The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)

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.

Director:

Charles Crichton

Writer:

T.E.B. Clarke (original screenplay)

Stars:

Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway, Sid James

Won 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Holland, a shy retiring man, dreams of being rich and living the good life. Faithfully, for 20 years, he has worked as a bank transfer agent for the delivery of gold bullion. One day he befriends Pendlebury, a maker of souvenirs. Holland remarks that, with Pendlebury's smelting equipment, one could forge the gold into harmless-looking toy Eiffel Towers and smuggle the gold from England into France. Soon after, the two plant a story to gain the services of professional criminals Lackery and Shorty. Together, the four plot their crime, leading to unexpected twists and turns.

---

Plot Keywords:

gold | bank | france | souvenir | gold shipment | 

---

Taglines:

The men who broke the bank - and lost the cargo!

---

Genres:

Comedy | Crime

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English French Portuguese

Release Date:

10 September 1951 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

De l'or en barres

Filming Locations:

Bank Underground Station, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

J. Arthur Rank Organisation, Ealing Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

T.E.B. Clarke was originally meant to do a sequel to the popular police drama, The Blue Lamp, but he quickly decided he'd much rather write a comedy instead.

---

Goofs

During the chase, the license plate on the armored truck is LKL238. The police officer correctly reports the license plate as LKL238. However, when the dispatcher repeats the license plate, he says LKL638.

---

Quotes

Pendlebury: Run. Run, Dutch. Run.

---

Connections

Referenced in Batman: Louie's Lethal Lilac Time (1968)

---

Soundtracks

"The Eton Boating Song"
(1863) (uncredited)
Music by Algernon Drummond
Lyrics by William Johnson

User Reviews

Breaking the bank

This is a comedy the talented Alec Guinnes did for the Ealing studio in the early part of his career. Of his Ealing days, he left us a legacy that is hard to surpass: "Kind Hearts and Coronets", "The Ladykillers" and this one, that comes to mind.

Directed by Charles Crichton and written by T.E. Clarke, this is a fun movie that in spite of the years since it was filmed, it still charms its audiences, young and old.

The background is a London, right after the war. The film is original in that it takes us all over the city to places that one can identify so clearly, even after more than 50 years! It speaks of how careful are the English not to destroy their monuments.

As the would be robbers, Henry "Dutch" Holland is a man with a plan. He recognizes in his neighbor of the Lavender Hill rooming house, Alfred Pendlebury, a kindred soul that will see his proposal of how to steal the precious gold bullion from the Bank of England. It's a big operation, yet, only four people are needed to carry on the job.

This is a comedy of errors, where the best laid plans go awry in the small details the gang hadn't planned. The sure thing becomes a dead giveaway to the authorities once Holland and Pendlebury decide to go after the souvenir one young student bought in Paris that is part of the loot. Prior to that, the scenes in Paris at the Eiffel Tower was an original sequence for a movie that relies on intelligence rather than in overblown special effects.

Alec Guinness is charming as the master mind behind the heist. Stanley Holloway, a great English actor is magnificent as the man with an artistic eye, who almost derails the operation. Sid James and Alfie Bass contribute to make the film the joy it is with their comic presence. In a small cameo that comes and goes so quickly, we watch a young and elegant Audrey Hepburn makes an graceful appearance.

This is a film for all Ealing fans of all ages.