A King in New York | |
---|---|
Directed by | Charlie Chaplin |
Written by | Charlie Chaplin |
Produced by | Charlie Chaplin |
Starring |
|
Cinematography | Georges Périnal |
Edited by | John Seabourne |
Music by | Charlie Chaplin |
Production company | Attica Film Company |
Distributed by | Archway Film Distributors (UK) Classic Entertainment (US) |
Release dates |
|
Running time |
|
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
A King in New York is a 1957 British comedy film directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin in his last leading role. The film presents a satirical view of certain aspects of American politics and society. It was produced in Europe after Chaplin's exile from the U.S. in 1952 and did not open in the United States until 1972.
Deposed by revolution in his home country of Estrovia, King Igor Shahdov comes to New York City almost broke, his securities having been stolen by his own prime minister. He tries to contact the Atomic Energy Commission with his ideas for using atomic power to create a utopia.
At a televised dinner party, Shahdov reveals that he has had some experience in the theatre. He is approached to appear in television commercials but does not like the idea. Later, he does appear in several commercials for the money.
Invited to speak at a progressive school, Shahdov meets Rupert Macabee, a ten-year-old historian and editor of the school paper who does not want to disclose his political affinity, fearing McCarthyism. Macabee delivers a stern Marxist lecture to Shahdov. Although Macabee says that he distrusts all forms of government, his parents are communists who are jailed for not disclosing names at a hearing. Because young Rupert had spent time with him, Shahdov is suspected of being a communist himself and must face one of the hearings. He accidentally directs a strong stream of water from a fire hose at the members of the committee, who scatter in panic, but he is cleared of all charges. He decides to join his estranged queen in Paris for a reconciliation.
The authorities force Macabee to reveal the names of his parents' friends in exchange for his parents' freedom. Grieving and guilt-ridden, Rupert is presented to King Shahdov as a "patriot". Shahdov reassures him that the anticommunist scare will soon pass and invites him to travel to Europe with his parents.
A King in New York premiered at the Leicester Square Theatre in London on 12 September 1957. [1]
In a contemporary review for The Daily Telegraph , critic Campbell Dixon wrote of Chaplin: "Perhaps he has been overambitious. No matter how great and varied his gifts, it is too much to expect that one man shall shine steadily as producer, director, writer, composer and star. A brilliant writer, and two or three gag men as fertile as Mr. Chaplin used to be, would have made all the difference." Dixon also derided the film's message that Americans' legitimate concern about the dangers of communism was a form of hysteria. [1]
The film fared well in Europe, but its lack of American distribution severely hampered its commercial impact. The film divides opinion over its merits. Variety called it a "tepid disappointment" and a "half-hearted comedy with sour political undertones" with some "spasmodically funny scenes." [2] The film ranked at the top of Cahiers du Cinéma's Top 10 Films of the Year List in 1957. [3] The film has a "fresh" rating of 80% on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 10 reviews. [4]
Chaplin biographer Jeffrey Vance believes A King in New York to be an important film within Chaplin's body of work. He wrote: "Although A King in New York targets the social and political climate of the 1950s, its satiric commentary is timeless. Despite its flaws, the film remains a fascinating study of life in America through the eyes of its most famous exile." [5]
The film was released in the United States in March 1972, opening at the Little Art theatre in Yellow Springs, Ohio. [6] It was shown at UCLA in November 1973 [6] and then opened at the Playboy Theater in New York on 21 December 21 1973. [2]
Upon the film's New York release, critic Nora Sayre of The New York Times wrote: "Despite Chaplin's denials, this is a very bitter film—why should it be otherwise? We can applaud his anger, and it's easier than ever to sympathize with characters grown cautious about what they say over the phone, who worry that their rooms are bugged or sense that they're about to be subpoenaed. However, the great man botched his own political arguments, and this movie sags below the rest of his work." [7]
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered one of the film industry's most important figures. His career spanned more than 75 years, from childhood in the Victorian era until a year before his death in 1977, and encompassed both accolade and controversy.
The Great Dictator is a 1940 American anti-fascist, political satire, and black comedy film written, directed, produced, scored by, and starring British filmmaker Charlie Chaplin. Having been the only Hollywood filmmaker to continue to make silent films well into the period of sound films, Chaplin made this his first true sound film.
