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Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
14 June 1950 (USA)
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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
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NewsDesk:
(15 articles)
Payback is making a comeback
(From The Guardian - Film News. 20 November 2009, 4:15 PM, PST)
Kind Hearts and Coronets: from 'antisemitic' novel to classic film
(From The Guardian - Film News. 12 November 2009, 5:52 AM, PST)
(From The Guardian - Film News. 20 November 2009, 4:15 PM, PST)
Kind Hearts and Coronets: from 'antisemitic' novel to classic film
(From The Guardian - Film News. 12 November 2009, 5:52 AM, PST)
User Comments:
Devilishly funny.
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 |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
106 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
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)
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Alec Guinness' first film for Ealing Studios.
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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.
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Quotes:
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Cutting Edge: Crooked Tarts and Coronets" (2003)
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Soundtrack:
Don Giovanni: Il mio tesoro intanto
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FAQ
Is "Kind Hearts and Coronets" based on a novel?Is "Duke of Chalfont" a real title?
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
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more (93 total)
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When possible Duke Louis Mazzini (Dennis Price)'s mother dies, she leaves him a dying wish of being buried in his aristocratic family's plot who have shunned her all her life, he sets about getting it done. Imagine his fury and dismay when they say no. He sets about getting revenge, as well as winning the heart of the mercenary woman he loves through murdering each of the eight d'Ascoyne family members that stand between him and a title, riches, and everything that he feels he deserves.
Wearing the Ealing black comedy streak on its sleeve and gleefully black, Kind Hearts and Coronets has got to be one of the funniest films about murder to be made. Much of this owes kudos to Alec Guinness' fantastic performance, a true tour-de-force in comedy. He plays all eight of the family members, from the suffragette feminist Lady Agatha d'Ascoyne, to the dull and dim Reverend d'Ascoyne with commendable diversity, changing his tone, stature, facial expressions and accent to play each character as if they were a completely new person. Such a performance could only prepare us for good things, which Guinness then continued to deliver.
That said, Dennis Price takes the lead excellently. As Louis Mazzini d'Ascoyne, he murders, poisons and drowns each of the characters without a sense of remorse that could seem cold and inhumane, but the audience find amusing. We eagerly await his calculation of the death of another, because we know it will have hilarious consequences, and the plot never holds back. However, his dry narration tells a story that hides a sad tinge, as well as delivering sardonic social commentary on post-war Britain, where the gold digging (played with disgusting sugariness by Joan Greenwood) women were everywhere and to some people, rank was all that mattered. This is what makes each of the deaths so comical, giving us a little glee that the snobs are getting what they deserve.
For those who don't want to watch a film for the history lesson, no fear – Kind Hearts and Coronets truly shines as a comedy. Even now, the one-liners and biting irony rings and every scene has a joke to laugh at. Under director Robert Hamer's ultra-capable hands, a warm-hearted satire has been crafted. You really can't get much better, or much intelligent than this.