Family Plot 1976

     This film is based on a novel written by Victor Canning titled The Rainbird Pattern.  Madam Blanche Tyler is working with her boyfriend George Lumley to get money from wealthy Julia Rainbird.  Julia forced her sister Harriet to give up her baby for adoption.  Now Julia wants Blanche to try to find her nephew.  Blanche pretends to be a medium and she conducts séances.  George is an unemployed actor working as a cab driver and he sets out to try to find the nephew.  As another plot line, greedy jeweler Arthur Adamson works with his girlfriend Fran to kidnap wealthy people.  He asks for diamonds to add to his collection as the ransom. 

     There is a lot going on in this film but I didn’t think it was funny.  The plot is not good either and I’m surprised I didn’t like a Hitchcock film?  I wasn’t interested in any of the characters and the outcomes.  2 ½* (This film is so-so)

120 min, Comedy directed by Alfred Hitchcock with Karen Black, Bruce Dern, Barbara Harris, William Devane, Ed Lauter, Cathleen Nesbitt, Katherine Helmond, Warren J. Kemmerling, Edith Atwater, William Prince.

Note:  Imdb 6.8 out of 10, 95% critic 62% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3*, Amazon 4.1* out of 5* with 127 reviews.

Special Note:  The Rainbird Pattern novel was adapted by Ernest Cehman for this film and he also wrote the screenplay for North by Northwest.  This is the 53^rd and final film directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

Note:  Imdb 8 out of 10, 100% critic 87% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 3* out of 5* with one review.

Special Note:  Filmed in Angeles National Forest, Universal City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sierra Madre, California.  The restaurant in this film was built on the Universal Studios back lot and could be seen in 1975 on tours.