City Lights is a 1931 American synchronized sound romantic comedy-drama film written, produced, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. While the film has no audible dialog, it was released with a synchronized musical score with sound effects. The story follows the misadventures of Chaplin's Tramp as he falls in love with a blind girl and develops a turbulent friendship with an alcoholic millionaire.
The Gold Rush is a 1925 American silent comedy film written, produced, and directed by Charlie Chaplin. The film also stars Chaplin in his Little Tramp persona, Georgia Hale, Mack Swain, Tom Murray, Henry Bergman and Malcolm Waite.
Modern Times is a 1936 American part-talkie comedy film produced, written and directed by Charlie Chaplin. In Chaplin's last performance as the iconic Little Tramp, his character struggles to survive in the modern, industrialized world. The film also stars Paulette Goddard, Henry Bergman, Tiny Sandford and Chester Conklin.
The Circus is a 1928 silent romantic comedy film written, produced, and directed by Charlie Chaplin. The film stars Chaplin, Al Ernest Garcia, Merna Kennedy, Harry Crocker, George Davis and Henry Bergman. The ringmaster of an impoverished circus hires Chaplin's Little Tramp as a clown, but discovers that he can only be funny unintentionally.
Monsieur Verdoux is a 1947 American black comedy film directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, who plays a bigamist wife killer inspired by serial killer Henri Désiré Landru. The supporting cast includes Martha Raye, William Frawley, and Marilyn Nash.
A Woman of Paris is a feature-length American silent film starring Edna Purviance that debuted in 1923. A United Artists production, the film was an atypical drama film for its creator, written, directed, produced and later scored by Charlie Chaplin. It is also known as A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate.
Limelight is a 1952 American comedy-drama film written, produced, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin, based on a novella by Chaplin titled Footlights. The score was composed by Chaplin and arranged by Ray Rasch.
The Night Porter is a 1974 Italian psychological war drama film co-written and directed by Liliana Cavani. It stars Dirk Bogarde and Charlotte Rampling, with Philippe Leroy, Gabriele Ferzetti and Isa Miranda in supporting roles. Set in Vienna in 1957, the film centers on the sadomasochistic relationship between a former Nazi concentration camp officer (Bogarde) and one of his inmates (Rampling).
Michael John Chaplin is an American actor born in Santa Monica, California.
Sydney Earl Chaplin was an American actor. He was the second son of Charlie Chaplin and Lita Grey. One of his major roles was in his father's film Limelight (1952). In theater, Chaplin won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his 1957 performance in Bells Are Ringing.
The Pilgrim is a 1923 American silent film made by Charlie Chaplin for the First National Film Company, starring Chaplin and Edna Purviance.
Victoria Dawn Addams was a British actress, particularly in Hollywood motion pictures of the 1950s and on British television in the 1960s and 1970s. She became a princess in 1954.
Joel Grover Sayre, Jr was an American novelist, war reporter, and screenwriter born in Marion, Indiana.
Raymond Rohauer was an American film collector and distributor.
Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. was an American actor and filmmaker, best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films. One of the biggest stars of the silent era, Fairbanks was referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He was also a founding member of United Artists as well as the Motion Picture Academy and hosted the 1st Academy Awards in 1929.
Nora Clemens Sayre was an American film critic and essayist. She was a reviewer of films for The New York Times in the 1970s, and, from 1981, a writing teacher for many years at Columbia University. She specialised in the Cold War and authored books such as Running Time: Films of the Cold War (1982) in which she examined Hollywood movie-making in the 1950s.
Nada, also titled The Nada Gang in the US, is a 1974 Franco-Italian political thriller film directed by Claude Chabrol, based on the novel of the same name by Jean-Patrick Manchette. It follows an anarchist group which, after kidnapping the United States Ambassador to France, is hunted down by the police, with both sides making use of uninhibited violence.
Moses Rothman was a Canadian-born, American studio executive who persuaded Charlie Chaplin to return to the United States in 1972, ending Chaplin's twenty year, self-imposed exile. Chaplin's return to the United States restored his popularity and public reputation.