The Ladykillers

A British black comedy set in London. Old Mrs Wilberforce lives alone in a small house. She lets one of her rooms, and the man who takes it presents himself as a member of a string quintet. He has four friends and they will come to rehearse. What plays at the rehearsals is a record. The five men sit upstairs planning a robbery while she makes tea below. The robbery succeeds. The problem comes after: she notices the money and wants to go to the police. The five decide to silence her, and not one of them can do it. That is where the humour comes from: she is the least dangerous person there and finishes all five, one by one. Because nobody takes her seriously, nobody can protect themselves from her. The house is part of the story: crooked walls, a building standing right beside the railway, and objects that shake constantly. Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, Herbert Lom and Cecil Parker are in the cast; Katie Johnson plays Mrs Wilberforce. Alexander Mackendrick directed. It is among the late works of the Ealing studio. It was remade in 2004. One of the classics of its genre for anyone who likes British comedy and black humour. For a viewer expecting fast comedy, the film moves calmly and its humour is quiet.