Richard Burton falls for his uncle's widow in "My Cousin Rachel," a beautifully produced 1952 movie starring Olivia de Havilland in the title role. Burton is Philip Ashley, whose beloved uncle Ambrose moves to Italy for his health, marries a widow, and dies of a brain tumor...or did he? Philip is very suspicious of his uncle's wife and the doctor she brought in to care for her husband, Rainaldi. de Havilland plays the widow Ashley who comes to visit Philip and quickly makes him regret his doubts, as he falls madly in love with her.

This is a highly atmospheric, well acted film with a very intriguing story that keeps the viewer guessing as to the true character of Mrs. Ashley. Is she a greedy, conniving seductress/killer, or a warm, loving woman? Several movie stars have demonstrated the ability of doing period pieces realistically, and Richard Burton was definitely one of them. Handsome, romantic, and boyish in appearance, with a wonderful voice and fine acting ability, he brings Philip to life with a passionate performance. Olivia de Havilland is magnificent as Rachel - hers is a subdued, gentle performance that gives nothing away as to Rachel's true character or motivations. The attraction between the two is entirely believable.

The final moments of the film are its best. Highly recommended.

Philip Ashley (Richard Burton) is a brash young man in this Gothic tale. When Cousin Ambrose writes to him that his wife is slowly killing him, he accepts it without question...even though it's very possible Ambrose was not in his right mind. After all, his father died of a brain tumor...perhaps this is causing Ambrose to compose these weird letters. Regardless, Philip is pre-disposed to hate Ambrose's wife, Rachel (Olivia de Havilland). Philip rushes to Italy to see his cousin but the man was dead and buried by the time he arrived. His widow was not there and Philip immediately leaves to return to his estate.

Out of the blue, Rachel arrives at Philip's estate soon after this. Inexplicably, he almost immediately likes her and just assumes the letters were the ramblings of a madman. While this could be true, Philip's change of heart betray him as a very immature sort of young man. And, when he falls for Rachel and wishes to marry her, you wonder....is this a marriage made in Heaven or a prelude to his soon descent into Hell? Regardless, it soon becomes apparent that Philip has some serious issues!

When Ben Mankiewiecz introduced this film, he indicated that many thought Richard Burton was miscast as Philip because he was too old...though he was only 26. He just happened to look older and the part called for a young many about to turn 25. Burton's performance earned him an Oscar nomination--oddly, for Best Supporting Actor even though he was in every scene and clearly was the star. His performance is full of power and intensity...perhaps too much at times for my taste.

This movie is in many ways very reminiscent of the earlier film "Suspicion" which, interestingly, starred de Havilland's sister (Joan Fontaine). It keeps you guessing as to Rachel and her innocence...as well as Philip's sanity. Well made and interesting.

Daphne DuMaurier returns to her beloved Cornwall coast to write My Cousin Rachel where she set many of her stories like Rebecca and Frenchman's Creek. Although this film has the breakout performance of Richard Burton in it, I would have to say that it's not as good as Rebecca.

Burton's Philip Ashley and Maxim DeWinter of Rebecca are a pair of similar brooding characters each mourning the loss of someone close. In Burton's case it's his cousin John Sutton who took him in as an orphan and raised him like a son. Sutton with whom the foggy and damp climate of Cornwall doesn't agree has moved to Italy and leaves young Burton in charge of the Cornwall estate. Sutton also marries an Italian-English woman in Italy and he dies there.

His will left everything to Burton, but as the widow she might have a case to contest. She's got herself an Italian lawyer in the person of George Dolenz who might just be more than her attorney.

The title role of that new cousin by marriage is played by Olivia DeHavilland, her first screen appearance since winning her second Oscar for The Heiress. As My Cousin Rachel is set roughly the same time as The Heiress it's like Olivia stepped from film set right to the other despite the three year gap. Her performance also is like what Catherine Sloper evolved into in The Heiress, mannered, controlled, manipulating and shrewd.

But one of the four bits of recognition the Academy gave My Cousin Rachel was a first Oscar nomination for Richard Burton. Inexplicably Burton is put in the Supporting Actor category and he's got more screen time than DeHavilland. As for Burton imagine Maxim DeWinter from Rebecca as a young man, Burton is 25 in this part and you've got his character. He's brooding and passionate and madlessly in love with his new cousin by marriage, but also incredibly suspicious that maybe DeHavilland might have helped Sutton along to his demise and that Dolenz helped her.

You can't spoil this story because DuMaurier and the film leave it quite up in the air as to whether DeHavilland was a murderer or not. My Cousin Rachel also got Oscar nominations for Costume Design, Black and White Art&Set Direction and Black and White Cinematography. That estate is beautifully photographed, the set will remind of Manderley in Rebecca.

My Cousin Rachel is not as good as Rebecca, but certainly has its place in cinema history as the big break performance for Richard Burton.