Customer Reviews

Ladykillers [VHS]

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4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

A comedy from another place and another time, that right now seems so long ago and far away, "The Ladykillers," directed by Alexander Mackendrick, stars Alec Guinness, Cecil Parker, Peter Sellers and Herbert Lom, and stands as a perfect example of how charming, delightful, civilized and yes, "funny," a film can be when approached with intelligence and respect for the audience. Guinness plays Professor Marcus, who puts together a gang to pull off the "perfect" robbery he has concocted. But, as it always is with all things "perfect," it quickly goes awry for the gang, thanks to the involvement of an old lady (Katie Johnson), in whose house Marcus has taken rooms. And as the situation in which the gang finds themselves escalates as they try to put things to rights, the audience is treated to an exemplary piece of truly humorous and memorable cinema. Guinness anchors the farce with a superb characterization (even to altering his appearance with false teeth) of the Professor. It's a prime example of just how great a character actor Guinness was; as in all of his films, he creates a total character of Marcus, inside and out, beginning with the attitude and right on down to the smallest details that many actors would deem insignificant. There is a studied consistency he maintains throughout the film that would stand up to the closest scrutiny; it is not by accident that he is considered by many to be one of greatest actors of our times. And how great to see the youthful Peter Sellers in one of his earliest roles. Watch closely and you can see traces of the unique mannerisms that would mark his career; the slight hesitations, the inward, subtle consideration of the status quo and the sense he conveys in a split second that Murphy's Law is about to go into effect. He makes Harry, a member of the hapless gang, a memorable character. Herbert Lom (as Louis, in this precursor to his pairing with Sellers some twenty years later in the "Pink Panther" movies), Parker (Major Courtney) and Danny Green (One-Round) round out the gang, the likes of which you have never seen before, nor in all probability will ever see again, because-- as the saying goes-- they just don't make `em like this any more. The supporting cast includes Jack Warner (The Superintendent), Philip Stainton (Sergeant), Kenneth Connor (Cab Driver) and Ewan Roberts (Constable). Clever and sophisticated, "The Ladykillers" is a testimony to just how grand and uplifting comedy can be, without resorting to the gross and often unpalatable "humor" upon which so many of today's contemporary comedies seem to depend. Not to say that today's comedies are no good; it's just that they so often lack the esteem and the "humanity"-- not to mention the longevity-- which lends itself to a film such as this one. Movies like this will be around long after most of the addle-brained Saturday Night Live induced fare is gone and forgotten. With the added bonus of having Guinness and Sellers together, this is a true classic in every sense of the word. This is what the magic of the movies is really all about.

"The Ladykillers" is regarded as the last of the great Ealing comedies and another macabre black comedy in the style of "Kind Hearts and Coronets." However, I had picked up the film because it had both Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers and was therefore rather surprised that the one doing all the scene stealing is Katie Johnson as Mrs. Wilberforce, a sweet little old lady who makes it a daily practice to go round to the local constable's station each day to keep them apprised on what is happening in the neighborhood. Guinness plays Professor Marcus, a criminal mastermind who plans on duping Mrs. Wilberforce into being an unwitting member of his gang, who are going to rob a armored car. As a cover, he tells the old lady that they are a string quartet, and they play the same record over and over again while they develop their scheme. When Mrs. Wilberforce repeatedly arrives to offer tea, coffee, or any other comfort that comes to mind, the criminals all stand around uncomfortably holding their instruments and try to make small talk.

