IMDb > Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
Kind Hearts and Coronets
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Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) More at IMDbPro »

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Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) -- A distant poor relative of the Duke of D'Ascoyne plots to inherit the title by murdering the eight other heirs who stand ahead of him in the line of succession.

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Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Roy Horniman (novel)
Robert Hamer (screenplay) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for Kind Hearts and Coronets on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
14 June 1950 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
He chopped down the family tree... more
Plot:
A distant poor relative of the Duke of D'Ascoyne plots to inherit the title by murdering the eight other heirs who stand ahead of him in the line of succession. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 1 nomination more
User Comments:
Brilliantly fun, dark humour and satire more (93 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Dennis Price ... Louis
Valerie Hobson ... Edith
Joan Greenwood ... Sibella

Alec Guinness ... The Duke / The Banker / The Parson / The General / The Admiral / Young Ascoyne / Young Henry / Lady Agatha
Audrey Fildes ... Mama
Miles Malleson ... The Hangman
Clive Morton ... The Prison Governor
John Penrose ... Lionel
Cecil Ramage ... Crown Counsel
Hugh Griffith ... Lord High Steward
John Salew ... Mr. Perkins
Eric Messiter ... Burgoyne
Lyn Evans ... The Farmer
Barbara Leake ... The Schoolmistress
Peggy Ann Clifford ... Maud
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Additional Details

Runtime:
106 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Certification:
Iceland:L | USA:Approved (PCA #13442) | Finland:K-16 | UK:U (video rating) | UK:A (original rating) (cut)
Company:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Alec Guinness liked the screenplay so much that he asked and was allowed to play all eight members of the D'Ascoyne family. Of these, the Vicar D'Ascoyne was his personal favorite. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When "The Hangman" (Miles Malleson) opens the peep-hole to the prisoner's cell, he moves the covering to the right, with a finger. After we are allowed to gaze at the back of the prisoner's neck for a few seconds, the shot reverts to the outside of the cell door; The Hangman releases the cover which closes from left to right, not right to left, as it should have done. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Warder in Jail: Good evening, Mr. Elliot.
The Hangman: Good evening.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Creating 'The Upside of Anger' (2005) (V) more
Soundtrack:
Don Giovanni: Il mio tesoro intanto more

FAQ

Who are Alec Guinness's eight characters, and how do they die?
A Note Regarding Spoilers
Is "Kind Hearts and Coronets" based on a novel?
more
54 out of 64 people found the following comment useful.
Brilliantly fun, dark humour and satire, 23 March 2005
10/10
Author: Wulfstan10 from United States

Undoubtedly one of the most perfect, brilliant comedies ever, this movie is extremely fun and revels in its dark, clever humour. What can one say about a comedy centred around a dapper, charming, likable, impoverished young English gentleman who is at the same time an utterly remorseless, ever-calculating killer who has no qualms about killing an entire line of relatives who all stand in his path to inherit the family fortune? On top of that, he all the while takes great care in preserving his demeanor and status as a gentleman; all the relatives he must eliminate are brought to life by the genius of Alec Guinness; and there's an executioner who takes pains to show proper respect to his social "superior." The dialogue, indeed pretty much all of the humour, is a shining example of "British humour" at its best. It is subtle, clever, dark, and full of irony and satire. It is pure, brilliant entertainment that doesn't stop. Comedy really can't get much better than this.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Racist Language Stargate4
Joan Greenwood and the London Lisp. finnegansword
Can someone please tell me... rams-bler2010
This is probably a weird question... RetroDoll
The Trial (possible spoilers) spammy-5
Who killed Lionel ***possible spoiler*** clive-ihd
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