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ComedyCrime

The Ladykillers

- Who was that lady I saw you outwit last night? That was no lady … That was ‘Mum’ Wilberforce, …

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.

Release Date : 1955-12-08

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Ealing StudiosMichael Balcon Productions

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Alec Guinness

Character Name : Professor Marcus

Original Name : Alec Guinness

Gender : Male

Cecil Parker

Character Name : Claude, alias 'Major Courtney'

Original Name : Cecil Parker

Gender : Male

Herbert Lom

Character Name : Louis, alias 'Mr. Harvey'

Original Name : Herbert Lom

Gender : Male

Peter Sellers

Character Name : Harry, alias 'Mr. Robinson'

Original Name : Peter Sellers

Gender : Male

Danny Green

Character Name : 'One-Round', alias 'Mr. Lawson'

Original Name : Danny Green

Gender : Male

Katie Johnson

Character Name : Mrs. Wilberforce

Original Name : Katie Johnson

Gender : Female

Jack Warner

Character Name : The Superintendent

Original Name : Jack Warner

Gender : Male

Philip Stainton

Character Name : The Sergeant

Original Name : Philip Stainton

Gender : Male

Frankie Howerd

Character Name : The Barrow Boy

Original Name : Frankie Howerd

Gender : Male

Madge Brindley

Character Name : Large Lady (uncredited)

Original Name : Madge Brindley

Gender : Female

Hélène Burls

Character Name : Hypatia (uncredited)

Original Name : Hélène Burls

Gender : Male

Kenneth Connor

Character Name : Cab Driver (uncredited)

Original Name : Kenneth Connor

Gender : Male

Michael Corcoran

Character Name : Burglar (uncredited)

Original Name : Michael Corcoran

Gender : Male

Harold Goodwin

Character Name : Parcels Clerk (uncredited)

Original Name : Harold Goodwin

Gender : Male

Fred Griffiths

Character Name : Junk Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Fred Griffiths

Gender : Male

Lucy Griffiths

Character Name : Miss Pringle (uncredited)

Original Name : Lucy Griffiths

Gender : Female

George Hilsdon

Character Name : Security Van Driver (uncredited)

Original Name : George Hilsdon

Gender : Male

Vincent Holman

Character Name : Station Master (uncredited)

Original Name : Vincent Holman

Gender : Male

Stratford Johns

Character Name : Security Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Stratford Johns

Gender : Male

Sam Kydd

Character Name : Second Cab Driver (uncredited)

Original Name : Sam Kydd

Gender : Male

Edie Martin

Character Name : Lettice (uncredited)

Original Name : Edie Martin

Gender : Female

Jack Melford

Character Name : Detective (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Melford

Gender : Male

Arthur Mullard

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Arthur Mullard

Gender : Male

Ewan Roberts

Character Name : Constable (uncredited)

Original Name : Ewan Roberts

Gender : Male

George Roderick

Character Name : Radio Car Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : George Roderick

Gender : Male

John Rudling

Character Name : Nervous Man (uncredited)

Original Name : John Rudling

Gender : Male

Leonard Sharp

Character Name : Pavement Artist (uncredited)

Original Name : Leonard Sharp

Gender : Male

Peter Williams

Character Name : Detective at Parcels Office (uncredited)

Original Name : Peter Williams

Gender : Male

Neil Wilson

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Neil Wilson

Gender : Male

Phoebe Hodgson

Character Name : Constance (uncredited)

Original Name : Phoebe Hodgson

Gender : Male

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-11-14

I always felt that Herbert Lom had a wonderful face for comedy; and here I think he stands out alongside Cecil Parker - always underrated, but who could be relied upon to deliver a standard of comedy haplessness consistently well on screen. Guinness and Sellers are doing what we know they are good at, so I was less impressed by them in this one. Katie Johnson gets many plaudits as "Mrs Wilberforce", though I wonder how much acting she was actually doing? Any interviews I have seen with her seem to suggest she was pretty much playing herself in this slightly more sinister of the Ealing comedies that sees Guinness and his cohorts pretend to be practicing musicians in her rickety old house whilst secretly planning a daring heist that could net them a massive £60,000. What follows is a classy mix of near-misses and precise comedy timing that actually can have you on the edge of your seat at times; but this is not, in my view, as good as the output from the late 40's - it sacrifices some of it's charm and humour to achieve the more ominous tone prevalent over the last half an hour, and I don't quite love that effect. It is a classic nonetheless that well deserves it's recent 4K restoration that brings the colours to life most vividly.

R

r96sk

@r96sk

2024-05-30

A film of real quality! 'The Ladykillers' is amusing viewing. It's style of comedy is very fitting of its era, but I only mean that positively as the slapstick is undoubtedly fun to watch unfold. The cast are all worthy of a mention, though the standouts for me are Alec Guinness, Herbert Lom and Katie Johnson. The flick looks splendid too, love the set of Wilberforce's home. Entertainment from start to finish, ya can't ask for more than that.