The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)

Director:

Charles Crichton

Writer:

T.E.B. Clarke (original screenplay)

Release Date:

10 September 1951 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

He stole $3,000,000 in gold and that's a lot of BULLion!

Plot:

A meek bank clerk who oversees the shipment of bullion joins with an eccentric neighbor to steal gold bars and smuggle them out of the country as miniature Eifel Towers.

Plot Keywords:

Gold | Bank | France | Souvenir | Exhibit

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Alec Guinness	...	Holland
Stanley Holloway	...	Pendlebury
Sid James	...	Lackery (as Sidney James)
Alfie Bass	...	Shorty
Marjorie Fielding	...	Mrs. Chalk
Edie Martin	...	Miss Evesham
John Salew	...	Parkin
Ronald Adam	...	Turner
Arthur Hambling	...	Wallis
Gibb McLaughlin	...	Godwin
John Gregson	...	Farrow
Clive Morton	...	Station Sergeant
Sydney Tafler	...	Clayton
Marie Burke	...	Senora Gallardo
Audrey Hepburn	...	Chiquita
William Fox	...	Gregory
Michael Trubshawe	...	British Ambassador
Ann Hefferman	...	Kiosk Girl (as Ann Heffernan)
Jacques B. Brunius	...	Customs Official (as Jacques Brunius)
Eugene Deckers	...	Customs Official
Paul Demel	...	Customs Official
Andreas Malandrinos	...	Customs Official (as Andrea Malandrinos)
Cyril Chamberlain	...	Commander
Tony Quinn	...	Deputy Commander
Moultrie Kelsall	...	Detective Superintendant
Christopher Hewett	...	Inspector Talbot
Meredith Edwards	...	P.C. Williams
Patrick Barr	...	Divisional Detective Inspector
David Davies	...	City Policeman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alanna Boyce	...	Schoolgirl with Eiffel Tower Paperweight (uncredited)
Peter Bull	...	Joe the Gab (uncredited)
Jacques Cey	...	(uncredited)
Joe Clarke	...	(uncredited)
Jacqueline Curtis	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
Richard Davies	...	Police Driver (uncredited)
Patric Doonan	...	Craggs (uncredited)
Archie Duncan	...	Chief Cashier (uncredited)
Frank Forsyth	...	(uncredited)
Fred Griffiths	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Charles Lamb	...	Mr. Richards (uncredited)
Desmond Llewelyn	...	Customs Officer (uncredited)
Arthur Mullard	...	1st Man in Police Identity Parade (uncredited)
Marie Ney	...	School Headmistress (uncredited)
Frederick Piper	...	Cafe Owner (uncredited)
Robert Shaw	...	Chemist at Police Exhibition (uncredited)
John Warwick	...	Police Inspector at Squad Car Headquarters (uncredited)
Richard Wattis	...	Opposition MP (uncredited)
Neil Wilson	...	Squad Car headquarters PC (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Crichton

Writing credits
T.E.B. Clarke		(original screenplay)

Produced by
Michael Balcon	....	producer
Michael Truman	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Georges Auric

Cinematography by
Douglas Slocombe		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Seth Holt

Art Direction by
William Kellner

Costume Design by
Anthony Mendleson

Makeup Department
Ernest Taylor	....	makeup artist
H. Wilton	....	makeup artist
Daphne Martin	....	assistant hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Slim Hand	....	unit production manager
Hal Mason	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Norman Priggen	....	assistant director
John Meadows	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Bert Davey	....	assistant art director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Stephen Dalby	....	sound supervisor
Leslie Hammond	....	recordist
Eric Stockl	....	sound camera operator (uncredited)
Cyril Swern	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Sydney Pearson	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Geoffrey Dickinson	....	special processes
Bryan Langley	....	special processes

Camera and Electrical Department
Geoffrey Faithfull	....	additional photographer (as Geoffrey Faithful)
Jeff Seaholme	....	camera operator
Jack Dooley	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Michael Shepherd	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
Hugh Wilson	....	focus puller (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ernie Farrer	....	wardrobe master (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Harry Aldous	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Ernest Irving	....	conductor
Ivor Mairants	....	composer: guitar music (uncredited)

Other crew
Phyllis Crocker	....	continuity

Production Companies

• J. Arthur Rank Organisation (presents) (as The J.Arthur Rank Organisation)
• Ealing Studios (as An Ealing Studios Production)

Distributors

• General Film Distributors (GFD) (1951) (UK) (theatrical) (released through) (as General Film Distributors Ltd.)
• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1951) (UK) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1951) (USA) (theatrical)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1978) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Thorn EMI Video (198?) (USA) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Studio Canal (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• Parvisfilmi (1952) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1970) (Finland) (TV) (as MTV1)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1965) (1978) (2000) (2008) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Crest National  DVD coding (uncredited)
• Philharmonia Orchestra, The  music played by (as the Philharmonia Orchestra)

Runtime:

UK:81 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French | Portuguese

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:Approved (MPAA rating: certificate #15054) | UK:U (video rating) (1988) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Bank Underground Station, London, England, UK

Company:

J. Arthur Rank Organisation

Trivia:

Robert Shaw's first film.

Goofs:

Continuity: After the raid we see the maroon (dark colored) bullion van being driven into an abandoned warehouse to be emptied (33mins 10 secs into the movie). In the next short shot of the van parking, the van has now become a light colored van. After that we see the dark colored van again.

Quotes:

Henry Holland: The world is ours!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Batman: Louie's Lethal Lilac Time (#3.18)" (1968)

Soundtrack:

Music

Best Comedy Movie Ever.......

In my opinion - this is the best comedy movie ever made. There are few movies that can still generate belly laughs two or three years after their release. This movie is still funny after more than fifty years! Plus it has some of the greatest comedy scenes ever filmed: the "my safe is broken and I have the whole payroll in it" scene; the two small-time thieves comparing resumes; Alec Guiness blending into the crowd of City bankers; and, of course, the famous last scene.