KIND HEARTS & CORONETS (1949) Cert PG
Dennis Price, Valerie Hobson, Joan Greenwood, Alec Guinness. Directed by Robert Hamer. (1 hr 46m)

This savagely funny black comedy is among the best British movies ever made, and its potent combination of shocking dark humour and scheming amorality was astonishingly daring for its time. It's hard even for a modern audience not to avoid a vague sensation of guilt at finding such terrible misdeeds so thoroughly entertaining. Dennis Price enjoyed the best role of his career by far as the elegant but cold-hearted Edwardian social climber Louis Mazzini. His mother was disinherited by her aristocratic family, the d'Ascoynes of Chalfont, when she eloped with an Italian opera singer, so after her death he sets out to avenge her and claim the noble title by murdering every family member who stands between him and the family fortune. But his plans go awry when he finds himself torn between his equally devious paramour, played by the deliciously husky-voiced Joan Greenwood, and the pure-hearted widow of one of his noble cousins. Better even than Dennis Price is Alec Guinness, who delivers a simply astonishing multiple performance as all eight variously jolly, arrogant, mean and stupid members of the d'Ascoyne family who stand in his way. Serial killing has never looked so much fun, or been so enjoyable to watch!