Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)

• Year: 1949
• Released: 14 Jun 1950
• Country: United Kingdom
• Adwords: Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award4 wins & 3 nominations total
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041546/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kind_hearts_and_coronets
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: English, Italian
• MPA Rating: Not Rated
• Genre: Comedy, Crime
• Runtime: 106 min
• Writer: Roy Horniman, Robert Hamer, John Dighton
• Director: Robert Hamer
• Cast: Dennis Price, Alec Guinness, Valerie Hobson
• Keywords: based on novel or book, prison, black and white, dark comedy, jealousy,

	8.0/10
	100% – Critics
	94% – Audience

Kind Hearts and Coronets Storyline

In Edwardian London, Louis Mazzini feels the need to write his memoirs due to his current circumstances. He grew up in a humble, working class household despite his mother being from the wealthy D’Ascoyne family, who disowned her when she, in their eyes, married beneath them in Louis’ father, who Louis doesn’t even remember in he having passed when he was an infant, being a poor opera singer. She was in direct line to become the Duchess of Chalfont. The D’Ascoynes refused even to recognize Louis’ existence as a result. The last straw in this matter for Louis was when they refused her last request to be buried on the Chalfont estate upon her passing. But it wasn’t until vain and opportunistic Sibella Hargrove, with who he was in love but was instead going marry his rival Lionel Holland who could afford to keep her in the lifestyle to which she aspired, that Louis decided to pursue what he considered his rightful place in the D’Ascoyne family and the title of Duke of Chalfont. Pending other issues such as children being born into the family by other heirs, Louis decided to achieve his goal by not only needing to eliminate the Duke but the then eight other D’Ascoynes who were in line as Duke or Duchess before him, the easiest way in his mind to commit the murders being either to ingratiate himself into their lives or learn in great detail about them to do the acts easily but without detection. What may have thrown a wrench into the proceedings is falling in love with Edith, a D’Ascoyne by marriage and who is/was in opposition to Sibella in his life.

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Kind Hearts and Coronets Movie Reviews

a tour de force for Guinness

Although most Americans have little knowledge of his work other than Star Wars, Alec Guinness produced an amazing body of work–particularly in the 1940s-1950s–ranging from dramas to quirky comedies. I particularly love his comedies, as they are so well-done and seem so natural and real on the screen–far different from the usual fare from Hollywood.

Before I saw this film, I had seen The Mouse That Roared and was spellbound by Peter Sellars and how he played the roles of so many people in that little movie (ranging from the hero to the prime minister to even the queen). I did not realize until later that Alec Guinness had done an equally masterful job about a decade earlier with this movie.

Although not quite my favorite Ealing film starring him, it is certainly among my favorites. It is the story of a serial killer who you find yourself rooting for to get away with the crimes! Unlike some sicko, the main character has some understandable motivation for killing off several extended family members in order to obtain the family fortune. And when he kills several of these people, you find yourself wanting him to kill them as well! Now that takes amazing writing and acting to pull that off!! So see this charming little comedy. It has come on Turner Classic Movies several times lately, but if you can find the video, rent it!

Superb Ealing comedy, with Alec Guinness especially outstanding

As much as I loved The Ladykillers, Kind Hearts and Coronets is my personal favourite of the Ealing comedies. One might argue that the narration is overused, I would say the narration added to the darkness, wit and charm of this superb film. The cinematography is crisp and smooth, and the score is great. Then we are treated to a deliciously witty script, that is funny, dark and has bite. The story slips smoothly between dastardly deaths in the guise of a self-satisfied memoir, and is gripping while moving along at a good pace, and the direction is secure. But it is the quality of the acting that elevates Kind Hearts and Coronets. Dennis Price is brilliant as the inventive killer, and Joan Greenwood is delicious as Sibella the vamp. Also convincing as Edith is Valerie Hobson, but the scene stealer in no less than eight roles is Alec Guinness in a real tour de force. While some of his roles are small, they perfectly show off his versatility. Overall, superb and deliciously dark Ealing comedy. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Richard III turned on its head

Kind Hearts and Coronets is one quietly amusing Edwardian comedy of manners, famous for showing off the versatility of Alec Guinness. The talented Sir Alec plays eight, count ’em eight different members of the D’Ascoyne family. These folks stand between Dennis Price and his quest for the title of Duke of Chalfont.

Seems as though Price’s mother was read out of the family when she married an Italian music teacher. She never forgot who she was and brought her son up to never forget as well.

Price’s supercilious narration which sets the tone for the film as he describes his various acts of murder tell as much about him as it does about the various people of the D’Ascoyne family. He’s probably a bigger snob than all of the people he’s killing.

When you think about it, what is Price doing that Richard III didn’t do to gain a throne in Shakespeare’s adaption of his story? Interesting how we can be amused at Price bumping off his relations and be horrified at Laurence Olivier doing the same in his Richard III film. Then, that’s black comedy.

Alec Guinness was given great acclaim for essaying those many roles. My favorite has always been that doddering old fool of a clergyman whom we are told is in the proper profession.

Kind Hearts and Coronets is set during Edwardian Britain when class and stature meant far more than they do now. It’s a great tribute to the skill of the players and the writers that audiences today, even American audiences can enjoy it set in a world that is unimaginable to us.

Besides Guinness and Price, Joan Greenwood as the femme fatale and Valerie Hobson as the widow of one of the Alec Guinnesses do some of their best screen work here.