The Ladykillers (1955)

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

Director:

Alexander Mackendrick

Writers:

William Rose (story), William Rose (screenplay)

Stars:

Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, Cecil Parker

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited 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 - Mrs. Wilberforce
Philip Stainton	...	The Sergeant
Frankie Howerd	...	The Barrow Boy

Storyline

A gang planning a 'job' find themselves living with a little old lady, who thinks they are musicians. When the gang set out to kill Mrs Wilberforce, they run into one problem after another, and they get what they deserve.

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Plot Keywords:

poetic justice | bank robbery | old lady | string quintet | caper | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Opening credits: The events and characters portrayed in this film are fictitious.

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Goofs

When the Professor and Louis are fighting on wasteland towards the end of the film, a 'white-shirted' man can be seen watching the action from a warehouse window in the distance. Moments later when shot from a different angle, the man is gone.

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Quotes

[At the police station]
Junk Man: And it's a brown horse, eleven years old, and answers to the name of Dennis.

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Crazy Credits

During the opening credits, roses are shown, to highlight the fact that William Rose wrote the screenplay.

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Connections

Referenced in Pretty Little Liars: The Lady Killer (2012)

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Soundtracks

Silver Threads Among The Gold
(1873)
Music by H.P. Danks
Lyrics by Eben E. Rexford
(played and sung in the parlour of Mrs. Wilberforce's house)

User Reviews

Brilliant. Absolutely Brilliant.

Where did they dig up Katie Johnson? How she balances the act of a sweet old lady who is respected yet still patronized with the toughness of a strong woman who upholds justice is a joy to watch. All the while completely unawares of the true danger surrounding her. Her performance is simply great and side-splittingly funny. The rest of the cast display their usual talents, particularly the fumbling of Cecil Parker and the mean looking Herbert Lom. It's also interesting to see a very young Peter Sellers who would soon hit his stride a few years later. The dark lighting and moody scenes are perfect for this comedy and are very typical of British films of the era, so the look is familiar right away as you begin to watch. The "Tea Party" scene is just a riot. Odd to see so many negative comments on the film - it's one of if not the best Ealing film and deservedly regarded as one the best comedies of all time. They just dont make them like this anymore.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 February 1956 (Belgium)

Also Known As:

The Ladykillers

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ealing Studios, Michael Balcon Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Colour by) (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1