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:

Novelists Nancy Mitford and Evelyn Waugh were hired independently to work on various drafts of the script, though apparently none of their contributions survived in the film as shot.

Goofs:

Continuity: The first murder that Louis Mazzini commits involves him swimming fully dressed underwater to release a boat from its moorings. In spite of having brought no change of clothes or even a towel, he is shown shortly after committing the murder paddling down the river with his clothes bone dry.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Cutting Edge: Crooked Tarts and Coronets" (2003)

Soundtrack:

Il mio tesoro intanto

His memoirs!

Robert Hamer, the director of "Kind Hearts and Coronets", one of the better comedies to come out of the Ealing studios in the late forties, created a memorable film that still keeps enchanting, no matter how many times one has seen it. This is a film that like a vintage wine gets better with age.

Of course, the right elements were put together in this venture under Mr. Hamer's direction, which is probably the best tribute one could say about the film.

Louis Mazzini, the young man who should have inherited a noble title that is lost as her mother elopes with an Italian tenor and she is disinherited. Louis is determined to regain what's due to him, by whatever means possible. Things go well for him, but he commits a mistake in entering an illicit romance with the calculating Sibella, while at the same time falling in love with the radiant Edith D'Ascoyne, the young widow.

Dennis Price gives a smart account of Louis Mazzini. He is a delight to watch as he keeps scratching off dead relatives from behind the picture frame. Alec Guinness portrays eight D'Ascoynes with an unusual panache. Best of all is Lady Agatha who encounters 'turbulence' while flying in a balloon. Valerie Hobson makes an impression with her Edith and Joan Greenwood is at her best as Sibella.

This is a film to treasure.