ComedyCrime

Kind Hearts and Coronets

- He chopped down the family tree...

When his mother eloped with an Italian opera singer, Louis Mazzini was cut off from her aristocratic family. After the family refuses to let her be buried in the family mausoleum, Louis avenges his mother's death by attempting to murder every family member who stands between himself and the family fortune. But when he finds himself torn between his longtime love and the widow of one of his victims, his plans go awry.

Release Date : 1949-06-21

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Ealing StudiosJ. Arthur Rank Organisation

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Louis Mazzini / His Father

Original Name : Dennis Price

Gender : Male

Character Name : The D'Ascoyne Family: The Duke / The Banker / The Parson / The General / The Admiral / Young Ascoyne / Young Henry / Lady Agatha

Original Name : Alec Guinness

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sibella

Original Name : Joan Greenwood

Gender : Female

Character Name : Edith D'Ascoyne

Original Name : Valerie Hobson

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mama

Original Name : Audrey Fildes

Gender : Female

Character Name : The Hangman

Original Name : Miles Malleson

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Prison Governor

Original Name : Clive Morton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lionel Holland

Original Name : John Penrose

Gender : Male

Character Name : Crown Counsel

Original Name : Cecil Ramage

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lord High Steward

Original Name : Hugh Griffith

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Perkins

Original Name : John Salew

Gender : Male

Character Name : Inspector Burgoyne

Original Name : Eric Messiter

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Farmer

Original Name : Lyn Evans

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Schoolmistress

Original Name : Barbara Leake

Gender : Female

Character Name : Maud Redpole

Original Name : Peggy Ann Clifford

Gender : Female

Character Name : The Girl in the Punt

Original Name : Anne Valery

Gender : Female

Character Name : The Reporter

Original Name : Arthur Lowe

Gender : Male

Character Name : First Lord Delivering Verdict (uncredited)

Original Name : Peter Gawthorne

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lady Redpole (uncredited)

Original Name : Molly Hamley-Clifford

Gender : Female

Character Name : Gamekeeper Hoskins (uncredited)

Original Name : Leslie Handford

Gender : Male

Character Name : Young Graham (uncredited)

Original Name : Cavan Malone

Gender : Male

Character Name : Young Louis (uncredited)

Original Name : Jeremy Spenser

Gender : Male

Character Name : Young Sibella (uncredited)

Original Name : Carol White

Gender : Female

Character Name : Warder in Jail (uncredited)

Original Name : Laurence Naismith

Gender : Male

Character Name : Clerk of Parliament (uncredited)

Original Name : Gordon Phillott

Gender : Male

Character Name : Defence Counsel (uncredited)

Original Name : Richard Wattis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Captain (uncredited)

Original Name : Harold Young

Gender : Male

Reviews

Nutshell

@nutshell

2021-06-23

This is hands down my favorite Ealing Studios comedy, as I'm sure it is for many others. A most exquisite and brilliantly dark comic showcase, most especially for Dennis Price who is outstanding here in the lead role of Louis, and for some young actor named Alec Guinness who plays a whopping 8 roles in this film! In those early days the young Mr. Guinness was constantly challenging both himself, and his directors, in order to prove his capabilities. He had done just that the year before with his fabulous portrayal of Fagin in Oliver Twist, and that was only his 2nd movie! With this phenomenal 3rd piece of work, he silenced any critics that might still be left, going on to enjoy a tremendous career that would last nearly the rest of his life.

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-07-09

The best, I think, of the Ealing Comedies features a wonderful Dennis Price as the hard-done-by aristocrat who sets out to exact the most spectacular series of acts of vengeance on those whom he blames for the plights of his childhood. Alec Guinness plays the entire (somewhat doomed) "D'Ascoyne" family outstandingly (especially, I thought, the vicar) and both Valerie Hobson and Joan Greenwood complete this excellent casting of this very enjoyable dark comedy that has the odd extra twist to complicate things nicely. It is one of those films you can watch over and over again and it just doesn't get wearisome.

Juno78

@Juno78

2024-09-25

For everything that I'd heard about this film, I was left underwhelmed. I'd always heard that Alec Guinness was superb, playing multiple characters, but most of them were on screen for just a moment. Yes, the makeup artist did a good job making them all visually distinct, but only a couple really have a role to play in the story. There is one shot, clever for the time, which brings them all "together" which you can admire on a technical level. It does nothing to raise the piece. Honestly, all of that is a side-show to the actual story and had it been six different actors the film would be unaffected. The humour is that of a gentle farce and personally it caused little more than a wry smile for me. I realise it's "of it's time", but even for the late '40s I think it's pedestrian.