The Ladykillers

Product Description

Sir Alec Guinness gives one of his most unforgettable performances as Professor Marcus, the mastermind of a gang of vicious bank robbers who rent a room from elderly widow Mrs. Wilberforce (Katie Johnson, winner of the British Academy Award for Best Actress). But when the dear old woman begins to meddle in their "perfect crime," the crooks (including Herbert Lom and the legendary Peter Sellers in his first major screen role) decide that she must be killed. Now after a daring heist, a runaway parrot and several cups of tea, can the most diabolical criminals in London still manage to murder one sweet old lady? Directed by Alexander Mackendrick (THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT, SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS ), this Ealing Studios masterpiece was nominated for an Oscar ® for Best Screenplay and remains one of the most ruthlessly brilliant black comedies of all time. THE ALEC GUINNESS COLLECTION presents this screen legend's classic comedies including KIND HEARTS & CORONETS, THE LAVENDER HILL MOB, THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT and THE CAPTAIN'S PARADISE, all still considered to be among the greatest movie comedies ever made. Includes a 4-Page Collector's Booklet

System Requirements:
Starring: Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, Herbert Lom
Director: Alexander Mackendrick
Producer: Michael Balcon
Running Time: 91 Min.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

In English comedy at its blackest (and funniest) pitch, this droll 1955 farce finds Alec Guinness in one of his typically deft, chameleon turns as would-be criminal mastermind Professor Marcus. When Marcus's grand plan to pull off a train heist leads him to a strategically situated house occupied by the genteel Mrs. Wilberforce (Katie Johnson), the ensuing masquerade triggers a mordant, even macabre comedy of manners. With Marcus and his rough-hewn cronies (Herbert Lom, Peter Sellers, and Danny Green) posing as a string quartet, and the dear lady's demise seen as the means to their larcenous end, the gang's sinister machinations are consistently, if unwittingly, foiled by the good-hearted, resourceful widow. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews:

The Ladykillers.......2007-06-26

Mackendrick's peerless black comedy benefits from William Rose's ingenious story and the finest casting a comedy could hope for: Guinness's Marcus is the essence of smarmy charm, and Johnson projects a steely will cloaked in Victorian gentility. The gang are an inspired bunch of misfits, including Cecil Parker, Herbert Lom, and a portly Peter Sellers (the latter two would reunite years later for the Pink Panther series). Simply one of the finest film comedies ever. (Not to be confused with re-make starring Tom Hanks).

Wonderful film.......2007-06-25

This is such a great movie.Alec Guinnes was awsome as the slithery head of a group of thieves.Mr Sellers was good as one of the crookes.Herbert lom played to perfection the badest of the gang.Sinister but likable.Everyone else did such a great job.See this film

Ealing Heaven.......2007-05-10

This very late Ealing comedy (1955) is one of the best British films ever made. Alec Guiness, Cecil Parker, Herbert Lom, Peter Sellers and Danny Green are the villians of the piece. The've committed a robbery and are looking for a hide-out to lay low. You'd think with a cast like that, that none of them could be upstaged. They are though, by Katie Johnson, who plays the landlady at the guest-house they hole up in. As Mrs Wilberforce she steals the film and indeed won a BAFTA in 1956 for best British Actress for her part in this film.

This film is full of great comedic moments and blessed with an almost perfect script. The guys are nearly always outwitted by the old lady (sometimes purposely and other times not). In an age of CGI and breath-taking special effects, give yourself a treat and see how films used to be made. It stands up to repeated viewings and is as good a film as you are ever likely to see. Look out for cameo roles by Jack Warner (from the UK police show Dixon of Dock Green) and Frankie Howerd.

unsurpassed classic.......2007-03-31

For those who enjoy understated subtle comedies rather than fall-down slapstick or the "crude is funny" variety, The Ladykillers from the British Ealing Studios in their heyday is as good as it gets. Made in 1955, the movie does not show its age. Its themes and constructs and the quality of the acting remain entirely fresh. Issued as part of the Alec Guinness Collection, it must rank as one of the outstanding comedies in movie history. Alec Guinness in the lead role is wonderful, but he does not steal the show. The supporting cast are every bit as good. Look out for Peter Sellers in his first major role. I am told that when this movie first made its appearance, people exited the cinema with tears of laughter in their eyes, only to burst out in fresh gales of laughter as they recalled particular scenes or comic touches hours later. Did you enjoy the early Pink Panthers? You ain't seen nothin' yet.

The Unforgettable Mrs. Wilberforce.......2007-01-22

I happened upon this movie on Turner Movie Classics--and classic it truly is. If you don't fall in love with this delightful British mum, you're a heartless soul. Brilliant writing with a delicious ending. Her innocence in tact and a new umbrella!!

