another Disappointment from Castle
Michael_Elliott24 October 2010
Let's Kill Uncle (1966)
* 1/2 (out of 4)
The more work I see from William Castle the more I'm starting to realize that without Vincent Price or another star then the director struggled quite a bit. I don't think it's his direction that really killed everything he was involved in but there's no question that he was doing some rather strange movies during this period of his career. In the film, young Barbaby (Pat Cardi) has $5 million left to him after his father died in a car crash. He goes to an island to live with his WW2 vet uncle (Nigel Green) and soon the boy realizes that his uncle is trying to kill him for the money. Barnaby and a female friend (Mary Badham) decide the best thing to do is just kill the uncle first. Three years prior to this film Castle made 13 FRIGHTENED GIRLS!, which was a strange mix of Nancy Drew and Cold War but the strangest thing about that film is that it put young girls in violence and sexual situations and I really wondered who in their right mind would want to watch a film like that. I felt the same way with this thing because who wants to watch a childish film about an uncle wanting to kill this kid or having the tables turned and the two kids killing the uncle? Castle brings a very childish tone to the entire film and for the life of me I couldn't figure out who he was making this thing for. Adults are going to be bored out of their minds and wondering why they're watching a movie about kids being targets and kids are simply going to hit the stop button within a few minutes of the film starting. I'm sure some would defend the light story and the simple direction but to me the thing had a very bad pace and it just never picked up any steam as it went along. The horror elements are basically a deformed cripple guy, some spiders and a swimming pool with a shark in it. Not very scary. None of the performances are all that impressive either with Green going way over the top and not making a for a very interesting character. Cardi is extremely bland in his part and at times he's so annoying that you'll be rooting for the uncle. Badham is best known for her work in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and this would be her last film until 2005. LET'S KILL UNCLE is pretty rare in terms of Castle's work and there's a good reason that this thing is still sitting in a vault.
* 1/2 (out of 4)
The more work I see from William Castle the more I'm starting to realize that without Vincent Price or another star then the director struggled quite a bit. I don't think it's his direction that really killed everything he was involved in but there's no question that he was doing some rather strange movies during this period of his career. In the film, young Barbaby (Pat Cardi) has $5 million left to him after his father died in a car crash. He goes to an island to live with his WW2 vet uncle (Nigel Green) and soon the boy realizes that his uncle is trying to kill him for the money. Barnaby and a female friend (Mary Badham) decide the best thing to do is just kill the uncle first. Three years prior to this film Castle made 13 FRIGHTENED GIRLS!, which was a strange mix of Nancy Drew and Cold War but the strangest thing about that film is that it put young girls in violence and sexual situations and I really wondered who in their right mind would want to watch a film like that. I felt the same way with this thing because who wants to watch a childish film about an uncle wanting to kill this kid or having the tables turned and the two kids killing the uncle? Castle brings a very childish tone to the entire film and for the life of me I couldn't figure out who he was making this thing for. Adults are going to be bored out of their minds and wondering why they're watching a movie about kids being targets and kids are simply going to hit the stop button within a few minutes of the film starting. I'm sure some would defend the light story and the simple direction but to me the thing had a very bad pace and it just never picked up any steam as it went along. The horror elements are basically a deformed cripple guy, some spiders and a swimming pool with a shark in it. Not very scary. None of the performances are all that impressive either with Green going way over the top and not making a for a very interesting character. Cardi is extremely bland in his part and at times he's so annoying that you'll be rooting for the uncle. Badham is best known for her work in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and this would be her last film until 2005. LET'S KILL UNCLE is pretty rare in terms of Castle's work and there's a good reason that this thing is still sitting in a vault.
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