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poster of The Ladykillers
Rating: 7.3/10 by 463 users

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.

Directing:
  • Alexander Mackendrick
  • Tom Pevsner
  • Felicia Manheim
Writing:
  • William Rose
  • Jimmy O'Connor
  • William Rose
Stars:
Release Date: Thu, Dec 08, 1955

Rating: 7.3/10 by 463 users

Alternative Title:
Tueurs de dames - FR
El quinteto de la muerte - ES
El Quinteto de la Muerte - SV
Η συμμορία των 5 - GR
贵妇杀手 - CN
老妇杀手团 - CN

Country:
United Kingdom
Language:
English
Runtime: 01 hour 31 minutes
Budget: $0
Revenue: $0

Plot Keyword: widow, dark comedy, parrot, gang of thieves, money, criminal, old lady, landlady, planning, steam locomotive, octogenarian, quintet, armored van robbery, rented rooms, bumbling crooks
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Alec Guinness
Professor Marcus
Cecil Parker
Claude, alias 'Major Courtney'
Herbert Lom
Louis, alias 'Mr. Harvey'
Peter Sellers
Harry, alias 'Mr. Robinson'
Danny Green
'One-Round', alias 'Mr. Lawson'
Katie Johnson
Mrs. Wilberforce
Jack Warner
The Superintendent
Philip Stainton
The Sergeant
Frankie Howerd
The Barrow Boy
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)
George Hilsdon
Security Van Driver (uncredited)
Vincent Holman
Station Master (uncredited)
Stratford Johns
Security Guard (uncredited)
Sam Kydd
Second Cab Driver (uncredited)
Edie Martin
Lettice (uncredited)
Jack Melford
Detective (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)
Phoebe Hodgson
Constance (uncredited)

CinemaSerf

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.

r96sk

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.


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