Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #29652 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-06-21
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 87 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Although you never really fear for Mrs "lop-sided" Wilberforce or General Gordon (her parrot) in The Ladykillers, the criminal gang who come to stay are clearly dangerous. Alec Guinness is extraordinary as the buck-toothed mastermind, and once the hijacked lolly is stowed in their digs it's a joy to watch him scheme to eliminate the other crooks and abscond with it all. Herbert Lom's thuggishness, Peter Seller's nervy twitching, and Danny Green's lumbering cloddishness are a treat, but are wickedly done away with one by one under cover of locomotive smoke plumes. So many set-pieces make this a classic: sending the landlady to collect the stolen money at the station, Frankie Howerd's boisterous fruit seller cameo, and keeping alive the idea that the gang's a musical troupe with a penchant for Boccherini and Haydn. Some inspired set design and camera work even add an expressionistic quality. --Paul Tonks

Synopsis
THE LADYKILLERS, director Alexander Mackendrick's third Ealing farce, is the final comedy produced by the famous studio and one of its most celebrated. Alec Guinness stars as the superbly shifty, toothily threatening Professor Marcus, the leader of a crime ring planning a heist. Marcus rents rooms from a sweet, eccentric old lady, Mrs. Wilberforce (Katie Johnson), in her crooked London house. The professor and his co-conspirators, blowhard Major Courtney (Cecil Parker), creepily suave Louis (Herbert Lom), chubby Harry (Peter Sellers), and muscleman One-Round (Danny Green), pose as an unlikely string quartet using the rooms for rehearsal. Dodging Mrs. Wilberforce's constant interruptions, the hoods hit upon the idea to use her in the daring daylight robbery (filmed in and around London's Kings Cross station). When the old girl discovers the truth, Marcus and company cannot persuade her to stay buttoned up about it and thus decide to do her in.

Customer Reviews

A classic Ealing Comedy
A top Ealing comedy, with genuinely dark moments.
Alec Guinness doing a sly Alistair Simm impression. Listen for the parrot squawking
"...---...SOS" as The Professor approaches the door! The 'gang' make an interesting set of stereotypes, with 'one-round', the simplest and least capable of rationalising, being most easily converted my Mrs Wilberforce's rectitude, and sweetly calling her Mum. Peter Sellers' teddyboy's panic-stricken cry as One-Round chases him is really dark. The characterisation of Mrs Wilberforce is wonderful. I have known such ladies.

Tea, buns and murder
"The Ladykillers" has stood up well to the ravages of time and although I have not seen the recent Hollywood remake , I am sure this original is much better. The film is sinister, atmospheric yet humourous; the criminal gang never really appear menacing despite their malevolent intentions towards their elderly landlady ,Mrs Wilberforce, with Alec Guinness playing the leading role as a criminal mastermind who,as part of his cunning plan,deliberately makes the old lady an unwitting accessory to a large robbery. I liked the film primarily because of it's unusual plot, rich characterisation and excellent acting. However the atmospheric locations also help to make "The Ladykillers" a memorable film ,especially Mrs Wilberforce's wonderful subsiding house perched high above a busy railway line. The presence of steam trains in the film is not only central to the plot ,but also helps to create a sense of motion, danger and uncertainty and adds significantly to the charm and attractiveness of this entertaining black comedy.

A Classic Ealing Comedy!
You can tell just by looking at the front cover of this film with the five peculiar faces of the 'ladykillers' themelves, that its going to be a winner, and when you start watching it, this first thought is confirmed.

'The Ladykillers', a classic ealing comedy from the 1950's is basically about a old lady called Mrs Wilberforce, who's husband has died and she now lives with her parrot called General Gordon in a big old house in London. Then one day her advertisment in the local newsagents for a lodger is answered by Proffessor Marcus a very strange man who rents the room and asks if his music group can have their meetings their. Mrs Wilberforce who loves music agrees and soon the rest of the group arrive with their instrument cases. Like Proffessor Marcus they are a peculiar bunch however Mrs Wilberforce is just happy to have some company and so the group go off upstairs to play their music.

We soon realise that they are not a group of musicians at all and i guess most people had their supicions when they came through the door. In fact their real purpose in staying with Mrs Wilberforce is to plan a robbery which they carry out successfully, and send Mrs Wilberforce to go and collect the money from the train station so that it doesn't look at all suspicous. Eventually though, Mrs Wilberforce finds out what has happened and threatens to go to the police, and the gang realise that she has to be stopped draw straws on who is going to kill her....

The gang of criminals are a very sterotypical bunch; the big muscular one where its a shame he didn't have half as much brain as he does biceps; the smart crafty one who plans the whole thing; the devious one who is only in it for himself and will betray the other if he has to. You get the idea.

All the actors playing the five criminals were really on top form; Alec Guiness as Proffessor Marcus; Cecil Parker as Claude (a.k.a. Major Courtney); Herbert Lom as Louis (a.k.a. Mr. Harvey); Peter Sellers as Harry (a.k.a. Mr. Robinson); and Danny Green as the tough One-Round (a.k.a. Mr. Lawson). One-Round's nickname coming from the fact that no one every lasted one round in the ring with him.

Over time 'The Ladykillers' really has become a true classic and when you watch it you can see exactly why its still alive and just as funny today as it was back in 1955. A really funny film that will entertain everyone and make even the most serious people laugh, becuase believe me it really is that funny.