Film Fan Site

Title: Ladykillers


Date: 1955
Type: Comedy
Rating: 3 Stars 3/5
Colour: Yes
Director: Alexander Mackendrick
Producer:

Comment
An elderly lady rents a room to a gentleman (Alec Guniess) who invites his friends round to practice music, but they are using the room as part of a robbery. This is classic and the final Ealing comedy with great performances from Alec Guinness as the gang leader and Katie Johnson as the quaint little old lady. This is a dark comedy whose satire and themes still resonate and also reflcet the trials of post-war Britain. Alec Guiness thought his role had been written for Alistair Sims and so play the charcter in that style. The director uses various expressionist techniques in the films, notably the skewed camera angles and the use of shoadows of people for dramatic effect. Running through the film is the sense of social satire that is in some ways unreal but set into a real situation.

Actors

Alec GuinnessAlec Guinness
Peter SellersPeter Sellers
Herbert LomHerbert Lom
Katie Johnson
Frankie HowerdFrankie Howerd
Jack WarnerJack Warner
Cecil ParkerCecil Parker

Oscars

Nomination
Ladykillers