IMDb > The Ladykillers (1955)
The Ladykillers
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The Ladykillers (1955) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
8.0/10   9,655 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 5% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writers:
William Rose (story)
William Rose (screenplay)
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Ladykillers on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
December 1955 (UK) more
Genre:
Comedy | Crime | Thriller more
Tagline:
Meet "The Unholy Five"...The Most Befuddled Set of Assorted Thugs That Ever Fouled Up a Million Dollar Bank Robbery!!
Plot:
Five diverse oddball criminal types planning a bank robbery rent rooms on a cul-de-sac from an octogenarian widow under the pretext that they are classical musicians. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations more
User Comments:
A real classic more (93 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Alec Guinness ... Professor Marcus
Cecil Parker ... Claude (a.k.a. 'Major Courtney')

Herbert Lom ... Louis (a.k.a. 'Mr. Harvey')

Peter Sellers ... Harry (a.k.a. 'Mr. Robinson')
Danny Green ... One-Round (a.k.a. 'Mr. Lawson')
Jack Warner ... The Superintendent
Katie Johnson ... The Old Lady
Philip Stainton ... The Sergeant
Frankie Howerd ... The Barrow Boy
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Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Lady Killers
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Runtime:
91 min
Country:
UK
Language:
English
Colour:
Colour (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
Iceland:12 | Australia:G | Sweden:11 (1975 re-rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 (original rating) | UK:U
Company:
Ealing Studios more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Premiere voted this movie as one of "The 50 Greatest Comedies Of All Time" in 2006. more
Goofs:
Errors in geography: From the street in front of Mrs. Wilberforce's house, the front of St. Pancras station is visible, placing the house south of the station. No tracks leave St. Pancras or the adjacent King's Cross station in that direction, so the house could not be adjacent to a tunnel as depicted (see trivia entry). more
Quotes:
[Harry and Marcus are distracting Mrs. Wilberforce while Louis deals with the Major on the roof]
Mrs. Louisa Wilberforce: It won't do any harm to tell you now that Major Courtney has gone to the police. They'll be here shortly.
[there is a loud crash from outside]
Mrs. Louisa Wilberforce: Oh! Whatever is that?
Harry: I expect something fell off the roof, mum.
Mrs. Louisa Wilberforce: The roof?
Harry: Probably a... chimney-pot.
Mrs. Louisa Wilberforce: A chimney-pot?
Professor Marcus: See who it is, Harry
[pushes Harry out the door]
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Film Geek (2005) more
Soundtrack:
Music more

FAQ

Who actually dies?
Who got the money in the end?
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
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22 out of 23 people found the following comment useful.
A real classic, 23 October 2004
8/10
Author: Izzy Richardson from Birmingham, England

Alec Guiness has to be one of the greatest actors of all time, and his role in The Lady Killers does not buck the trend. From the first moment I saw his dark shape looming through the doorway, I knew the character would be well creepy. And boy was it! With that horrible grin, those horrible teeth and that horrible laugh, it's little wonder that even the grim Herbert Lom starts to get a little freaked out.

Nevertheless, Katie Johnson as the infuriating Mrs Wilberforce almost succeeds in stealing the show. There cannot be a more annoying person in the world, from the point of view of policemen, criminals and baggage handlers alike.

The best scene of all, in my opinion, is the very last one, but I won't spoil it for you if you haven't seen it. I haven't actually watched the re-make of the film, and I'm certainly a big Tom Hanks fan, but I think it must be hard-pressed to beat this hilarious original. 8 out of 10. Obviously, it's rather old-fashioned and might not appeal to everyone's sense of humour. Ko, Izzy.

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Message Boards

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Comparison to Coen Brothers version DabacTSP
The difference is Katie Johnson groggo
Alistair Sim bradallengm
Do they die? Belle11
peter sellers??? skuggi2
Favourite Sellers Film Olga_baikova
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