Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Forgotten Movies: KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS



A few weeks ago, we saw a musical in NY: A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER, which was a musical version of the old British comedy KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS. It was lots of fun and has gone on to be nominated for a bunch of Tony Awards.

It is the story of an impoverished young man who leans he stands eighth in a line to a earldom and goes on to dispose of those who stand in his way.

Since we had never seen the film, we rented it last week. We were quite disappointed. Perhaps it needed to be seen in its day. Or perhaps seeing the play first was a mistake. The play was very lively and the movie was not. The incessant voice-over was annoying. The play showed the deaths with more clever staging than the movie. Jefferson Mays was amazing in the Alec Guiness role.

I am sure if we saw this film in its day, we would have quite different feeling about it. '

What movie, when you finally saw it, disappointed you.

15 comments:

Unknown said...

I saw this one back in its day and really liked it.

Anonymous said...

Interesting. It's been years since I saw the movie and don't remember it in detail other than it getting a little tiresome with Guinness making up in silly looks.

One that comes to mind isn't a big deal or something I was especially looking forward to seeing but,,,when I saw the highly praised (by some) I WAS A MALE WAR BRIDE I thought it was almost completely unfunny and a big disappointment considering the cast.

But maybe it's just me.


Jeff M.

pattinase (abbott) said...

My problem with IWAMWB is that I am not a Ginger Rogers fan unless she's dancing. And she has no chemistry with Cary. Chemistry was never his strong suit but with her it was really lacking.

J F Norris said...

I hope this musical stays open long enough for us to see it in the fall (the only time I'll be able to get out to NYC this year). I've known about it for a long time prior to its opening on Broadway.

I waited years to see THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY. Heard it was a landmark film, essentially created the formula for the "disaster movie". When it was finally released on DVD back in 2005 I got to see it but thought it was nothing special. Soap opera nonsense with a mixture of hammy and stilted acting. Only enjoyed Jan Sterling and Claire Trevor. John Wayne was wasted. The extreme close-ups of the sleeping boy drove me crazy and I coudn't stand the storyline about his parents, two of the worst actors in the movie.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Only good thing about THATM is the theme song. I was just as disappointed as you.
It may not last until then, John. We got half price tkts and the theater was not full. It's not the usual type of Broadway musical that tourists look for. But it is charming.

Deb said...

I suppose movies are like books: your reaction depends on your stage in life. I loved KHAC (especially sultry-voiced Joan Greenwood), but it's been at least 20 years since I saw it, so don't know how I'd feel about it today.

Anonymous said...

When I was a kid I loved THATM. It was one of those films that ran on Channel 9's Million Dollar Movie in New York, like MIGHT JOE YOUNG. They ran them every afternoon (I think from 3:30 to 5) and then in an all-day marathon on Saturday.

I haven't seen it in 40+ years. I do remember the theme song fondly.

Jeff M.

Cap'n Bob said...

I liked all of the movies mentioned above when I saw them. I also remember those Million Dollar Movies in NY, as well as The Late Show, The Late Late Show, and the Late Late Late Show. It's how I was able to see half the movies made in the thirties and forties.

George said...

4286386 41The first STAR TREK movie. What a dud!

pattinase (abbott) said...

Gosh I loved those LATE SHOWS. As a babysitter they saved me although it seemed like they were always showing TOP BANANA.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Gosh I loved those LATE SHOWS. As a babysitter they saved me although it seemed like they were always showing TOP BANANA.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Gosh I loved those LATE SHOWS. As a babysitter they saved me although it seemed like they were always showing TOP BANANA.

Todd Mason said...

Seeing VANISHING POINT again, and for the first time without commercial tv censorship and perhaps thirty years after seeing it on the CBS LATE MOVIE or the like, was rather saddening at how much worse an experience it was for an adult viewer than for a child. A scrap of attractive-woman nudity certainly didn't make up for the unengaging goofiness and rather ugly portrayal of gay men.

I, too, liked KIND HEARTS, but haven't seen it since the PBS THEATER days on WENH in New Hampshire in the latter '70s. I suspect it will hold up better for me than VP.

Todd Mason said...

One that I had only come to eventually, after some years of build-up, was LAST TANGO IN PARIS, but by then I'd sat through the likes of THE LAST EMPEROR and STEALING BEAUTY, and didn't expect much of a Bertolucci film.

Todd Mason said...

ThisTV broadcast network, 1am ET, June 15: TOP BANANA with Phil Silvers and Rose Marie. They said, "Hey!" when they read the post.