My Cousin Rachel

"She makes a secret potion for her lovers to drink!"

1952 1h 38m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 53

MysteryRomanceDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A young man plots revenge against the woman he believes murdered his cousin, but his plans are shaken when he comes face to face with the enigmatic beauty.

“She makes a secret potion for her lovers to drink!”

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Cast

Olivia de Havilland
Rachel Ashley
Richard Burton
Philip Ashley
Audrey Dalton
Louise Kendall
Ronald Squire
Nicholas Kendall
George Dolenz
Guido Rainaldi
John Sutton
Ambrose Ashley
Tudor Owen
Seecombe
J.M. Kerrigan
Reverend Pascoe

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Henry Koster
Writers: Nunnally Johnson
Languages: English, Italian
Countries: United States of America

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

ERA

Did you know

74 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Italian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Henry Koster, shot by Joseph LaShelle. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Louis R. Loeffler shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Olivia de Havilland and Richard Burton and Audrey Dalton carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "She makes a secret potion for her lovers to drink!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Henry Koster directs. Joseph LaShelle behind the camera. Franz Waxman scores. Louis R. Loeffler cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

174 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Italian.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Henry Koster, shot by Joseph LaShelle. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Franz Waxman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Louis R. Loeffler shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Olivia de Havilland and Richard Burton and Audrey Dalton carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "She makes a secret potion for her lovers to drink!".
9IMDB entry: tt0044937 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 53 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Joseph LaShelle
Original score: Franz Waxman
Editing: Louis R. Loeffler
Costume design: Dorothy Jeakins
Runtime: 98 min · 1h 38m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: My Cousin Rachel (1952)

Also by

Henry Koster

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2019-02-01
★ 7/10
Rachel, my torment. My blessed, blessed torment. My Cousin Rachel is directed by Henry Koster and adapted to screenplay by Nunnally Johnson from the novel of the same name written by Daphne du Maurier. It stars Richard Burton, Olivia de Havilland and Audrey Dalton. Music is by Franz Waxman and cinematography by Joseph LaShelle. In short order the plot finds Burton as Philip Ashley, a sombre English gentleman who is disturbed by news that his much admired foster father has been poisoned to death by Rachel Sangalletti (Havilland). When some time later Rachael turns up at the ancestral Ashley cliff top mansion, Philip finds himself torn between proving his hatred is warranted towards her, or from falling deeply in love with her. A splendid slice of brooding Gothicana, Koster's (skilled hands as usual) picture is firmly dealing out the cards of sinister mystery and simmering passions. A constant is the big question of if Rachael actually is a murderess, the screenplay deliberately vague as it dangles clues from either side of the fence. The setting is ripe for some psychological discord and matters of the heart, the cliff top mansion bathed in shadows, the sea below bearing witness to events with a mixture of tidal menace and serene waters. Across proceedings to further pump up the atmospherics is Waxman's sweeping musical score, and with quality acting to match the literary smarts, this is a high end technical production. The ambiguity is a little tiresome come the finale - itself weak and a disappointing resolution, but it's a film to get swept away with. For to dive right into the Ashley Mansion and be in the company of fine purveyors of their respective crafts, ensures the rewards are plenty. 7.5/10
CinemaSerf2022-09-09
★ 7/10
Two great actors, a wonderful dark and Gothic setting and a strong storyline that mingles mystery, mistrust and avarice - that's what Henry Koster and Nunnally Johnson have created for us here - and it's just that little bit better than the norm. It centres on a search for revenge from Oscar nominated Richard Burton's "Philip" - a rather fickle young man who is convinced that his wealthy cousin "Ambrose" (John Sutton) was killed by his recently arrived and ostensibly scheming younger wife "Rachel" (Olivia de Havilland). Before long though, he too is captivated by the young woman and becomes her next husband - but is she all that she seems? Daphne du Maurier always could conjure up a great story, and here is no different - there is a psychology to the plot - nothing is as it seems. Just when you think Burton may be right you realise that he isn't, yet then shortly afterwards you are still unsure as to whom is pulling the strings - if, indeed, anyone is. This is a well structured, photographed and lit tale with a classy Franz Waxman score to help keep things taut and suspenseful. Well worth watching.