It could be argued that the real golden age for British comedy cinema was in the late 40s and 1950s under the auspices of Ealing Studios, with films like The Man in the White Suit and Passport to Pimlico remaining to this day much-loved comedies with a host of fine performances, not least from Alec Guinness. In Kind Hearts and Coronets, one of their earlier productions, they took a humorous look at revenge, playing the genre for laughs. Dennis Price co-stars as Louis Mazzini, the tenth Duke of Chalfont who discovers that the only way to avoid bankruptcy is to kill of the heirs to an inheritance so that he can claim it for himself. Told in flashback from his prison cell, the film recounts his murderous spree as he takes out those who stand in his way, inevitably ending in his failure and downfall. Dennis Price's performance is undoubtedly great, but without a doubt it's Alec Guinness who steals the show, taking on not one or two but eight characters, each of which Mazzini dispatches with comedic aplomb. Guinness was originally tasked with four roles, but having read a portion of script and finding himself rolling around the floor laughing insisted on playing every heir to the fortune. The result is a timeless comedy masterpiece.
