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 | Widow | Singer | Jealousy | Italian

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Dennis Price	...	Louis Mazzini
Valerie Hobson	...	Edith D'Ascoyne
Joan Greenwood	...	Sibella Holland
Alec Guinness	...	The Duke / The Banker / The Parson / The General / The Admiral / Young Ascoyne / Young Henry / Lady Agatha
Audrey Fildes	...	Mama Mazzini
Miles Malleson	...	Mr. Elliott - the Hangman
Clive Morton	...	The Prison Governor Colonel
John Penrose	...	Lionel Holland
Cecil Ramage	...	Crown Counsel
Hugh Griffith	...	Lord High Steward
John Salew	...	Mr. Perkins
Eric Messiter	...	Inspector Burgoyne
Lyn Evans	...	The Farmer
Barbara Leake	...	Miss Waterman - the Schoolmistress
Peggy Ann Clifford	...	Maud Redpole
Anne Valery	...	Clothilde - the Girl in the Punt
Arthur Lowe	...	The Titbits 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

Film Editing by
Peter Tanner

Art Direction by
William Kellner

Costume Design by
Anthony Mendleson

Makeup Department
Barbara Barnard	....	hair stylist
Harry Frampton	....	makeup artist
Pearl Orton	....	hair stylist (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)
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)
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

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

Distributors

• General Film Distributors (GFD) (1949) (UK) (theatrical)
• 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
• Philharmonia Orchestra, The  music played by

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:

Iceland:L | USA:Approved (PCA #13442) | West Germany:16 | France:U | India:U | Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-16 | UK:U (video rating) | UK:A (original rating) (cut)

Filming Locations:

31 Grange Road, Ealing, London, England, UK

Company:

Ealing Studios

Trivia:

Although tame by today's standards, Dennis Price's love scenes with the purring Joan Greenwood shocked Ealing Studios head Michael Balcon and almost led to a major re-edit of the finished film.

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.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Best of British: Ealing Comedies (#5.12)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

Don Giovanni: Il mio tesoro intanto

Devilishly funny.

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.