Very possibly the best thing to come out of the Ealing Studios. This sardonic gem ranks up with Casino Royale as one of the Perfect Storms of British comedy, and fifty years after it was released, it inspired a much less funny big-budget Hollywood remake (in which Tom Hanks showed us he's no Sir Alec Guinness).
I bring up the contrast between Tom Hanks and Alec Guinness because it's central to why the Ealing Studios, modest-budget British original production is so much better than its 21st century remake. Alec Guinness plays a low-key, understated fake British professor and amateur criminal kingpin and still manages to be funnier than Tom Hanks' over-the-top, wildly over-acted caricature of a caricature of a "professor" from the Southern US.
Guinness's deft comedic touch demonstrates his versatility as an actor - very careful asides by modern cinematic standards (British or American) distinguish his performance and contribute to the classic character of the original version of Ladykillers. Guinness's use of subtle incongruities in his character's persona do the comedic work, in contrast to the other characters' enjoyably absurd dialogue and the slapstick which winds through the plot.
Herbert Lom and the other actors portraying the "musicians" of the gang all pull their oars, delivering professional and hilarious performances (and again, much less over-the-top than the modern, American interpretation of the film).
Without spoiling the movie for anyone, I can say that the comedic timing and (for the time and technology) good production values are spot on, and this film's reputation as a classic of dark comedy is wholly deserved. This is one of the movies people should study before setting out to film comedy.
I bring up the contrast between Tom Hanks and Alec Guinness because it's central to why the Ealing Studios, modest-budget British original production is so much better than its 21st century remake. Alec Guinness plays a low-key, understated fake British professor and amateur criminal kingpin and still manages to be funnier than Tom Hanks' over-the-top, wildly over-acted caricature of a caricature of a "professor" from the Southern US.
Guinness's deft comedic touch demonstrates his versatility as an actor - very careful asides by modern cinematic standards (British or American) distinguish his performance and contribute to the classic character of the original version of Ladykillers. Guinness's use of subtle incongruities in his character's persona do the comedic work, in contrast to the other characters' enjoyably absurd dialogue and the slapstick which winds through the plot.
Herbert Lom and the other actors portraying the "musicians" of the gang all pull their oars, delivering professional and hilarious performances (and again, much less over-the-top than the modern, American interpretation of the film).
Without spoiling the movie for anyone, I can say that the comedic timing and (for the time and technology) good production values are spot on, and this film's reputation as a classic of dark comedy is wholly deserved. This is one of the movies people should study before setting out to film comedy.