The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Charles Crichton

Writer:

T.E.B. Clarke (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 | Souvenir | France | Tour

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Alec Guinness	...	Henry Holland
Stanley Holloway	...	Alfred Pendlebury
Sid James	...	Lackery (as Sidney James)
Alfie Bass	...	Shorty Fisher
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 (in alphabetical order)
T.E.B. Clarke		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	....	sound recordist
Eric Stockl	....	sound camera operator (uncredited)
Cyril Swern	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Sydney Pearson	....	special effects

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
Geoffrey Dickinson	....	special processes
Bryan Langley	....	special processes

Production Companies

• Ealing Studios

Distributors

• General Film Distributors (GFD) (1951) (UK) (theatrical)
• 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

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 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Bank Underground Station, London, England, UK

Company:

Ealing Studios

Trivia:

Most of Robert Shaw's performance ended up on the cutting room floor.

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:

Pendlebury: There's someone else out there.
Henry Holland: Tell them we're suited.

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

Music

One of the most engaging and witty movie I have seen

The DVD used Audrey Hepburn's first movie appearance as a promotion. Together with the fact that Alec Guinness is the leading man, I immediately jumped at the chance of watching the film.

The film began with Alec Guinness recalling his life last year, as a 20-year bank clerk and how he plotted to steal a vast amount of gold. Stanley Holloway (who also starred as Eliza's father in My Fair Lady) and Alec Guinness made a wonderful couple. And watch out for the elegant Audrey Hepburn in the first 10 minutes of the movie.

The story unfolded nicely as Alec narrated how he formulated his plan, how he recruited partners to execute his well-thought plan and how, when their plan did go wrong, they improvised. The scene of them chasing after Englsih school girls at the Eiffel Tower in Paris is particularly impressive. It is as if they were flying in the air and laughing their hearts out on a merry-go-round. I kept wondering how modern movies did not make such shots any more. It was funny to see how they persisted in order to succeed. They were like serious school kids who was intent on completing their project by any means. Never did they think of betraying their team members.

With an excellent script, funny characters and a marvellous twist in the end, this movie is not a bit out of date. Love to watch it again soon.