Kind Hearts and Coronets is a morality tale and social satire combined into one. Although it is well known for the eight roles played by Alec Guinness, you will discover that some of the roles he plays are rather brief.
Louis Mazzini is played coldly and rather understated by Dennis Price. He is the grandson of the Duke of D'Ascoyne whose mother married beneath herself to a singer and was exiled by her rich family and died destitute.
Louis is toiling in a shop and ends up losing his job thanks to a D'Ascoyne and wants to get revenge against the pompous family. So he brutally bumps them off one by one and gets nearer to the line of inheritance and at the same time his social and financial status elevates.
This film is one of the well known Ealing comedies which has a dark heart. In fact the film opens in prison as Louis is facing the gallows which indicates that he might had not got away with his plans. Even then there are further twists to emerge as Louis complicated love live threatens to derail him.
Although Guinness grabs the headlines this is Price's film and he is well supported by a sly, witty and literate script.
Louis Mazzini is played coldly and rather understated by Dennis Price. He is the grandson of the Duke of D'Ascoyne whose mother married beneath herself to a singer and was exiled by her rich family and died destitute.
Louis is toiling in a shop and ends up losing his job thanks to a D'Ascoyne and wants to get revenge against the pompous family. So he brutally bumps them off one by one and gets nearer to the line of inheritance and at the same time his social and financial status elevates.
This film is one of the well known Ealing comedies which has a dark heart. In fact the film opens in prison as Louis is facing the gallows which indicates that he might had not got away with his plans. Even then there are further twists to emerge as Louis complicated love live threatens to derail him.
Although Guinness grabs the headlines this is Price's film and he is well supported by a sly, witty and literate script.