The Alec Guinness Collection (Kind Hearts and Coronets / The Lavender Hill Mob / The Ladykillers / The Man in the White Suit / The Captain's Paradise)

Average customer rating:

Anyone who appreciates great comedy will treasure these.
Simply Superb.
bad news for Spanish viewers?
Great films, great value
A remarkable collection.

The Alec Guinness Collection (Kind Hearts and Coronets / The Lavender Hill Mob / The Ladykillers / The Man in the White Suit / The Captain's Paradise)
Starring: Alec Guinness , Joan Greenwood , Cecil Parker , Michael Gough , and Ernest Thesiger
Director: Alexander Mackendrick , and Charles Crichton
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00006FMAX
Release Date: 2002-09-10

Product Description

He was, quite simply, one of the greatest actors of all time. And while Sir Alec Guinness may be best known for his legendary dramatic roles, his true genius lay in his incomparable comedy performances. THE ALEC GUINNESS COLLECTION presents four of this screen legend s magnificent Ealing Studios comedies as well as the classic THE CAPTAIN S PARADISE, available exclusively in this collection.

Features:
Kind Hearts And Coronets

Full-Frame Presentation

Theatrical Trailer

Alec Guinness Bio

The Ladykillers

Widescreen Presentation enhanced for 16x9 TVs

Theatrical Trailer

Alec Guinness Bio

Languages: English; French

The Lavender Hill Mob

Full-Frame Presentation

Theatrical Trailer

Alec Guinness Bio

The Man In The White Suit

Full-Frame Presentation

Theatrical Trailer

Alec Guinness Bio

The Captain's Paradise

Full-Frame Presentation

Theatrical Trailer

Alec Guinness Bio

System Requirements:
Running Time: 451 Min.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

Five of the British film industry's best-loved comedies in one boxed set makes The Alec Guinness Collection absolutely essential for anyone who has any passion at all for movies. It contains Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), The Man in the White Suit (1951), The Captain's Paradise (1953) (only available in this set), and The Ladykillers (1955). The Ealing Studio's greatest comedies captured the essence of post-war Britain, both in their evocation of a land once blighted by war but now rising doggedly and optimistically again from the ashes, and in their mordant yet graceful humor. They portray a country with an antiquated class system whose crumbling conventions are being undermined by a new spirit of individual opportunism. In the delightfully wicked Kind Hearts and Coronets, a serial killer politely murders his way into the peerage; in The Lavender Hill Mob a put-upon bank clerk schemes to rob his employers; The Man in the White Suit is a harshly satirical depiction of idealism crushed by the status quo; in The Captain's Paradise, a ferryboat captain complements his proper British wife with a fiery Spanish wife; while The Ladykillers mocks both the criminals and the authorities with its unlikely octogenarian heroine Mrs. "lop-sided" Wilberforce. Many factors contribute to these films' success--including fine music scores from composers such as Benjamin Frankel (Man in the White Suit), Malcolm Arnold (Captain's Paradise), and Tristram Cary (The Ladykillers); positively symphonic sound effects (White Suit); marvelously evocative locations (the environs of King's Cross in Ladykillers, for example); and writing that always displays Ealing's unique perspective on British social mores ("All the exuberance of Chaucer without, happily, any of the concomitant crudities of his period")--yet arguably their greatest asset is Alec Guinness, whose multifaceted performances are the keystone upon which Ealing built its biting, often macabre, yet always elegant comedy. --Mark Walker

Customer Reviews:

Anyone who appreciates great comedy will treasure these........2007-01-11

No vulgarity, no nudity, just some of the cleverest stories with fine performances from all concerned.

The remakes never work. Hard to improve on perfection.

Simply Superb........2006-07-13

The best British comedy and satire. No slapstick or foul language or artistic nudity. Just great acting and great stories. Comedy mysteries with twisty endings. Example: the very ending of "The Captain's Paradise"; you would never guess.

bad news for Spanish viewers?.......2005-04-15

I know all these films and agree they are wonderful. But, is it possible that this edition have an audio track in French and no Spanish subtitles?

Great films, great value.......2004-07-16

As other reviewers have noted, these superb comedies from the golden age of British cinema showcase Alec Guinness' considerable skills, proving him to be as great an actor in his own way as the late Marlon Brando. And as others have pointed out, the DVD transfers are incredibly good for British films of this vintage. I've never seen Man in the White Suit looking better. Please note that poor sound recording equipment was a particular problem for British filmmakers of this era, so the sound can occasionally seem muted. This is a problem with the source, not the transfer.