The gang has all of your standard criminal types. Danny Green is the gentle giant, One-Round (a.k.a. Mr. Lawson), Cecily Parker is the old army chap Claude (a.k.a. Major Courtney), Herbert Lom is the cold-hearted killer Louis (a.k.a. Mr. Harvey), and Sellers is the young rouge Harry (a.k.a. Mr. Robinson). However, the ironic point of this 1955 black comedy is that together they are no match for Mrs. Wilberforce. The heist goes off without a hitch, that is to say until Mrs. Wilberforce plays her unwitting role in the proceedings. What follows is like the old Chinese finger torture, where the more things work for the gang the worst off they get as the little old lady thwarts their plans without even trying. Eventually even Mrs. Wilberforce is able to add up things enough to become a liability. Then the criminals make the biggest mistake of all: they draw lots to see who has to do the old lady in. The idea that Guinness, Sellars, and the rest of the gang could be reduced to minor roles by a little old lady is astounding, but that is the precise irony that makes "The Ladykillers" a classic.

Years ago, before the networks realized there was a late night culture that could be exploited with mindless extreme sports and shopping channels, you could find classic British films like this one on TV in the wee hours. This film is a must-see for Anglophiles, along with School For Scoundrels, Whisky Galore, and Kind Hearts and Coronets. Star Wars fans should see this, if only to understand why Alec Guinness was able to become Obi Wan so effortlessly, his skill as an actor was already finely honed at the time of this great film. And today's film writers should study it to gain an insight into the proper way to put a real twist on the end of a film.

I recently purchased The Horse's Mouth (1958) from Amazon as well as "The Alec Guinness Collection" which includes The Ladykillers (1955) plus four others: The Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), The Man in the White Suit (1951), The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), and The Captain's Paradise (1953). Frankly, I was amazed how well each of the six films has held up since I first saw it.

For me, the most memorable performance in this film is provided by Katie Johnson as Mrs. Louisa Alexandra Wilberforce who rents a flat to Professor Marcus (Guinness) and his companions. The plot such as it is involves their theft of 60,000 pounds and subsequent efforts to remove it from a locker they have rented to store it temporarily. For about half of this film, brilliantly directed by Alexander Mackendrick (who also directed Guinness in The Man in the White Suit, 1951), Mrs. Wilberforce believes that Marcus and his friends are honest citizens and amateur musicians. When she learns that they are thieves, her first concern is not for her personal safety (which is never in doubt, anyway) but to return "the lolly" to its rightful owners. Complications include her elderly friends who appreciatively swarm around the Marcus group during a hilarious afternoon tea party. One development of special interest to me is the fact that, except for the psychopath Louis Harvey (Lom), the thieves do not want Mrs. Wilberforce harmed in any way and begin to feel protective toward her. This proves to be significant as the plot proceeds gracefully to a conclusion I did not anticipate.

Given the number of deaths which occur in this film, it seems inappropriate to describe it as "charming" and "delightful" but it is nonetheless. For that, I give most of the credit to the performance by Katie Johnson under Mackendrick's direction and with the strong support of Guinness who obviously defers to her prominence in so many important scenes. The supporting cast is first-rate. Yes, that really is a very young Peter Sellers in the role of Harry Robinson who is given relatively little to say and do. Danny Green is excellent as One Round, providing the muscle needed to complete the plan devised by the group's brain, Marcus.

For these and other reasons, this is my favorite among the five films in "The Alec Guinness Collection."

This British comedy is very funny. Alec Guinness is perhaps the funniest character in the film, especially with his funny teeth and the way he talks. Peter Sellers and the rest of the characters are also good, although Sellers is not that involved in the film. There is a hilarious scene with a few of the characters trying to rescue a bird. I definitely recommend it, although be wary that you may have trouble finding a good copy without something wrong with it (such as white streaks or a picture that shakes periodically). I bought this film a few weeks ago, and the first 3 copies I have gotten have been defective, but I have faith that the next one will be okay.

One of the best (and last) of the Ealing comedies, it stars Alec Guinness as Professor Marcus, leader of a gang of thieves who use an unsuspecting dotty old lady (Katie Johnson) as part of their scheme in a robbery. It's her house that they use to mastermind the robbery, and though she may be oblivious to the real world around her, Johnson is certainly mistress of her domain and unwittingly brings the criminals down. The "gang" poses as a string quintet and when by accident Johnson discovers the robbery money in a cello case, they decide to bump her off. Fat chance: they end up disposing of each other. The movie is hilarious and dark at the same time, and Johnson is just terrific as Mrs. Wilberforce. Definitely worth a watch.

