The Ladykillers (1955)

Director:

Alexander Mackendrick

Writers:

William Rose (story)
William Rose (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

December 1955 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Widow | Planning | Criminal | Octogenarian | Bank Robbery

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

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
Philip Stainton	...	The Sergeant
Frankie Howerd	...	The Barrow Boy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Madge Brindley	...	Large Lady (uncredited)
Hélène Burls	...	Hypatia (uncredited)
Kenneth Connor	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Michael Corcoran	...	Burglar (uncredited)
Harold Goodwin	...	Parcels Clerk (uncredited)
Fred Griffiths	...	Junk Man (uncredited)
Lucy Griffiths	...	Miss Pringle (uncredited)
Phoebe Hodgson	...	Constance (uncredited)
Vincent Holman	...	Station Master (uncredited)
Stratford Johns	...	Security Guard (uncredited)
Evelyn Kerry	...	Amelia (uncredited)
Sam Kydd	...	Second Cab Driver (uncredited)
Edie Martin	...	Lettice (uncredited)
Jack Melford	...	Detective (uncredited)
Robert Moore	...	Constable (uncredited)
Arthur Mullard	...	(uncredited)
Ewan Roberts	...	Constable (uncredited)
George Roderick	...	Radio Car Policeman (uncredited)
John Rudling	...	Nervous Man (uncredited)
Leonard Sharp	...	Pavement Artist (uncredited)
Peter Williams	...	Detective at Parcels Office (uncredited)
Neil Wilson	...	Policeman (uncredited)

Directed by
Alexander Mackendrick

Writing credits
William Rose		(story)
William Rose		(screenplay)
Jimmy O'Connor		uncredited

Produced by
Seth Holt	....	associate producer
Michael Balcon	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Tristram Cary

Cinematography by
Otto Heller		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Jack Harris

Art Direction by
Jim Morahan

Costume Design by
Anthony Mendleson

Makeup Department
Alex Garfath	....	makeup artist
Daphne Martin	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Hal Mason	....	production supervisor
David Peers	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tom Pevsner	....	assistant director
Michael Birkett	....	third assistant director (uncredited)
John Meadows	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
W. Simpson Robinson	....	scenic artist
Bert Davey	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Jack Shampan	....	draughtsman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Stephen Dalby	....	sound supervisor (as Steven Dalby)
Gordon Stone	....	sound editor
Leo Wilkins	....	sound recordist
Harry Fairbairn	....	sound assistant (uncredited)
Don Wortham	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Sydney Pearson	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Chic Waterson	....	camera operator (as Chick Waterson)
Alan Bryce	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
Ray Parslow	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Herbert Smith	....	focus puller (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Harry Aldous	....	assistant editor
Jim Clark	....	second assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Dock Mathieson	....	conductor

Other crew
Joan Bridge	....	technicolor colour consultant
Felicia Manheim	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Ealing Studios (as An Ealing Studios Michael Balcon Production)

Distributors

• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1955) (UK) (theatrical) (released through)
• Continental Distributing (1956) (USA) (theatrical)
• Parvisfilmi (1956) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1969) (Finland) (TV) (1978) (1989) (2000) (TV1)
• Kamras Film Agency (1973) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1976) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1994) (Finland) (TV)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Studio Canal (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Crest National  DVD
• Sinfonia of London  music played by (as the Sinfonia of London)

Also Known As:

The Lady Killers

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:G | Sweden:11 (1975 re-rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 (original rating) | UK:U

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Ealing Studios

Trivia:

Richard Attenborough was originally considered for the role of Harry, by director Alexander Mackendrick.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: From the street in front of Mrs. Wilberforce's house, the front of St. Pancras station is visible, placing the house south of the station. No tracks leave St. Pancras or the adjacent King's Cross station in that direction, so the house could not be adjacent to a tunnel as depicted (see trivia entry).

Quotes:

[last lines]
The Superintendent: [as she is leaving, the superintendent follows her out with her umbrella] Mrs. Wilberforce, wait! Just a moment!
[Holding out the umbrella]
The Superintendent: You forgot it, mum.
Mrs. Louisa Wilberforce: [Reaches for it, then changes her mind] Oh. Oh, no I don't think I want it. I never liked it. Now I can buy a dozen new ones.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Unknown Peter Sellers (2000) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Music

Superlative

I won't go on about this, but I think this is one of the funniest comedies I've ever watched. So did my ten-year-old, with whom I've watched it many times on tape. I say "one of the funniest" deliberately because this is about as good as it gets, and other comedies have reached that same asymptotic height -- "Dr. Strangelove," for instance, or "Some Like it Hot," -- but none have, or is ever likely to, exceed it.

Most of what can be said about this Ealing Comedy has already been said and I won't repeat it. I will add, however, one generally overlooked point. The principal cockatoo, "General Gordon," sees Professor Marcus's shadow on the door and squawks "SOS" in Morse code.

If you feel yourself falling into a funk, this is the one to watch. Well, okay, it's the one to watch anyway. A non parreille, light years better than my spelling of French.