Alec Guinness strikes again with his fantastic acting prowess in another Ealing comedy, The Ladykillers. The 1955 film directed by Alexander Mackendrick pins Guinness along with Cecil Parker, Herbert Lom, Peter Sellers, and Danny Green as a group of criminals posing as a quintet to attain board that is to become their headquarters while staying under the radar. In what the quintet believe will be an easy match in the elder woman they have chosen to rent the room from, they quickly realize they are the ones being played for fools.
In desperate need of a hideout and headquarters for a heist, he is planning, Professor Marcus (Alec Guinness) thinks he has struck gold when he sees an elderly woman who has a room for rent. Professor Marcus thinks planning around an elderly unsuspecting woman will be an easy task so he rents the room and introduces his cohorts Major Courtney (Cecil Parker), Mr. Harvey (Herbert Lom), Mr. Robinson (Peter Sellers), and Mr. Lawson (Danny Green) to his border Mrs. Wilberforce (Katie Johnson). They believe they have her convinced that they will be using the room to practice their quintet. As they advance their plans to rob a bank, they are stunned by the Victorian charm and naivete of Mrs. Wilberforce and how it is overcoming their robbery plans. After attempting to scheme, Mrs. Wilberforce, the 5- some get what they deserve when she begins to scheme them as well.
Alec Guinness was just phenomenal in this screwball comedy with nods to dramatic spoofs. The shadowy way in which Guinness is introduced to both Mrs. Wilberforce and the audience is in the most ominous way, yet when his face is revealed from the shadows, we see Guinness character with a ridiculous prosthetic denture bringing about laughs. More so than The Lavender Hill Mob, Guinness proves he can act in a comedic role that mixes with the dramatic at breakneck paces with The Ladykillers. Guinness also acts very well in this film within an ensemble. Sharing screen time with many notables including Peter Sellers, Guinness subtly steals every single scene in which he is on screen. One of the best aspects of this film is the brilliant way in which it was lit. The lighting is very deliberate and changes throughout the film enhancing the mood and action on screen. British comedies are just wonderful in their use of dialogue. The lines in The Ladykillers were beautiful and is a sincere treat for audiences. The perfect music and score, brilliant color, fantastic dialogue, and incredible Alec Guinness make The Ladykillers a joy to film audiences everywhere.
In desperate need of a hideout and headquarters for a heist, he is planning, Professor Marcus (Alec Guinness) thinks he has struck gold when he sees an elderly woman who has a room for rent. Professor Marcus thinks planning around an elderly unsuspecting woman will be an easy task so he rents the room and introduces his cohorts Major Courtney (Cecil Parker), Mr. Harvey (Herbert Lom), Mr. Robinson (Peter Sellers), and Mr. Lawson (Danny Green) to his border Mrs. Wilberforce (Katie Johnson). They believe they have her convinced that they will be using the room to practice their quintet. As they advance their plans to rob a bank, they are stunned by the Victorian charm and naivete of Mrs. Wilberforce and how it is overcoming their robbery plans. After attempting to scheme, Mrs. Wilberforce, the 5- some get what they deserve when she begins to scheme them as well.
Alec Guinness was just phenomenal in this screwball comedy with nods to dramatic spoofs. The shadowy way in which Guinness is introduced to both Mrs. Wilberforce and the audience is in the most ominous way, yet when his face is revealed from the shadows, we see Guinness character with a ridiculous prosthetic denture bringing about laughs. More so than The Lavender Hill Mob, Guinness proves he can act in a comedic role that mixes with the dramatic at breakneck paces with The Ladykillers. Guinness also acts very well in this film within an ensemble. Sharing screen time with many notables including Peter Sellers, Guinness subtly steals every single scene in which he is on screen. One of the best aspects of this film is the brilliant way in which it was lit. The lighting is very deliberate and changes throughout the film enhancing the mood and action on screen. British comedies are just wonderful in their use of dialogue. The lines in The Ladykillers were beautiful and is a sincere treat for audiences. The perfect music and score, brilliant color, fantastic dialogue, and incredible Alec Guinness make The Ladykillers a joy to film audiences everywhere.