A King in New York (1957)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Charles Chaplin

Writer:

Charles Chaplin (writer)

Release Date:

21 December 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

A recently-deposed European monarch seeks shelter in New York City, where he becomes an accidental television celebrity and is later wrongly accused of being a Communist.

Plot Keywords:

Communist | Television | King | Salesman | Music Score Composed By Director

Cast

Charles Chaplin	...	King Shahdov
Maxine Audley	...	Queen Irene
Jerry Desmonde	...	Prime Minister Voudel
Oliver Johnston	...	Ambassador Jaume
Dawn Addams	...	Ann Kay - TV Specialist
Sid James	...	Johnson - TV Advertiser (as Sidney James)
Joan Ingram	...	Mona Cromwell - Hostess
Michael Chaplin	...	Rupert Macabee
John McLaren	...	Macabee Senior
Phil Brown	...	Headmaster
Harry Green	...	Lawyer
Robert Arden	...	Liftboy
Alan Gifford	...	School Superintendent
Robert Cawdron	...	Ulrich - U.S. Marshal
George Woodbridge	...	Member of Atomic Commission
Clifford Buckton	...	Member of Atomic Commission
Vincent Lawson	...	Member of Atomic Commission
Shani Wallis	...	Singer
Joy Nichols	...	Singer
Lauri Lupino Lane	...	Comedian
George Truzzi	...	Comedian
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tony Crombie	...	Nightclub drummer (uncredited)
Pat Gibson	...	(uncredited)
Wendy Graham	...	(uncredited)
Lilian Grassom	...	Cute Girl (uncredited)
Arthur Gross	...	Autograph hunter (uncredited)
Tubby Hayes	...	Nightclub saxophonist (uncredited)
Frazer Hines	...	(uncredited)
Roy Hines	...	(uncredited)
Penelope Horner	...	(uncredited)
Jemma Hyde	...	Cast member (uncredited)
Kevin Kelly	...	(uncredited)
Hugh McDermott	...	Bill Johnson (uncredited)
MacDonald Parke	...	(uncredited)
Jose Read	...	(uncredited)
Yvonne Romain	...	(uncredited)
Richard Shaw	...	Butler (uncredited)
Bernice Swanson	...	(uncredited)
Gareth Tandy	...	(uncredited)
Nicholas Tanner	...	Butler (uncredited)
David Tilley	...	(uncredited)
Howard Vaughn	...	(uncredited)
Gillian Watt	...	Teenager (uncredited)
Ross Yeo	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Chaplin

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Charles Chaplin		writer

Produced by
Charles Chaplin	....	producer (uncredited)
Jerome Epstein	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Charles Chaplin

Cinematography by
Georges Périnal		(as Georges Perinal)

Film Editing by
John Seabourne Sr.		(as John Seabourne)

Art Direction by
Allan Harris

Makeup Department
Stuart Freeborn	....	makeup artist
Helen Penfold	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Eddie Pike	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
René Dupont	....	assistant director (as Rene Dupont)

Sound Department
John Cox	....	sound supervisor
Bob Jones	....	sound recordist
Spencer Reeve	....	sound editor
Bert Ross	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Wally Veevers	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Bob Cuff	....	matte painter (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jeff Seaholme	....	camera operator
Ron Drinkwater	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
Wally Fairweather	....	focus puller (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
John Wilson-Apperson	....	wardrobe supervisor (as J. Wilson-Apperson)

Editorial Department
Tony Bohy	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Leighton Lucas	....	conductor
Boris Sarbek	....	music arranger
Eric James	....	musical associate (uncredited)
Dave Shand	....	music associate (uncredited)

Other crew
Barbara Cole	....	continuity
Mickey Delamar	....	production controller

Production Companies

• Charles Chaplin Productions
• Attica Film Company

Distributors

• Archway Film Distributors Ltd. (1957) (UK) (theatrical)
• MK2 Diffusion (2001) (worldwide) (all media)
• Cinédis (1957) (France) (theatrical)
• Attica Film Company
• Classic Entertainment (1973) (USA)
• Image Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2001) (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Deanfield of London  furs

Runtime:

110 min | Argentina:105 min | USA:105 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Spain:T | South Korea:All | Argentina:Atp | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:G (1972) | West Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Leicester Square, Soho, London, England, UK

Company:

Charles Chaplin Productions

Trivia:

The first film that Charles Chaplin made in the UK after his exile from America, and his last leading role in a movie.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Chaplin's title character first meets the boy Rupert, the boy goes into an extended diatribe. Numerous times in the scene, the boy can be observed silently saying Chaplin's lines as well as his own, presumably as a way of remembering his cue.

Quotes:

[Rupert is haranguing the King]
Rupert Macabee: Monopoly is the menace of free enterprise. As I look back, sixty years ago...
King Shahdov: Where were you sixty years ago?
another schoolboy: He was a glint in his great-grandfather's eye!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Chaplin Today: A King in New York (2003) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Sadness Goes On

The Genius of Chaplin.

A great film that was neglected by the good old US of A when it was released in the late 50's. It was brandished as being to critical of the political atmosphere of the United States at the time. It's funny that Chaplin could manage to offend both Adolf Hitler (The Great Dictator) and the fascist-like/inspired 'anti-communist' movement of the 50's/early 60's U.S.A. There is actually a common link in those two movements (Naziism and the 50-60's 'anti-communist movement in the USA but I won't get into that here). Anyway, it is sad that this film is overlooked as it is one of Chaplin's best and should be looked as one in a career overview of this great filmmaker. Besides him, in the film there really is not any awe-inspiring actor/actress but Chaplin brings out the best in everyone and elevates them from eternal anonymity to something of recognition. His son Michael Chaplin for example is used quite wonderfully in this film. I later bought Michael Chaplin's late teenage memoir 'I Couldn't Smoke the Grass on my Father's Lawn' based on seeing him in this film and him impressing me so. It's too bad he could not develop more as an actor or recording star (he released a single in Britain in the mid-60's). I heartily recommend this film. See it and be open minded. Take a look at the way your country was run 50 years ago and ask yourself have things really changed this day in age when the 'communists' have know been replaced by the 'terrorists'.