The extras are a little disappointing compared to other Anchor Bay releases. (Yes, their Guinness filmography is incomplete.) But the value of this collection can't be beat. It's one of the best buys out there, so do yourself a favor and pick up the whole collection before Anchor Bay lets it go out of print, as other British titles in their catalogue have done.

Random comments to address other reviews:

All the films are presented in their proper aspect ratios. The Ladykillers is the only widescreen film here. (All the others were filmed before 1952, hence before the days of widescreen.)

Captain's Paradise is NOT an Ealing Studios film; it was produced at London International (the same place that oversaw production of The Third Man, so its credentials are good).

In Britain, this collection was partnered with another collection of Ealing comedies (via another distributor). Since Anchor Bay has also released Ealing's horror anthology Dead of Night (also recommended), they may be persuaded to distribute those films too if this collection sells well. Those films (Whiskey Galore, Passport to Pimlico, etc.) are equally superb, so let's keep our fingers crossed!

A remarkable collection........2003-02-19

I am 24 years old so one would not expect me to be a huge fan of these "older" films. On the contrary I am not just a fan I love them. One of my bosses turned me on to them a few years ago and I was always a huge Peter Sellers fan (mostly for his Pink Panther series) but after picking up this collection I found it to be a wonderful addition to my film library. Yesterday during the blizzard I watched four of the five disks. I found Kind Hearts and Coronets to be not only an interesting story but also darkly satiical. Many scenes were so well crafted I could not help to laugh. Alec was remarkable in this film as he played 8 different characters. Quite a feat for that time and a role Mike Meyers would love. Ladykillers was the only film I had seen previous to buying this set and I must say that not only is it an outstanding caper film but the DVD transfer was superb. The image quality really has brightened up fromt he onld VHS I saw. This film also shows some of Sir Alec's truly great acting and was brutally histerical. Peter Sellers yelling at a parrot was funny to see considering he went on to many more scenes involving fowl later on in life. The Lavender Hill Mob was probably the most intriguing of the 4 I have seen. Another crime caper flick Sir Alec really starred and the story was very solid. Also there was a car chase scene in this film that was extremely well done considering the time. The last film I managed to watch was the Man in the White Suit. While this film shows Alec again at his best I found it to be a little weaker than the other three. It was funny at times and an interesting enough plot just not as good if watched in succesion with the others. The final film is the Captain's Paradise but I have yet to view that one and will not review it. All the films look great on DVD and if you are young (like me)and have never seen any of these films you are really missing out on some of the masterpieces of the film industry. The only collection I could possibly recomend more to anyone is the Peter Sellers set. Better yet, buy them both like I did.

Average customer rating:

More like "The Audiencekillers"
THIS MOVIE IS GREAT!!!!
A Serious Disappointment.
Stop the inanity.
Bad Coen Brothers is Better Than Good Anybody Else

The Ladykillers (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Tom Hanks , Irma P. Hall , Marlon Wayans , J.K. Simmons , and Tzi Ma
Director: Ethan Coen , and Joel Coen
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00029LNYQ
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Amazon.com

If you've never enjoyed Alec Guinness in the classic 1955 British comedy that inspired it, the Coen brothers' remake of The Ladykillers may well prove hilarious. For starters, it's got Tom Hanks in a variation of the Guinness role, eccentrically channeling Colonel Sanders, Tennessee Williams, and Edgar Allan Poe in his southern-fried performance as Prof. Goldthwait Higgins Dorr, Ph.D. (named after an actual arts institute curator from the Coens' native Minnesota), a deliciously verbose con man who needs a secret headquarters for his five-man plot to rob a riverboat casino moored on the Mississippi. In the film's funniest and least-caricatured role (and even she can't elude the Coens' comedic stereotyping), Irma P. Hall plays the churchgoing widow who rents a room to Dorr, whose crew of "musicians" (in keeping with the original's plot) use the lady's root cellar to tunnel to the casino's cash-rich counting room. Rampant mishaps ensue, the body count rises among Dorr's band of idiots (including Marlon Wayans, spouting nonstop profanities), and the Coens put their uniquely stylish stamp on everything. It's a funny movie, allowing for some nagging flatness to the material, but if you've seen the original (and other vintage comedies from the heyday of Britain's low-budget Ealing Studios), you'll eventually wonder, what were they thinking? Accounting for all the qualities that grace any Coen movie (this being the first time the brothers have officially shared directorial credit), this revamped Ladykillers is a mixed blessing, both entertaining and superfluous. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Academy Award(R)-winning Tom Hanks (Best Actor, FORREST GUMP, 1994; PHILADELPHIA, 1993) turns in a hilariously original performance in THE LADYKILLERS, the laugh-out-loud comedy that explodes with outrageous wit and slapstick humor from the Coen Brothers (O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?, FARGO). Underneath Professor G.H. Dorr's (Hanks) silver-tongued southern gentleman persona is a devious criminal who has assembled a motley gang of thieves to commit the heist of the century by tunneling through his churchgoing landlady's root cellar to a casino's vault of riches. But these cons are far from pros. As their scheme begins blowing up in their faces, their landlady smells a rat. And when she threatens to call the police, they figure they'll just bump her off. After all, how hard can that be? Wickedly funny from start to finish, it would be a crime to miss THE LADYKILLERS.

