The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Charles Crichton

Writer:

T.E.B. Clarke (original screenplay)

Release Date:

10 September 1951 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

He stole $3,000,000 in gold and that's a lot of BULLion!

Plot:

A meek bank clerk who oversees the shipment of bullion joins with an eccentric neighbor to steal gold bars and smuggle them out of the country as miniature Eifel Towers.

Plot Keywords:

Gold | Bank | France | Souvenir | Exhibit

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Alec Guinness	...	Holland
Stanley Holloway	...	Pendlebury
Sid James	...	Lackery (as Sidney James)
Alfie Bass	...	Shorty
Marjorie Fielding	...	Mrs. Chalk
Edie Martin	...	Miss Evesham
John Salew	...	Parkin
Ronald Adam	...	Turner
Arthur Hambling	...	Wallis
Gibb McLaughlin	...	Godwin
John Gregson	...	Farrow
Clive Morton	...	Station Sergeant
Sydney Tafler	...	Clayton
Marie Burke	...	Senora Gallardo
Audrey Hepburn	...	Chiquita
William Fox	...	Gregory
Michael Trubshawe	...	British Ambassador
Ann Hefferman	...	Kiosk Girl (as Ann Heffernan)
Jacques B. Brunius	...	Customs Official (as Jacques Brunius)
Eugene Deckers	...	Customs Official
Paul Demel	...	Customs Official
Andreas Malandrinos	...	Customs Official (as Andrea Malandrinos)
Cyril Chamberlain	...	Commander
Tony Quinn	...	Deputy Commander
Moultrie Kelsall	...	Detective Superintendant
Christopher Hewett	...	Inspector Talbot
Meredith Edwards	...	P.C. Williams
Patrick Barr	...	Divisional Detective Inspector
David Davies	...	City Policeman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alanna Boyce	...	Schoolgirl with Eiffel Tower Paperweight (uncredited)
Peter Bull	...	Joe the Gab (uncredited)
Jacques Cey	...	(uncredited)
Joe Clarke	...	(uncredited)
Jacqueline Curtis	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
Richard Davies	...	Police Driver (uncredited)
Patric Doonan	...	Craggs (uncredited)
Archie Duncan	...	Chief Cashier (uncredited)
Frank Forsyth	...	(uncredited)
Fred Griffiths	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Charles Lamb	...	Mr. Richards (uncredited)
Desmond Llewelyn	...	Customs Officer (uncredited)
Arthur Mullard	...	1st Man in Police Identity Parade (uncredited)
Marie Ney	...	School Headmistress (uncredited)
Frederick Piper	...	Cafe Owner (uncredited)
Robert Shaw	...	Chemist at Police Exhibition (uncredited)
John Warwick	...	Police Inspector at Squad Car Headquarters (uncredited)
Richard Wattis	...	Opposition MP (uncredited)
Neil Wilson	...	Squad Car headquarters PC (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Crichton

Writing credits
T.E.B. Clarke		(original screenplay)

Produced by
Michael Balcon	....	producer
Michael Truman	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Georges Auric

Cinematography by
Douglas Slocombe		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Seth Holt

Art Direction by
William Kellner

Costume Design by
Anthony Mendleson

Makeup Department
Ernest Taylor	....	makeup artist
H. Wilton	....	makeup artist
Daphne Martin	....	assistant hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Slim Hand	....	unit production manager
Hal Mason	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Norman Priggen	....	assistant director
John Meadows	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Bert Davey	....	assistant art director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Stephen Dalby	....	sound supervisor
Leslie Hammond	....	recordist
Eric Stockl	....	sound camera operator (uncredited)
Cyril Swern	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Sydney Pearson	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Geoffrey Dickinson	....	special processes
Bryan Langley	....	special processes

Camera and Electrical Department
Geoffrey Faithfull	....	additional photographer (as Geoffrey Faithful)
Jeff Seaholme	....	camera operator
Jack Dooley	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Hugh Wilson	....	focus puller (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ernie Farrer	....	wardrobe master (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Harry Aldous	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Ernest Irving	....	conductor
Ivor Mairants	....	composer: guitar music (uncredited)