It must have been great fun to make this film. In watching it I can certainly see how Hanks must've thought it'd be great fun to do it himself, although by all accounts the remake is a flop I've not seen it and, having now seen the original, I don't care to; this one is just perfect as it is.

Alec Guinness stars as a criminal mastermind with a questionable mental state and some of the worst teeth you've ever seen. He plays the slimy Professor in all his retentive glory. Peter Sellers & Herbert Lom, well known as Inspector Clouseau & Chief Inspector Dreyfuss of the Pink Panther films, are excellent here too, Sellers as a pre-60s "mod" young man in one of his first featured roles and Lom as a paranoid murderer. The gang is rounded out with a couple of lesser known actors who are absolutely brilliant as One Round, the dim-witted muscle man with a heart of gold and the sophisticated Major.

But the lady at the heart of it all trumps the whole cast. Sweet little Mrs. Wilberforce (Katie Johnson) was a scene-stealer of the first degree in this film, and I've not seen here in anything else but would love to. She's the kind of little old lady you want to spend time with just because she's so deeply sweet you hope it rubs off on you...but she's no gullible caricature, and she sets things to right and has a happy ending.

And it's all absolutely hilarious and brilliant, watching this gang's perfect robbery derailed by the humanity of those involved. A charming, riotously funny movie that's worth watching repeatedly. It just doesn't get much better than "The Ladykillers."

From the moment of Professor Marcus' frightful grimace in the door, and his utterance of "I understand you have rooms for rent" to the permanently bewildered Mrs Wilburforce, one senses that some priceless comic shenanigans are afoot, and this proves the case. 'The Ladykillers', a fifties Ealing yarn about a group of thieves who involve an elderly lady in an armed robbery with disastrous results is as fresh and funny as it ever was. Herbert Lom, Peter Sellers and of course Alec Guinness in his memorable incarnation are all in fine form, and the nonsense has lost none of its charm through the years. The DVD restoration is magnificent, particularly in its resolution of the colour problems seen in old VHS releases.

This is just a short remark about one of the great British classic films. Note that the Blu-ray release is processed in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio. The regular DVD release is processed to the anamorphic 1.78:1 (from 1.66:1) aspect ratio which was the original release intent [...]. I like the details and color on the Blu-ray DVD but the regular DVD is better suited for wide screen TVs. The 1.66:1 ratio is a matted format so that you do lose a slight bit of the frame on the top and bottom as compared to 1.33:1. However the 1.66:1 ratio was that which the cinematographer and director had in mind when this Ealing classic was filmed. There are many extras on the disc.

The original classic that the Tom Hanks film is based on. Miss Wilberforce is a force to be reckoned with, or at least avoided. This is apparent in the opening scene when her mere presence sends an infant into hysterics. Her busybody attitude at the police station gives the viewer an idea of what to expect of her. But while the viewer suspect, The Professor (Alec Guinness) is not privy to that information.

Guinness is the mastermind behind a robbery and he has signed up as a lodger at the Wilberforce home. There he meets with his partners while posing as musicians. But while the caper is pulled off the real trials begin. The thieves must deal with each other and the ever-present and meddlesome Wilberforce as mistrust builds rapidly and secrets get harder to hide. Tempers flare and more crimes need to be committed to keep the theft secret until the final conclusion.

This is black comedy at its best. Miss Wilberforce is an almost delight as she seems to move unscathed and uninformed through the machinations of the thieves. Her actions in the opening and closing scene are priceless classics and no remake could recapture the feeling. A must see for any fan of Alec Guinness or of black comedy in general. Although filmed in color, the railway yard scenes are as black as if they had been filmed in black and white. Check it out.