British Comedy Guide
Kind Hearts And Coronets. The General D'Ascoyne (Alec Guinness). Copyright: STUDIOCANAL / Ealing Studios
Kind Hearts And Coronets

Kind Hearts And Coronets

  • 1949 film

Black Ealing comedy with eight classic characterisations by Alec Guinness as the noble victims of vengeance-seeking relative Dennis Price. Stars Dennis Price, Valerie Hobson, Joan Greenwood and Alec Guinness.

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Kind Hearts And Coronets. Image shows from L to R: Louis Mazzini (Dennis Price), Edith (Valerie Hobson). Copyright: Ealing Studios

Key details

Genre
Film
Released
1949
Stars
Dennis Price, Valerie Hobson, Joan Greenwood, Alec Guinness, Audrey Fildes, Miles Malleson, Clive Morton, Cecil Ramage and more
Writers
Roy Horniman, Robert Hamer and John Dighton
Director
Robert Hamer
Producers
Michael Balcon and Michael Relph
Company

Upon the death of his beloved mother, half-Italian, half-English nobleman Louis Mazzini resolves to seek revenge upon his estranged aristocratic family for ostracising her for marrying for love, and for denying his existence.

Through a series of plots and happy coincidences, Mazzini brings about and observes the demise of an array of members of the family he has never met, edging ever-closer towards becoming the Duke of Chalfont himself.

Meanwhile, the softly-spoken former department store clerk is taunted by Sibella, his beguiling and manipulative childhood sweetheart who married another man despite his warnings, and is now deeply regretful of her choices.

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Additional details

Tagline
He chopped down the family tree...; A hilarious study in the gentle art of murder
UK certificate
U
Duration
106 minutes
UK release
Thursday 23rd June 1949
Distributors

General Film Distributors

Production
Studio
Camera set-up
Single camera
Picture
Black and white
Soundtrack
Music by Ernest Irving.

Website links

Broadcast details

Most recent repeats
  • Friday 13th September 2024 at 11:00am on Film4
  • Friday 6th September 2024 at 2:30pm on Film4
  • Monday 29th April 2024 at 3:55pm on Film4

Recording details

  • Ealing Studios
  • Leeds Castle - D'Ascoyne estate

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