A King in New York (1957)
Average Rating: 7.2/10
Reviews Counted: 10
Fresh: 8 | Rotten: 2
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 1
Fresh: 1 | Rotten: 0
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Average Rating: 3.6/5
User Ratings: 1,924
Movie Info
King Shadov (Charles Chaplin), the newly deposed monarch of a small European country, arrives in New York to face a life in exile. No sooner does he get here, however, than he discovers that his prime minister has stolen the entire royal treasury and departed for parts unknown. Stranded in New York in a luxury hotel without any money, the king tries to adjust to life in America and elicit interest in his plan for the peaceful use of nuclear power. He finds America in 1957 to be too noisy for his
Jan 1, 1957 Wide
Mar 2, 2004
Criterion Collection
Cast
-
Charles Chaplin
King Shadhov -
Dawn Addams
Ann Kay -
Oliver Johnston
The Ambassador -
Maxine Audley
Queen Irene -
Harry Green
Lawyer Green -
Phil Brown
Headmaster -
Michael Chaplin
Rupert Macabee -
John McLaren
Macabee Senior -
Shani Wallis
Night Club Vocalist -
Joy Nichols
Night Club Vocalist -
John Richard Ingram
Mr. Cromwell -
Jerry Desmonde
Prime Minister Voudel -
Robert Arden
Lift Boy -
Robert Cawdron
U.S. Marshall -
Alan Gifford
School Superintendent -
Joan Ingram
Mona Cromwell -
Sidney James
Bill Johnson -
-
MacDonald Parke
Fred Cromwell -
George Woodbridge
Commissioner -
Clifford Buckton
Atomic Commission -
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All Critics (15) | Top Critics (5) | Fresh (8) | Rotten (2) | DVD (7)
The coming of talkie films has been unkind to the legendary silent film comic, Charlie Chaplin.
Taking a fire hose to HUAC is an impulse worth applauding, but the overall movie is so tone-deaf and tired that the method sinks the message.
Though constrained by budget and the unfamiliar methods of British studios, the film is nonetheless Chaplin's last great gift to the world.
A King in New York proved prophetic, not only in the McCarthy witch-hunts, but also in the relentless advertising and television obsession we have today.
Audience Reviews for A King in New York
Super Reviewer
Chaplin (now white-haired but impressively spry) plays King Shahdov, the deposed monarch of a fictional European country. He flees to New York and takes up residence in a posh hotel, but finds himself broke after his prime minister betrays him and steals the royal treasury. A beautiful lass (Dawn Addams) cons the needy king into entering the advertising world, with amusing results. He becomes an inept pitchman and media celebrity, dodging fans and reporters just like today's royals. Later, Shahdov befriends a precocious boy (Chaplin's real-life son Michael) whose parents who are suspected of being Communists.
Chaplin's elegant wit and grace are delightful, but the film is frustratingly uneven. The advertising satire is quite funny -- particularly a scene about a fraudulent dinner party -- but the anti-McCarthy material turns indulgent and heavy-handed. And a few plot threads are left dangling. Will the prime minister be brought to justice? What about those vaguely mentioned "atomic" plans that will revolutionize the planet? And did Shahdov's wife need to enter the story at all?
Scenes end too abruptly. Chaplin's score seems corny and outdated. And his acting philosophy remains stuck in the silent age, calling for exaggerated body language from himself and others. A particularly bad example is how the younger Chaplin ridiculously wags a finger during his political rants. Another is the restaurant vignette that just serves as an excuse for Charlie to pantomime "caviar" and "turtle soup." Still, the shot where he joyfully dances and vaults into a tub can't be missed. (But what bizarre sort of hotel puts a door between adjoining bathrooms?)
Super Reviewer
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Movie: ID: 575711073 Title: A King in New York Release Date: 1957-01-01 00:00:00.0 MPAA: 1 Status: 1
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Foreign Titles
- Ein König in New York (DE)
- A King in New York (1957) (UK)
