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A King in New York

Play trailer Poster for A King in New York G 1957 1h 45m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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80% Tomatometer 15 Reviews 73% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
When King Igor Shahdov (Charles Chaplin) flees the revolutionaries of Estonia, he arrives in New York City with almost nothing. With a theater background, Shahdov finds work in TV commercials. But when he befriends 10-year-old Rupert Macabee (Michael Chaplin) and the boy's communist parents, the U.S. House Un-American Activities Committee deems Shahdov a communist and arrests Rupert's family. Enraged at American paranoia, Shahdov fights the HUAC for the family's freedom.
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A King in New York

Critics Reviews

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Richard Brody The New Yorker 03/10/2023
Chaplin... lacerates American follies with razor-sharp comic ingenuity. Go to Full Review
Colin Bennett The Age (Australia) 03/25/2022
The child's rebellious spirit may die in this picture, but Chaplin's must never die. Even at 70, he is the one man of the cinema with the wit, the wisdom and the wealth to make his rebellion felt. Go to Full Review
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times 10/23/2004
3/4
Chaplin's political satire no longer seems as daring as it must have been in the 1950s, but his social commentary is, if anything, more timely now. Go to Full Review
Carson Timar Filmotomy 02/12/2022
A King in New York clearly is a unique and defining look at society in America in 1957. Go to Full Review
André Bazin L'Éducation Nationale 12/08/2021
The weaknesses of the movie's scenario do not diminish in any way the splendor of its visual style. Go to Full Review
Mike Massie Gone With The Twins 08/23/2020
3/10
There's still a liveliness in Chaplin's step and in his signature, twirling dance moves, along with plenty of setups for comedy - but the end result is limited in creativity. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Marce S Sep 13 Similar to Monsieur Verdoux this is a more low key film by Chaplin which might disapoint people who expect something similar to The Dictator. You can also tell Chaplins sense of disapointment on the modern world which makes this movie someaht deppressing. It is however a sweet and moving film with good acting and if you like movies from this era you should definetly give it a watch. See more Rare T Dec 15 A King in New York can be a mess at times but all in all it’s a good take on the prevalent McCarthyism at the time with an equal distance from all sides and simultaneous classic Chaplin humor. See more Steve D 09/20/2024 Sad to see its star reduced to this. See more david f 10/23/2022 While uneven and at times dragging, when the satire here hits its mark, it hits it harder than anything else you'll ever see. Charlie Chaplin still had it in 1957, even in Europe, even in exile from a Red-Scared America, and that is his primary target here-America. He's got the deodorant jokes, the jazz jokes, and the marketing jokes that still hit close to home over 65 years later. The plot is silly but the jokes have a moral edge to them and they are funny as hell. See more 08/08/2022 A minor Chaplin film for sure, but worth watching for some flashes of Chaplin brilliance. He is spot on with his lampooning of wide screen movies and how television can make virtually anyone an instant celebrity. But it gets a bit heavy handed at times when he befriends a young boy whose parents are accused of being Communists and then The King (Chaplin) gets called upon to testify in his own defense at The House Un-American Activities Committee. Uneven, but certainly worth watching and fascinating to see Chaplin navigate comically through the modern world of TV, rock and roll and plastic surgery. Chaplin also composed the music for the film, which is quite good. See more ashley h @ashleyhobgood87 09/06/2020 A King in New York is a terrific film. It is about a recently-deposed European monarch who seeks shelter in New York City. Charles Chaplin and Maxine Audley give fantastic performances. The script is good but a little slow in places. Charles Chaplin also did a great job directing this movie. I enjoyed this motion picture because of the humor and drama. See more Read all reviews
A King in New York

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Movie Info

Synopsis When King Igor Shahdov (Charles Chaplin) flees the revolutionaries of Estonia, he arrives in New York City with almost nothing. With a theater background, Shahdov finds work in TV commercials. But when he befriends 10-year-old Rupert Macabee (Michael Chaplin) and the boy's communist parents, the U.S. House Un-American Activities Committee deems Shahdov a communist and arrests Rupert's family. Enraged at American paranoia, Shahdov fights the HUAC for the family's freedom.
Director
Charlie Chaplin
Production Co
Attica Film Company
Rating
G
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 15, 2020
Runtime
1h 45m
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