Customer Reviews:

More like "The Audiencekillers".......2007-07-29

This movie has three types of scenes: boring scenes, horrible scenes, and scenes with Tom Hanks. Some scenes are a combination of two, others a combination of all three. Why in the world would the director put a 5-minute church sermon in the movie? And whats with all the nonsensical screaming and cussing? I might go as far to say that this is the worst movie I've seen in my entire life, but I stopped the movie 40 minutes into it and took it out of my dvd player.

THIS MOVIE IS GREAT!!!!.......2007-07-01

If you are looking for Tom Hanks to be himself in this movie, forget it. That's what makes Hanks great: He can play nearly any part out there. This movie is hilarious, absolutely hilarious. It's a great way to laugh at the culture of the deep south, and a great way to laugh at snobby intellectual types (like that Winchester character guy from the MASH TV show). I watch this movie whenever I can find the time.

A Serious Disappointment. .......2007-06-09

Well, my major problem with The Ladykillers is that it was made by the Coen brothers who are the finest filmmakers in the world this side of Marty Scorsese. This has to be the only movie they've made which I'd describe as being below average, and that's really all that it is. The Ladykillers is not a bad movie, but considering the quality of its creators, its mediocrity comes as quite a shock. I don't agree with the other reviewers in regards to Tom Hanks. I think he gives a credible performance. I think the production's real problem is a result of its low quality plot. The original film with Alec Guinness was not great and attempting to update it was not advisable. Personally, I hope that this movie is just a mulligan for the Coen brothers and not a reflection of their diminishing genius. Everyone is entitled to a mistake once in awhile and no better word embodies The Ladykillers.

Stop the inanity........2007-05-19

I'm going to keep this short. The reason I'm giving this film one star is because of its misuse of George Wallace. When is Hollywood going to wise up and let this comic genius have HIS OWN movie, instead of brief supporting roles in which he is way more talented than the people he is supporting? And why do we keep giving no talents like Rob Schneider, David Spade, and Larry The Cable Guy chance after chance? It's reprehensible, that's what it is.

Bad Coen Brothers is Better Than Good Anybody Else.......2007-04-16

Hollywood cannot produce original ideas for new movies. That the Coen brothers, known for their quirky humor and characters, would think of remaking an old and wonderful British comedy, is surprising indeed.

The refined and larcenous Professor Dorr hardly seems like a Tom Hanks kind of character. And the supporting cast, although recognizable to many, are hardly of the same reputation.

The plot seems to make less sense than usual for a Coen movie. You are asked to suspend an awful lot of disbelief, but that's par for the course in the Coen's work.

So, we;ve got miscasting and some weird writing, not to mention undecipherable dialect.

Coen brothers fans may find this too different from their usual fare, but it's worth taking a chance. After all, they're better than anybody else at what they do and, besides, what else is out there to watch??

Average customer rating:

More like "The Audiencekillers"
THIS MOVIE IS GREAT!!!!
A Serious Disappointment.
Stop the inanity.
Bad Coen Brothers is Better Than Good Anybody Else

The Ladykillers (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Tom Hanks , Irma P. Hall , Marlon Wayans , J.K. Simmons , and Tzi Ma
Director: Ethan Coen , and Joel Coen
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Comic Criminals | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00029LNZA
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Amazon.com

Description

Customer Reviews:

More like "The Audiencekillers".......2007-07-29

THIS MOVIE IS GREAT!!!!.......2007-07-01

A Serious Disappointment. .......2007-06-09

Stop the inanity........2007-05-19

Bad Coen Brothers is Better Than Good Anybody Else.......2007-04-16

Average customer rating:

The Ladykillers
Wonderful film
Ealing Heaven
unsurpassed classic
The Unforgettable Mrs. Wilberforce

The Ladykillers [Region 2]
Starring: Alec Guinness , Cecil Parker , Herbert Lom , Peter Sellers , and Danny Green
Director: Alexander Mackendrick
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000260OYE

