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A King in New York (1957)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer:
Charles Chaplin (writer)
Release Date:
21 December 1973 (USA)
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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. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
User Comments:
Once again, Chaplin greatness comes through
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Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| 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 |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
110 min | Argentina:105 min | USA:105 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
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:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Shot for only 12 weeks, the shortest of all Chaplin films.
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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.
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Quotes:
[after being told that the political turmoil in America is just a "passing phase."]
King Shahdov: Quite so. In the meantime, I'll sit it out in Europe.
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King Shahdov: Quite so. In the meantime, I'll sit it out in Europe.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in Lost in Translation (2003)
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Soundtrack:
The Sadness Goes On
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (34 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for A King in New York (1957)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| Room Number | bdhhdb1 |
| Michael Chaplin | HAMMERTHROW |
| this movie is 50 years old and.... | purplehaze95825 |
| Autobiographical? | schwepps |
| woman in the TV in the Bathroom seen | Crushwill |
Recommendations
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Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| IMDb Comedy section | IMDb UK section | Add this title to MyMovies |


A King In New York was a pure delight to watch. Seeing perhaps the greatest actor of the first half of the century is always a treat and he doesn't disappoint in this film. Chaplin made this satire as a shot at the United States, who only five years earlier had denied him re-entry into the country. This was based on the fact he wouldn't come before the McCarthy hearing and make a statement on his supposed ties to the Communist party. Regardless of the basis for this film's comedy pieces, one can find a few moments where Chaplin is taking a direct shot at those who had doubted him.
The plot involves Chaplin as King Shadov, a ruler of a ficticious country whose people have ousted him based on his unwillingness to manufacture Atomic Bombs. He would rather spend the taxpayers money on finding ways to create atomic energy. Obviously this is a deliberate analogy of Chaplin being thought of as a communist although the complete opposite was the truth. So, the exiled leader goes to America in search of a fun vacation in which he can experience the excitement that he had heard about so many times before. The viewer follows Shadof and his trust aide throughout New York City and their many hilarious experiences. The best of which that come to mind are the scenes in which Chaplin pantomimes his order to a waiter who cannot hear him, the scene in which Chaplin recites the famous "to be or not to be" soliloque from Hamlet to guests at a dinner party and the scene in which Chaplin gets his finger stuck in a fire hose and cannot get it out.
One can see some elements of the tramp in Chaplin in this film including the facial expressions, his smile and the way he moves about gracefully. I had never seen Chaplin in a talking film before this one and was somewhat surprised to see how much of a great talking actor he truly is. For an actor who had done so much in silent films and only silent films, this film shows that Chaplin is one of the top actors of this century.
The only element of this film that somewhat disappointed me was the manner in which the hearings were brushed off. I believe that there was plenty of room for some gags to be thrown in here. Perhaps Chaplin felt as if he had already taken enough shots and didn't need to exploit this area.
This film is yet another example of the Chaplin greatness and I would recommend it to anyone who loves films or are interested in seeing film making magic.
8/10 stars.