A King in New York (1957)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

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 | King | Television | Hot Tub | Airport

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

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:

Before conceiving the idea for this film, Charles Chaplin had thought of two ideas that he decided against, one was the idea of reviving the tramp (because he realized that the appeal to the tramp was his flexibility), and reviving Verdoux from Monsieur Verdoux (1947) (his wife and assistant strongly decided against it.)

Goofs:

Factual errors: The TV station repeatedly shown in the movie has the call letters "KPXA." However, being in New York the call letters should begin with a "W" as stations east of the Mississippi River begin the letter "W" and not "K".

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:

Referenced in Lost in Translation (2003)

Soundtrack:

The Sadness Goes On

Chaplin's final swan song as Actor, Writer and Director.

A KIng in New York (1957) was the second to last film that Charles Chaplin completed before his retirement. Chaplin stars as a King of a deposed European country who lives out his final days in a hotel. During his stay in exile, he meets the local upper class and becomes a sort of a t.v. celebrity. But his life and views about politics change when he meets an idealistic young boy. How does his life change when he crosses paths with the youngster? Does the viewing public accept this fallen despot with open arms? Will America change his way of life? Too find out the answers to these questions and many more you'll have to watch this Charles Chaplin classic A KING IN NEW YORK.

I was surprised by how well this film was. It was a bit of a shock to see an aged Chaplin but he's still funny as ever. A lot of sight gags and witty quips and views about American society (some of them are still relevant today). I highly recommend this movie. Even if it's a bit heavy handed.

A-