Aunt Clara

This was Margaret Rutherford's favourite film and it's not difficult to see why as she is given full reign to her comic abilities. She is charming throughout and works well particularly in scenes with Ronald Shiner. She plays 'Clara' a middle - aged spinster who is left the task to clean up the acts of several members of her family who are engaged in rather unsavoury practices when her elderly uncle dies. As an angel of mercy, she visits each of her relatives in turn showing them the errors of their ways with hilarious results. Her last visit takes her to Fay Compton who employs a rather dilapidated brothel which includes a group of dishevelled ladies who work there. This scene is particularly moving and full of pathos. Unfortunately this film is rarely shown on British television - a great loss.

"Aunt Clara" was probably a vehicle for Margaret Rutherford to display her unique subtle, disarming type of humor. I say probably because the picture was hijacked by Ronald Shiner, a vaudeville-type given to bombast and overacting. The styles of the principals are at great variance and on several occasions Miss Rutherford was simply overwhelmed by Mr. Shiner, whose persona has the same effect as, say, Carmen Miranda - an arresting presence that you can't take your eyes off whenever he is on screen. And he is in nearly every scene.

Don't get me wrong. He was funny enough and carried his part well enough, but I put the DVD in to watch Miss Rutherford, who was hard-pressed to compete with the over-the-top style of Mr. Shiner. I savored as I could the moments when she delivered her fey, understated brand of comedy in a part made for her talents as a naive spinster who inherits a fortune from a disreputable nephew. You have to listen for her, but you just watch him.

All in all, it was an enjoyable movie which could have been better but for the complaints mentioned above. It could have been rated a 7 but I settled for 6. Quick note to UK contributors; your ratings for films made in the UK are often misleading. Some even-handedness is needed, as abnormally high ratings hinder rather than help.

"Aunt Clara" is a cute little British comedy. While it's not exactly a laugh out loud movie, it is sweet and worth seeing.

When the story begins, an old man is preparing for his 80th birthday party. You soon see his various relatives after they receive his invitations....and each of them is coming simply because the guy is rich and they are expecting him to remember them in his will. But when the man dies, everyone is surprised when the bulk of his fortune goes to Clara (Margaret Lockwood), a nice old lady who isn't the least interested in his fortune. And, in fact, she's the only one who didn't come to the birthday party because of this.

What exactly did his will give Clara? Well, she isn't sure and the Uncle's butler, Henry, is not exactly thrilled to tell Clara...in fact he quits! Why? Because the Uncle's hand was involved in all sorts of vices--crooked gambling, prostitution and more! But Clara insists Henry stays to help her and he does. In fact, he spends most of his time trying to trick her into thinking they're all legitimate businesses. What's next? See the film.

While I would never say that this is a great comedy, it is a clever one and well worth your time. I also appreciate how repeatedly the film makes choices I wouldn't have made...making the story a bit of a surprise and not filled with the expected cliches. Well worth your time.

"You don't know anything about dogs" - "I'm very fond of dogs".

That little exchange demonstrates the culture-gap between Henry (Ronald Shiner) and Clara (Margaret Rutherford), as he tries to shield her from the murky world of the greyhound stadium.

The odd couple have come together after the death of Clara's rich, unscrupulous uncle, who has bequeathed her everything, as the only relative who has never shown any interest in his fortune - until now, when she wants to know how it was earned. A high-minded spinster who seeks to put the world to rights, she recruits the old man's butler, Henry, to help her investigate what he already knows are a lot of dodgy businesses. That greyhound-stable for one. A pub that waters the beer. A crooked fairground stall. A seedy brothel. And an accountant who pockets the maintenance due to an illegitimate daughter.

Her generous forgiveness of the wicked may not be very believable, but it provides for much comedy of contrast - his flash-harry crudeness, her exaggerated gentility. Watch for the statutory walk-on role for her strange, desperately-shy real-life husband, and a small part for the unknown Sid James, entirely in character as an on-course bookie. The uncle is played by Edwardian relic A.E. Matthews, still in good resonant voice at 85. Don't be distracted by the scriptwriter's name Kenneth Horne - it wasn't the radio comedy star, but a different one, much the same age.

Margaret Rutherford claimed her favorite movie role was as Aunt Clara and I can understand why. When wealthy, irascible A.E. Matthews dies, he leaves everything to Miss Rutherford: his crooked gambling game, his pub where they sell watered whiskey, his brothel (run by Joyce Compton), his runaway bastard daughter Jill Bennett, and his misogynistic spiv of a manservant, Ronald Shiner. She's been running a slum mission and, playing the sort of vague, pleasant, mildly crackpotted character she did so well -- she has zoomed to the top ranks as Madame Arcati in BLITHE SPIRIT -- everyone thinks they can pull a fast one on her, but in her soft, vague way, she shows herself to be cannily able to redeem through kindness -- and willing to punish the truly wicked when necessary.

As usual, Miss Rutherford shines in a role that looks to have been written specifically for her talents. Even Ronald Shiner, a comic actor who does not usually appeal to me, acquits himself well. Keep an eye out for Sid James in a small but very funny role as a racetrack tout.