PygmyLion — 5 months ago(October 28, 2025 03:17 PM)

<spoilers>
Spoilers
The ending seems to work out neatly with Uncle Charlie (Cotton) dying. Thus, Young Charlie (Teresa Wright) doesn't have to reveal that Uncle Charlie was the Merry Widow killer, which would cause a large scandal in the small town and embarrass her mother. We see her discussing it with detective Jack (MacDonald Carey) after Uncle Charlie's funeral at the end of the movie.
But, what about the money and the valuable emerald ring? Uncle Charlie put $40,000 in the bank on arriving in Santa Rosa (about $700,000 in today's dollars). The emerald ring had the widow's initials engraved on it. Young Charlie seems rather righteous. It seems unlikely that she would be willing to keep the ring and further see the ill-gotten money go to her mother. Further, detective Jack knows about Uncle Charlie, and it would be his duty to see that the money got to the rightful people.