The Uncle

"At just seven years of age, Gus has been an uncle all his life."

1964 1h 27m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 6

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Gus is a seven-year-old uncle who struggles with the responsibility placed upon him when his nephew Tom comes to spend the summer holidays with his family.

“At just seven years of age, Gus has been an uncle all his life.”

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Cast

Rupert Davies
David Morton
Brenda Bruce
Addie Morton
Robert Duncan
Gus Morton
Christopher Ariss
Tom
Ann Lynn
Sally Morton
Maurice Denham
Mr. Ream
Helen Fraser
Mary Ream
Barbara Leake
Emma

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Desmond Davis
Writers: Margaret Abrams, Desmond Davis
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

87 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

62 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Desmond Davis, shot by Manny Wynn. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by John Addison. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Brian Smedley-Aston shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Rupert Davies and Brenda Bruce and Robert Duncan carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "At just seven years of age, Gus has been an uncle all his life.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0059843 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Desmond Davis directs. Manny Wynn behind the camera. John Addison scores. Brian Smedley-Aston cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

187 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
262 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Desmond Davis, shot by Manny Wynn. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by John Addison. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Brian Smedley-Aston shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Rupert Davies and Brenda Bruce and Robert Duncan carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "At just seven years of age, Gus has been an uncle all his life.".
8IMDB entry: tt0059843 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 6 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Manny Wynn
Original score: John Addison
Editing: Brian Smedley-Aston
Makeup / hair: Olga Angelinetta
Runtime: 87 min · 1h 27m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: The Uncle (1964)

Also by

Desmond Davis

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

dennyjt2022-09-06
★ 6/10
Sensitive and exhilerating look at innocence of childhood, without the weighty psychology usual attached to such films. The biggest problem young Duncan has is being an uncle to Arliss, a boy of the same age. The other kids taunt him endlessly about this, even though there is nothing bad about this. It is just something to single him out. One of the best features of the picture is that despite the taunts and having to put up with the rambunctious Arliss, the next day any disagreements are forgotten and they all play together without any memory of what went before. The boy does have some pensive moments, visiting general store owner Denham, who he calls his best friend, acquiring a budgie as a companion. Mostly it is about the endless summers that kids went through, the wild games and exhaustive ways they found to be active, without a care for the adult world that looms far in their future. Shot in Plymouth.
CinemaSerf2024-03-15
★ 7/10
There's something really quite authentic about the efforts here from "Gus" (Robert Duncan) and his nephew "Tom" (Christoper Ariss). "Gus" is but seven years old, and "Tom" the young son of his elder sister. When the younger lad comes to live with them for the holidays, and attends the same school, it causes quite some upset for the boys and proves a cause of merriment for their teasing contemporaries who rapidly manage to imbue the word "uncle" with some pretty nasty and mischievous connotations - egged on by a manipulative "Jamie" (John Moulder-Brown). It's probably twenty minutes too long, this film, but it is still quite an effective observation of just how children interact with each other. Some are kind and friendly; others knowingly provocative and cruel, others completely indifferent. Many are fickle and most unaware of the implications of their teasing and taunting. The two boys deliver their characters engagingly as we observe a few weeks of a process called "growing up" and they are well supported by the grown ups - Rupert Davies, Brenda Bruce and the sister/mother role of Ann Lynn. Every parent has their own way of rearing their child - this is quite an interesting look at how they, and their children's behaviour, contrast.