The Ladykillers (1955)

Director:

Alexander Mackendrick

Writers:

William Rose (story)
William Rose (screenplay)

Release Date:

December 1955 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Meet "The Unholy Five"...The Most Befuddled Set of Assorted Thugs That Ever Fouled Up a Million Dollar Bank Robbery!!

Plot:

Five diverse oddball criminal types planning a bank robbery rent rooms on a cul-de-sac from an octogenarian widow under the pretext that they are classical musicians.

Plot Keywords:

Widow | Planning | Criminal | Octogenarian | Bank Robbery

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Alec Guinness	...	Professor Marcus
Cecil Parker	...	Claude (a.k.a. 'Major Courtney')
Herbert Lom	...	Louis (a.k.a. 'Mr. Harvey')
Peter Sellers	...	Harry (a.k.a. 'Mr. Robinson')
Danny Green	...	One-Round (a.k.a. 'Mr. Lawson')
Jack Warner	...	The Superintendent
Katie Johnson	...	The Old Lady
Philip Stainton	...	The Sergeant
Frankie Howerd	...	The Barrow Boy

Also Known As:

The Lady Killers

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:G | Sweden:11 (1975 re-rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 (original rating) | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Argyle Street, St. Pancras, London, England, UK

Company:

Ealing Studios

Trivia:

The picture of Mrs. Wilberforce's late husband above the fireplace is actually a painting of Alec Guinness in his role as "The Admiral" in the earlier Ealing Studios comedy, Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949). Also, Mrs. Wilberforce's husband died when he "remained at the salute on the bridge" when his boat was going down, the same way Guinness died as The Admiral in "Kind Hearts and Coronets".

Goofs:

Continuity: During the parrot chase scene, Mr Lawson is seen to fall over breaking the chair he is stuck in. Immediately after Mr Harvey breaks the gramophone record the same shot is reused and Mr Lawson apparently falls over breaking the same chair for a second time.

Quotes:

Mrs. Louisa Wilberforce: ...May I ask you where you studied?
One-Round: ...Well, I didn't really study any place, Lady... I just sort of... picked it up.
Mrs. Louisa Wilberforce: You know, I was so surprised when I heard what you were playing. It brought back something that, really, I'd completely forgotten all about: my 21st birthday party. You see, my father had engaged a string quintet to come in and play in the evening; and while they were playing Boccherini, someone came in and said the old queen had passed away. And everyone went home. And that was the end of my party, all that time ago, in Pembroke.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 50 Greatest Comedy Films (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Music

Superlative

I won't go on about this, but I think this is one of the funniest comedies I've ever watched. So did my ten-year-old, with whom I've watched it many times on tape. I say "one of the funniest" deliberately because this is about as good as it gets, and other comedies have reached that same asymptotic height -- "Dr. Strangelove," for instance, or "Some Like it Hot," -- but none have, or is ever likely to, exceed it.

Most of what can be said about this Ealing Comedy has already been said and I won't repeat it. I will add, however, one generally overlooked point. The principal cockatoo, "General Gordon," sees Professor Marcus's shadow on the door and squawks "SOS" in Morse code.

If you feel yourself falling into a funk, this is the one to watch. Well, okay, it's the one to watch anyway. A non parreille, light years better than my spelling of French.