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

The Ladykillers.......2007-06-26

Wonderful film.......2007-06-25

Ealing Heaven.......2007-05-10

unsurpassed classic.......2007-03-31

The Unforgettable Mrs. Wilberforce.......2007-01-22

The Ladykillers / Hoffman (Peter Sellers 2 Pack)

Average customer rating:

The Ladykillers / Hoffman (Peter Sellers 2 Pack)

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Average customer rating:

The Ladykillers [Region 2]
Starring: Alec Guinness , Cecil Parker , Herbert Lom , Peter Sellers , and Danny Green
Director: Alexander Mackendrick , and Charles Crichton
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00006G9WJ

Average customer rating:

Delightful Endearing British Comedy
Delightfully Dark Comedy!

Keeping Mum

Manufacturer: Fact
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Director's Commentary
Behind the Scenes Featurette
Deleted Scenes
Outtakes
Trailers & much more

ASIN: B000JZS396

Product Description

Some family secrets are best kept...buried.

Customer Reviews:

Delightful Endearing British Comedy.......2007-03-05

Regrettably this was the last film appearance of James Booth, very memorable as Private Henry Hook in 1964's ZULU. Yet un-regrettably KEEPING MUM was quite a surprise in more ways than one. I managed to find a theater that was actually showing it several months back. I was certainly not disappointed and in fact was quite surprised how good this little film was. It is a black comedy in the best sense as only the British can concoct. What makes it stand apart from the ordinary is its witty screenplay by Richard Russo and Niall Johnson, Gavin Finney's beautiful cinematography and very good performances from Rowan Atkinson, Maggie Smith, Kristin Scott Thomas and an unlikely Patrick Swayze. This film is a wonderful and curious melding of the dark side of human emotions with expressions of true and meaningful love and the potential we all have to love and be loved but find so difficult to express or accept. The beautiful and colorful photography is unusually exquisite and quite moving giving one moments of exhilaration and reflection on what beautiful wonders the world beholds for those that can grasp it and become one with it. Maggie Smith's Mary Poppins-like character is the answer to Rowan Atkinson's uninspired but well intentioned local vicar who cannot really clearly express his theological virtues or the love and passion he has for his wife Kristin Scott Thomas. Maggie Smith takes things into her own hands and helps his family who has more issues than can be imagined. And there it is.

Delightfully Dark Comedy!.......2006-11-03

Let's see... the vicar of Little Wallop is so immersed in his work that his lack of physical attention has his wife falling into the arms of her golf instructor. And then there is the new housekeeper, a delightfully charming older woman who clearly has a few secrets. That's okay, because the vicar's hormonally-charged daughter would do well to keep at least a few of her activities secret; and his son, well his son could just do with a little more protection from the school bullies. Other than that, the tiny parish is just a typical English village, where the biggest controversies are the algae in the pond and the intrigue of the church flower decoration committee. Right!

To be honest, there aren't that many genuine surprises in the plot, but that doesn't detract from all the fun. Let's just say that the Grace, the housekeeper has her own way of making the Goodfellow home a more quiet and pleasant place.

Maggie Smith makes the whole thing work, as kind of a Mary Poppins from the dark side. Her coy smile, belies her darker nature and Ms. Smith is one of the few actresses capable of successfully selling a line like "you know, my therapist and I were always discussing that and we just couldn't come to an understanding."

As the beleaguered wife of the vicar, Kristin Scott Thomas makes for a very believable character who loves her husband deeply but whose frustrations have made her vulnerable to the lascivious attentions from her American horn-toad golf pro. Patrick Swayze as the would-be home wrecker won't do a lot for the image of American men, but he does make a comic pervert (no easy trick, I'm sure). And Rowan Atkinson gives a wonderfully understated performance as Walter Goodfellow, the overly absorbed vicar. Now think about that, when was the last time you saw the words "Rowan Atkinson" and "understated performance" in the same sentence?

The Ladykillers / The Lavender Hill Mob (Alec Guinness 2 Pack)

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The Ladykillers / The Lavender Hill Mob (Alec Guinness 2 Pack)

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

The Ladykillers: Color, Widescreen Presentation (1.66:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs, Theatrical Trailer, Alec Guinness Bio, < Languages: English; French----------- The Lavender Hill Mob: Full Screen, Black and White, Theatrical Trailer, Alec Guinness Bio

The Ladykillers / Heavens Above! (Peter Sellers 2 Pack)

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The Ladykillers / Heavens Above! (Peter Sellers 2 Pack)

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

DVD:

DVD

DVD