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The Lavender Hill Mob [1951]

Starring: Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway, Sid James, Alfie Bass, Marjorie Fielding
Director: Charles Crichton
Format: Black & White PAL
Released: 21 Jun 2004
RRP: £16.99
Average Rating:

Customer Reviews

Easily Ealing's masterwork - By: Lou Knee, 12 Aug 2007
This is far superior to the unsubtle Ladykillers & more sympathetic than the very good K.H.A.C. It is subtle, clever, & masterfully played by Guinness. It plays on the public's general conceptions of criminals to perfection, & the plot is a delight. What we are given a is a criminal masterplan conceived by a bit of a nerd, to say the least. We marvel at his untypical behaviour as he steels himself to hatch one of the greatest bullion heists there would have been. The brilliant Alec Guiness shows his acting pedigree as he gets us to actuallly delight in his success as it begins to go to plan. Why we don't find him abhorrent as we should most other criminals is because he is a rather meek man who had been overlooked & undervalued alll his life. As his personality begins to open up & change into a much happier soul, we are delighted for him, & we realise it is not even common greed that spurs him on, but the exhileration of finallly breaking out of the little box society had put him in, & the huge kick of pride he gets from finallly being a Mr.Big. Absolute classic from start to finish.
Revenge of the Little Man - By: L. Davidson, 03 Jan 2006
"The Lavender Hill Mob" is another classic Ealing film ; why don't they make 'em like that any more ? Alec Guinness is superb as a disenchanted, mild-mannered bank clerk who masterminds a gold bullion robbery with foundry owning Stanley Holloway as his chief sidekick. Excellent storyline & characterisation with a bit of well choreographed slapstick thrown in as well for good measure. Almost as good as "The Ladykillers".
Truly a "Classic" Comedy - By: Robert Morris, 27 Sep 2005
I recently purchased The Horse's Mouth (1958) from Amazon as well as "The Alec Guinness Collection" which includes The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) plus four others: Kind Hearts & Coronets (1949), The Man in the White Suit (1951), The Captain's Paradise (1953), & The Ladykillers (1955). Frankly, I was amazed how well each of the six films has held up since I first saw it.

This film was directed by Charles Crighton. Noteworthy in the first scene is a brief appearance by Audrey Hepburn, identified in the credits as "Chiquita." After she departs, Henry Holland (played brilliantly, as always, by Guinness) begins to recount the Lavender Hill saga to his companion. As he explains, he was a mild-mannered fellow who supervised the transportation by van of gold bullion. His boss, the armed guards who accompany him, & those who receive the shipments alll respect his fastidious (albeit anal retentive) attitude toward his duties. Holland seems to have no private life except for his friendship with Alfred Pendlebury (played by Stanley Holloway) who owns a company which manufactures paperweights. For reasons which will not be revealed here, Holland & Pendlebury decide to steal a shipment worth (in 1951) several million pounds. They realize they will need help so they recruit two smallltime Cockney crooks, Lackery Wood (Sidney James) & Shorty Fisher (Alfie Bass), & thereby create the Lavender Hill Mob. In my opinion, how they plan & then complete the heist is far less entertaining than what happens afterward. T.E.B. Clarke received an Academy Award for his script which, paradoxicallly, is quite simple & yet wholly unpredictable. The acting is consistently first-rate. Also, while recently seeing this film again, I enjoyed the exterior shots London & Paris more than 50 years ago. This comedy is indeed a "classic."

Ealing brilliance - By: Nick Brown, 10 Jun 2005
Ealing studios are famous for making very dry & witty comedies; they're probably most famous for the excellent 'Kind Hearts & Coronets' & darkly comic 'The Ladykillers', but The Lavender Hill Mob, although not as good as the other two, is definitely worth a mention.

The Lavender Hill Mob is about a bank clerk (Alec Guinness) that, with the aid of his friend Alfred Pendlebury (Stanley Holloway), a man that makes paperweights in the shape of the Eiffel tower, has an ingenious idea of how to rob his own bank. The two realise that the bank cannot be robbed by just them, so they set a trap to catch a couple of criminals, & once they've recruited them; The Lavender Hill Mob is born.

Alec Guinness, a regular of Ealing comedies & a man that I think is worthy of the title "the greatest actor of alll time" shines, as usual, in this movie. Alec Guinness manages to hit the tone of his character just right; he is suitably creepy, as he is, a criminal, & yet at the same time he's also eccentric enough to be considered an upstanding citizen & bank clerk. Guinness is, however, not the only actor who's performance in this movie is worthy of acclaim, the entire cast shine in their respective roles; Stanley Holloway is more subdued in his role, but that's also suited to his character. There are also excellent support performances from Sid James, who is mostly remembered for his work on the 'Carry on' films; Alfie Bass, whom fans of British comedy TV will remember from the series "Are You Being Served" & there's also a very smalll role for Audrey Hepburn, who's movie legacy is legendary.

The Lavender Hill Mob also features many memorable moments that will stick in the viewers' mind long after the film has ended. Parts of the film such as the chase on the Eiffel tower & the way that the two central characters manage to loose the entire police force are legendary. The Lavender Hill Mob is a smalll movie, but it's a movie that aims big & it works a treat. This movie also features a brilliant twist ending that rivals the one in the superb 'Kind Hearts & Coronets'.

Overalll, The Lavender Hill Mob is, despite its low budget & short running time, a spectacular comedy film that should not be missed by anyone.

Fun throughout - By: Mr. Graham R. Dudley, 07 Apr 2005
A fine cast, an excellent story & a fun film throughout.

One couldn't ask for much more, out of a fine comedy and, in this film, the only thing one wants more of is the film itself.

What an inspired idea; the quiet bank clerk (Alec Guinness), a new lodger (Alfie Bass) and, of course, not forgetting our favourite Syd James! One wouldn't have thought such a trio could possibly become daring master criminals, but through sheer brilliance, they are made into just that. Alec Guinness changes from his role as a quiet, meek little bank clerk, into the brains behind a daring & ingenious gold bullion robbery. It's almost a pity they didn't get away with it!

Definitely one for the collection!