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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.

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 1% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Robert Hamer
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:
Comedy | Drama more
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
NewsDesk:
(9 articles)
From 1922-1979: Get Your Film School Starter Pack Now
 (From Rope Of Silicon. 23 November 2008, 10:07 PM, PST)

tMF @the Movies: François Ozon's latest film Angel!
 (From The Movie Fanatic. 20 August 2008, 8:31 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
Quite superb more

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:
UK
Language:
English
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:
Ealing Studios more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Initially Alec Guinness was only offered four of the roles; it was Guinness himself who insisted on playing all eight. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Warder in Jail: Good evening, Mr. Elliot.
The Hangman: Good evening.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Red Dwarf: Launching 'Red Dwarf' (2002) (V) more
Soundtrack:
Don Giovanni: Il mio tesoro intanto more

FAQ

A Note Regarding Spoilers
What is the title "Kind Hearts and Coronets" supposed to mean?
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
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21 out of 28 people found the following comment useful:-
Quite superb, 9 July 2001
10/10
Author: Tom May (joycean_chap@hotmail.com) from Sunderland, England

This fine film is an example of Ealing at its very best, with a superlative script and acting of a very high standard. In watching, one is once more all too sadly aware of the difference in quality between British films of this era and today; there can't have been in recent times a screenplay as cleverly comic, economical and incisive as this is. The level of wit is high, and perfectly suitable for a black comedy such as this. Certain lines and scenes linger agreeably in the memory; the part where Price, in his droll narration, slips into verse, is wonderful, as is the "fight" he has with a lower-class rival; "I'm not going to drawn into a scuffle with you!"

The element of class satire is strong, and while one is shown the lethargy and complacency of the upper classes through the amusing parade of Alec Guinness' characters, Price's corrupt plans are never condemned as such. His character, vigorous and witty, and the clever tool of narration, which in its tone draws in the viewer almost as a confidant. Similarly, but to an even more effective degree than in "Whisky Galore!" (1948) and "The League of Gentlemen" (1959), the viewer is made sympathetic to wrong-doings. The stunningly executed plot and dialogue are finely put across indeed by all of the actors. In the main role, Price refines and defines the cad Mancini perfectly; it really is a great performance, making the character more than memorable. Alec Guinness is great in his 8 roles, making a distinctive actorly mark in all of them. It says a lot that in a career as formidable as Guinness', in TV, film and theatre, his contribution to this film particularly stands out. The two ladies are impeccably played by Valerie Hobson and Joan Greenwood, who contrast quite perfectly; Hobson as rich and strait-laced if certainly beautiful, and Greenwood as the distinctively seductive childhood friend. Price's "juggling" of his two women is wonderfully arch and amusing. The film's ending should be noted as quite ingenious and wonderfully in keeping with the film's overall wit.

In the context even of Ealing, a studio adept at clever comedies, this is an extra-special film. Along with the films of this era of Powell and Pressburger and Carol Reed, this film makes one nostalgic for the days when British film was both distinctively British and universal in its qualities. Wonderfully funny and compelling, this film is one of my few favourites of all and overwhelmingly recommended.

Rating:- *****/*****

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