Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)

Director:

Robert Hamer

Writers:

Roy Horniman (novel)
Robert Hamer (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

14 June 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

He chopped down the family tree...

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.

Plot Keywords:

Duke | Italian | Singer | Widow | Heir

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Dennis Price	...	Louis
Valerie Hobson	...	Edith
Joan Greenwood	...	Sibella
Alec Guinness	...	The D'Ascoyne Family: 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)

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		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Peter Tanner

Art Direction by
William Kellner

Costume Design by
Anthony Mendleson

Makeup Department
Barbara Barnard	....	hair styles
Harry Frampton	....	makeup artist
Pearl Orton	....	hair styles (as Pearl Gardner)
Ernest Taylor	....	makeup artist
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
Grace Bryan-Brown	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Bert Davey	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Norman Dorme	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Roger 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)
Norman King	....	chief sound engineer (uncredited)
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)
Arthur Lemming	....	assistant camera (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: The Philharmonia Orchestra

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)

Production Companies

• Ealing Studios (as An Ealing Studios Production)

Distributors

• General Film Distributors (GFD) (1949) (UK) (theatrical) (as General Film Distributors Ltd.) (Released through: as General Film Distributors Limited. also)
• Eagle-Lion Films (1950) (USA) (theatrical)
• Société des Etablissements L. Gaumont (1950) (France) (theatrical)
• Parvisfilmi (1950) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1976) (USA) (TV)
• Thorn EMI Video (198?) (USA) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2010) (Germany) (DVD)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV) (1970) (Finland) (TV)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• StudioCanal (2004) (France) (DVD)
• StudioCanal (2006) (UK) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1966) (1978) (2000) (2008) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Crest National  DVD coding (uncredited)
• Philharmonia Orchestra, The  music played by (as The Philharmonia Orchestra)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | UK:U (video rating) (1988) (2006) | UK:A (original rating) (cut) | Iceland:L | USA:Approved (PCA #13442) | West Germany:16 | India:U | France:U | Portugal:M/12 | USA:Not Rated | UK:U (re-release) (re-rating) (2011) | UK:U (tv rating)

Filming Locations:

31 Grange Road, Ealing, London, England, UK

Company:

Ealing Studios

Trivia:

Agatha's death in the film caused some consternation for Alec Guinness. The scene in question - a hot air ballooning accident filmed in a field next door to Pinewood Studios - prompted him to ask the producers if he was well insured. They told him that he was, to the tune of £10,000, but Guinness didn't think that was enough. He then declared that the balloon could not be raised any more than 15 feet unless they raised the insurance to £50,000. Ealing Studios was renowned for being very penny-pinching and it naturally refused Guinness' demand, pointing out that he would be accompanied in the balloon by a well-qualified Belgian balloonist hidden in the basket with him. Guinness was undeterred in his refusal to perform the stunt, so the scene in the finished film is not him but the Belgian balloonist wearing Agatha's dress and wig. Guinness had the last laugh, however, when a high wind pulled the balloon off course. The Belgian balloonist was found 50 miles away, having had to pitch into a river.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Louis is attacked with a knife, he punches the assailant, knocking him cold. Although a sound effect is heard, you can see that the punch doesn't connect.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Warder in Jail:Good evening, Mr. Elliot.
The Hangman:Good evening.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Ladykillers (2004)

Soundtrack:

Il mio tesoro intanto

My most beloved Ealing film, it's dated but in a good way

As I've said on all my Ealing movie reviews, I watched these cause the plots looked interesting but I'm still unsure on how to judge the movies. I'm not one to dismiss them as 'old' and therefore 'boring'; at the same time I don't just jump on the bandwagon saying they're classics just because they've got that reputation and a lot of people without even judging for themselves assume they're great.

To quote to further my point - "A Classic is something that everybody wants to have read but nobody wants to read. A classic is also something that everyone praises but no one has read." -Mark Twain So, watching this with an open mind, I really enjoyed it. Yes you have to realise it's not a modern movie so the kind of themes and scenes presented are different from the packaged elements of modern Hollywood, but that makes postwar British cinema very refreshing viewing. I think the use of the term 'comedy' is misleading because it most likely refers to it in the classic literary sense from Shakespeare and Greek theatre (probably in the early 20th century people were a bit better read than today so these terms would still have meaning to them) which refers to a story with happy ending and farcial plot and wit rather than obvious jokes like in the modern sense but even these movies have some funny scenes. Also the humour and premise is black comedy and subtle so look for something modern if you need laugh-out-loud movies.

'Kind Hearts and Coronets' When I first came across this the plot looked so unique I knew I just had to see it at least once, although I've rewatched it many times since. I do find Guinness's 8 roles are over-hyped because most of them have few lines and the distinctions between a few of them are non-existent though it's still a novelty and a brave act to pull off in a movie. For me, Mazzini's 'bad guy' characterisation is the most appealing element of the movie, with a characterisation that makes even a criminal charming and someone to empathise with a little (and for me some visual appeal). The unique premises of who we see him murder next and the wit and black humour makes it a treasure of a film that I'm glad was made and is still available and enjoyed.

One of my most beloved films for definite. Definitely worth one watch just to see something different.