Kind Hearts and Coronets (1950)

This is a dark comedy that is a bit slow paced but not slow enough to lose the audience. As remaking earlier films is so popular, this movie would be an ideal candidate, particularly for someone with a biting sense of humor who could give it some punch for the modern audience.

This classic Ealing Comedy opens with protagonist Louis Mazzini, the Tenth Duke of Chalfont, in the condemned man's cell; as he awaits his execution he writes his memoirs and in doing so tell us how he came to be there.He tells how his mother was disowned by her family, the D'Ascoynes; heirs to the Dukedom of Chalfont, for marrying and an Italian singer. When they refuse him a position at the family bank he is forced to work in a clothes shop then when they refuse to let his mother be interred in the family vault he vows revenge… he will kill the eight D'Ascoyne's between himself and the dukedom. Meanwhile he proposes to his childhood sweetheart Sibella but is rejected in favour of a wealthier suitor. His first opportunity comes when Ascoyne D'Ascoyne comes into the shop to buy something for his girlfriend. Louis overhears him saying where they will be going for a few days; he goes there too and kills Ascoyne and the poor girl. He is quick to give his condolences to the family and soon is offered the post at the bank that he had been rejected for earlier. That doesn't stop his plans though and soon other D'Ascoynes are dead and he is getting closer to his ultimate goal. While all this is going on another dilemma arises; he has been carrying on an affair with Sibella but has fallen for Edith, the widow of Henry D'Ascoyne; a far more suitable match for a future duke. Inevitably the police eventually catch up with him… but not for a death he had thought about.There are a lot of great Ealing Comedies but I think this is my favourite. The comedy is fairly dark but there are plenty of laughs to be had. This is largely down to Alec Guinness's brilliant performance as no less than eight members of the D'Ascoyne family; both young and old, even including Lady Agatha D'Ascoyne. Dennis Price is also great as Louis; his performance is such that it is easy to sympathise with this mass murderer as he coolly works his way to the Dukedom. His character isn't too likable though; he does have an affair with Sibella then, as he gets closer to the Dukedom, he decides she really isn't good enough. The rest of the cast are impressive too; most notably Joan Greenwood who plays Sibella; a character who proves to be surprisingly devious in the end. Overall I'd strongly recommend this to anybody who likes their comedy dark; it may be an old film but it still feels surprisingly fresh… possibly because it was set forty years in the past when it was made.

This is one of the finest if not the finest British comedy of all time, only thoughtful and ironic not slapstick and in-your-face - as black as I like black comedy to get. The Ladykillers from the same team later provided more in the way of slapstick. I've just read the comments from some of the haters on here and found them most illuminating – however kind words are more than criticisms in my case.A poor distant relation in a large rich family determines to get rid of all in the way of his succession to the family fortune by foul means. This involves the murder of eight Alec Guinness's which is taken to with gusto, and with some success. It was the urbane Dennis Price's finest performance, the one for which he'll be remembered, and coquettish Joan Greenwood played her heart out too. As for Guinness, his various performances have gone down in film history, although most of the collection were merely walk on parts. The plot and dialogue was incessantly erudite, witty and thought-provoking, the entire film sparkles with ingenuity. The attention to detail was total, and the elegant photography of it all by Douglas Slocombe was too. The American end version was interesting but unnecessary as the ultimate retribution was clear and clearly impending. The nword used was unnecessary but normal as part of the then popular children's rhyme and simply reflects back to us a time when white people could use that word unthinkingly; nowadays lovely premeditated obscenity and profanity is the accepted norm for all. The scheming Greenwood suggesting the possibility of the two dependent miracles to the scheming Price in the interview room are the money shots for me, it's the mesmerising logical culmination of the intelligent script.Imho it's almost perfect in every department and really beyond all criticism as completely in a league of its own as a unique work of Art.

Alec Guinness gets to die eight times, playing a line of successors to a dukedom, in the Ealing black comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets. Louis Mazzini (Dennis Price) is ninth in line to inherit the dukedom from the aristocratic D'Ascoyne family. Louis vows to kill all eight people who stand between him and the duke's title. Aside from two cases of natural causes, Louis works through the list, eliminating rivals (all played by Guinness). Along the way he romances Sibella (Joan Greenwood), a childhood friend who ends up marrying a dullard, and Edith (Valerie Hobson), the beautiful widow of one of his victims with whom he plans to share his title. But just when Louis is ready to assume the D'Ascoyne mantle, a bizarre irony strikes. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi