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 2% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Robert Hamer
Writers:
Roy Horniman (novel)
Robert Hamer (screenplay) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Kind Hearts and Coronets on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
14 June 1950 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Crime | 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
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 1 nomination more
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)
User Comments:
Devilishly funny. more (93 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)
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
Anne Valery ... The Girl in the Punt
Arthur Lowe ... The Reporter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stanley Beard ... Warder (uncredited)
Maxwell Foster ... Warder (uncredited)
Peter Gawthorne ... First Lord Delivering Verdict (uncredited)
Molly Hamley-Clifford ... Lady Redpole (uncredited)
Leslie Handford ... Gamekeeper Hoskins (uncredited)
Nicholas Hill ... Sergeant-at-arms (uncredited)
Fletcher Lightfoot ... Peer of the Realm (uncredited)
Cavan Malone ... Young Graham (uncredited)
Laurence Naismith ... Warder in Jail (uncredited)
Gordon Phillott ... Clerk of Parliament (uncredited)
Jeremy Spenser ... Young Louis (uncredited)
Ivan Staff ... Valuer (uncredited)
Richard Wattis ... Defence Counsel (uncredited)
Carol White ... Young Sibella (uncredited)
Harold Young ... Captain (uncredited)
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Directed by
Robert Hamer 
 
Writing credits
Roy Horniman (novel)

Robert Hamer (screenplay) &
John Dighton (screenplay)

Produced by
Michael Balcon .... producer
Michael Relph .... associate producer
 
Original Music by
Ernest Irving (uncredited)
 
Cinematography by
Douglas Slocombe 
 
Film Editing by
Peter Tanner 
 
Art Direction by
William Kellner 
 
Costume Design by
Anthony Mendleson 
 
Makeup Department
Barbara Barnard .... hair styles
Harry Frampton .... make-up
Pearl Gardner .... hair styles
Ernest Taylor .... make-up
Daphne Martin .... assistant hair stylist (uncredited)
 
Production Management
Leigh Aman .... unit production manager
Hal Mason .... production supervisor
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Norman Priggen .... assistant director
John Hewlett .... third assistant director (uncredited)
David W. Orton .... second assistant director (uncredited)
 
Art Department
G. Bryan-Brown .... draughtsman (uncredited)
Bert Davey .... assistant art director (uncredited)
Norman Dorme .... draughtsman (uncredited)
R. Hopkin .... draughtsman (uncredited)
Jack Shampan .... draughtsman (uncredited)
V. Shaw .... draughtsman (uncredited)
R. Thurgarland .... draughtsman (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Stephen Dalby .... sound supervisor
John W. Mitchell .... recordist (as John Mitchell)
A. Steadman .... boom operator (uncredited)
Gordon Stone .... dubbing editor (uncredited)
Pat Wheeler .... assistant boom operator (uncredited)
 
Special Effects by
Geoffrey Dickinson .... special effects
Sydney Pearson .... special effects
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Jeff Seaholme .... camera operator
Jack Dooley .... still photographer (uncredited)
Bob Penn .... still photographer (uncredited)
P. Pollock .... clapper loader (uncredited)
Hugh Wilson .... focus puller (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Edith Crutchley .... wardrobe mistress (uncredited)
Ben Foster .... wardrobe master (uncredited)
 
Editorial Department
Roy Baker .... second assistant editor (uncredited)
Seth Holt .... assembly cutter (uncredited)
John Jympson .... second assistant editor (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Ernest Irving .... conductor
 
Other crew
Phyllis Crocker .... continuity
J. Arthur Rank .... presenter (as J.Arthur Rank)
Susan Carbutt .... assistant continuity (uncredited)
John Newham .... publicist (uncredited)
Pat O'Connor .... publicist (uncredited)
 
Crew verified as complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
106 min
Country:
UK
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White
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:
Ealing Studios, Ealing, London, England, UK more
Company:
Ealing Studios more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Alec Guinness' first film for Ealing Studios. 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 "Cutting Edge: Crooked Tarts and Coronets" (2003) more
Soundtrack:
Don Giovanni: Il mio tesoro intanto more

FAQ

What is the title "Kind Hearts and Coronets" supposed to mean?
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
A Note Regarding Spoilers
more

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
19 out of 23 people found the following comment useful.
Devilishly funny., 27 April 2006
9/10
Author: PizzicatoFishCrouch from United Kingdom

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.

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Joan Greenwood and the London Lisp. finnegansword
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