Sir Alec Guinness is best known for his iconic role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars trilogy, which he, ironically, considered among the personally least favoured roles in his illustrious career. Prior to this, Guinness was renowned for his supporting roles in David Lean's epic films and, even earlier, for the exceptional comedic talent he showcased in the famous post-WW2 Ealing comedies. One of the most revered of these films is the 1955 classic, The Ladykillers, directed by Alexander Mackendrick.
The plot deals with Mrs Louisa Wilberforce (played by Katie Johnson), an elderly widow who lives near railway lines in the London district of King’s Cross. After putting some of her rooms up for rent, she is approached by Professor Marcus (played by Alec Guinness), a sinister-looking but well-spoken man who takes lodging but also asks whether she would allow four of his friends, who are amateur classical musicians, to practise. The unsuspecting old lady agrees, not knowing that Marcus is actually the leader of a criminal gang and wants to use her house to plan and execute a daring robbery of a security van. Marcus even convinces Mrs Wilberforce to, albeit unknowingly, take part in the robbery by allowing the loot to be carried into her house. The plan works until the moment Mrs Wilberforce discovers the ruse. The gang members are now convinced that she has to be permanently silenced, but before they decide how to do it, they begin turning against each other.
Interestingly, The Ladykillers was one of the last Ealing comedies and was produced during the time when the Ealing Studios were sold to the BBC. This film was also the last British film for director Alexander Mackendrick, who brought the perceptive script by American expatriate William Rose to life. While the film may start off slowly, requiring some patience from modern audiences, it gradually picks up pace and maintains its tempo until the very end, concluding within a runtime of just over an hour and a half. Rose's script masterfully builds humour on the contrast between the characters' efforts to maintain the proper appearances and polite manners of the British middle class and their criminal and later murderous intentions. The film relies heavily on verbal wit and British humour, which truly shines during the frantic climax.
Although mostly shot in studios, The Ladykillers does feature some exterior shots of King's Cross and other London locations that went through extensive construction and renovation in subsequent decades. This makes the film an important document of 1950s London and a valuable reference point for future historians.
Ironically, it is Guinness who, despite his incredible talent, proves to be the weakest link in the film. This is not due to his performance but rather a single unfortunate creative decision. The role of Professor Marcus was initially intended for Alistair Sim, but he was unavailable. Guinness, brought in as a replacement, reportedly tried to pay homage to his colleague by adopting Sim's appearance through false teeth and heavy makeup. The result is unsettling, making Marcus appear more like the vampire Nosferatu than a realistic character.
The supporting cast, however, is superb, with standout performances from Cecil Parker as the con man Major Courtney, Herbert Lom as the sinister-looking gangster Louis Harvey, and Danny Green as the half-demented former boxer "One Round" Lawson. Peter Sellers, who would later become a renowned comedian (thanks to films about Inspector Clouseau, in which Lom plays the protagonist’s frustrated boss Chief Inspector Dreyfus), appears in his first screen role as the young criminal Harry Robinson, although his performance is not particularly memorable due to an underwritten role and a lack of experience.
Katie Johnson, an experienced actress who mostly played bit roles in British films, shines at the age of 76 in her final starring role as Mrs Wilberforce. Her portrayal of the slightly eccentric, naïve, yet good-hearted old lady easily wins over the audience's sympathies. Sadly, this was her penultimate film, which she completed just two years before her death.
The Ladykillers was a commercial success and received favourable reviews from critics. It has since been recognised as one of the classics of national cinema by British film historians. Unsurprisingly, the film has been remade twice – in 1969 as the Egyptian film Thieves but Funny, and more infamously in 2004 as an eponymous film directed by the Coen brothers, which is often considered one of their biggest failures. The original 1955 version of The Ladykillers remains a timeless classic that continues to entertain and delight audiences to this day.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
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