Other crew
Phyllis Crocker	....	continuity

Production Companies

• J. Arthur Rank Organisation (presents) (as The J.Arthur Rank Organisation)
• Ealing Studios (as An Ealing Studios Production)

Distributors

• General Film Distributors (GFD) (1951) (UK) (theatrical) (released through) (as General Film Distributors Ltd.)
• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1951) (UK) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1951) (USA) (theatrical)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1978) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Thorn EMI Video (198?) (USA) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Studio Canal (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• Parvisfilmi (1952) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• YLE Teema (2008) (Finland) (TV)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2000) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Crest National  DVD coding (uncredited)
• Philharmonia Orchestra, The  music played by (as the Philharmonia Orchestra)

Runtime:

UK:81 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French | Portuguese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:Approved (MPAA rating: certificate #15054) | UK:U (video rating) (1988) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Bank Underground Station, London, England, UK

Company:

J. Arthur Rank Organisation

Trivia:

Arriving in Paris, Pendlebury recites the words, "Gay, sprightly land of mirth and social ease"; Holland later repeats the phrase in reference to Rio de Janeiro. This line is a subtle reference to the movie's plot, because those words come originally from the 1765 poem "The Traveller" by Oliver *Goldsmith*.

Goofs:

Continuity: After the raid we see the maroon (dark colored) bullion van being driven into an abandoned warehouse to be emptied (33mins 10 secs into the movie). In the next short shot of the van parking, the van has now become a light colored van. After that we see the dark colored van again.

Quotes:

[just as he is planning the robbery, Holland is told that he is being promoted to another department]
Henry Holland: I'm too old to change my views now, sir.
Turner: Nonsense. You're never too old to better oneself. Think of what you can do with an extra 15 shillings a week.
Henry Holland: But sir, I like the bullion office. It holds all I ever wished for.
Turner: The trouble with you, Holland, if I may speak frankly, is that you do not have enough ambition. When a good opportunity comes along grab it with both hands. May not occur again.
Henry Holland: Very good, sir. I'll follow your advice.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in 100 Years of Comedy (1997) (V)

Soundtrack:

Music

Brilliant Ealing Comedy

Ealing studios are famous for making very dry and witty comedies; they're probably most famous for the excellent 'Kind Hearts and Coronets' and darkly comic 'The Ladykillers', but The Lavender Hill Mob, although not as good as the other two, is definitely worth a mention.

The Lavender Hill Mob is about a bank clerk (Alec Guinness) that, with the aid of his friend Alfred Pendlebury (Stanley Holloway), a man that makes paperweights in the shape of the Eiffel tower, has an ingenious idea of how to rob his own bank. The two realise that the bank cannot be robbed by just them, so they set a trap to catch a couple of criminals, and once they've recruited them; The Lavender Hill Mob is born.

Alec Guinness, a regular of Ealing comedies and a man that I think is worthy of the title "the greatest actor of all time" shines, as usual, in this movie. Alec Guinness manages to hit the tone of his character just right; he is suitably creepy, as he is, a criminal, and yet at the same time he's also eccentric enough to be considered an upstanding citizen and bank clerk. Guinness is, however, not the only actor who's performance in this movie is worthy of acclaim, the entire cast shine in their respective roles; Stanley Holloway is more subdued in his role, but that's also suited to his character. There are also excellent support performances from Sid James, who is mostly remembered for his work on the 'Carry on' films; Alfie Bass, whom fans of British comedy TV will remember from the series "Are You Being Served" and there's also a very small role for Audrey Hepburn, who's movie legacy is legendary.

The Lavender Hill Mob also features many memorable moments that will stick in the viewers' mind long after the film has ended. Parts of the film such as the chase on the Eiffel tower and the way that the two central characters manage to loose the entire police force are legendary. The Lavender Hill Mob is a small movie, but it's a movie that aims big and it works a treat. This movie also features a brilliant twist ending that rivals the one in the superb 'Kind Hearts and Coronets'.

Overall, The Lavender Hill Mob is, despite its low budget and short running time, a spectacular comedy film that should not be missed by anyone.