The Movie

Like many of my ilk, I discovered Sir Alec Guinness through that little known George Lucas art film, and continued to associate him only with the role of that brown-robed guy for decades. It wasn't until I reached the Age of Reason (right around the time the Fox Network was getting off the ground) that I began to expand my film horizons. Just looking at his collaborations with the great David Lean, it's easy to spot how Guinness created a wealth of cinematic icons that resonate with more startling potency than anything ever involving a lightsaber: Fagin in Oliver Twist, Prince Feisal in Lawrence of Arabia, Geneal Yevgraf Zhivago in Dr. Zhivago, and the unforgettable Colonel Nicholson in Bridge on the River Kwai. Or his magnificent parade of characters in Robert Hamer's Kind Hearts and Coronets, his inspired lunacy as the unforgettably gruff Gulley Jimson in The Horse's Mouth, or even a small but memorable bit as the Chief Clerk in Steven Soderbergh's criminally under-appreciated Kafka .

The man was an acting demigod, a chameleon who would disappear into each role and emerge as a fully distinct and realized character. His affinity for dialects and mannerisms lent an air of veracity to his cinematic presence. Heck, even when spouting some of George Lucas's more inane dialogue in Star Wars , you could still see the flames of seasoned warrior blazing behind the eyes of an unassuming old hermit.

So I can see why the man resented that movie, seeing how its ensuing pop-culture onslaught grossly overshadowed much (if not all) of his previous (and arguably superior) work, especially to a new generation of filmwatchers. Still, better late than never for many of us, and the 1955 comedic crime caper The Ladykillers is as good an entry point as any. Guinness stars as Professor Marcus, a criminal mastermind who, alongside his partners-in-crime Claude (Cecil Parker), Harry (Peter Sellers, in a small but memorable role), One-Round (Danny Green), and Louis (Herbert Lom), is planning the perfect crime. They rent out a room in a boarding house run by Mrs. Wilberforce (Katie Johnson), a sweet, unassuming little old lady who thinks the quintet are little more than a group of musicians preparing for a tour. The group plans and executes a daring midday armored car heist, only to find out the hard way that things don't always proceed as planned.

This is one of those dark comedies with alongside which you find yourself smiling and chuckling, but it isn't necessarily a bust-a-gut, laugh-out-loud type of comedy. Instead, the pleasure of The Ladykillers are found in its performances, its sharp satirical look on post-war Britain, its situations, and the joy of watching a group of self-absorbed would-be criminal geniuses getting their dark comeuppance. Guinness is impressive as ever as Professor Marcus, a slimy bucktoothed Uriah Heep of a criminal mastermind if there ever was one. His creepy demeanor contrasts brilliantly with his verdant wit, and his performance is deliciously cartoonish. Witness his horror movie-styled introduction as his intimidating silhouette slowly makes its way to Mrs. Wilberforce's doorstep, like the Harry Lime of criminal goofballs. This is the stuff of great filmmaking, and accordingly The Ladykillers is a simply great movie.

The DVD

Final Thoughts

I haven't seen the recent Coen Brothers remake of The Ladykillers (and, judging by box office returns, neither have most people), but I can't even begin to fathom how that film could compare with the Alexander Mackendrick's 1955 gem. The Ladykillers is every bit as entertaining a film as one could imagine. It might skewer a little too dark to some expecting a broad comedy, or perhaps a little too slapsticky for those expecting a crackerjack heist film. Nonetheless, it is unto itself a sharply crafted and wonderful little film. Although the DVD is pretty bare-boned, it presents a fantastic presentation of the film in a fairly inexpensive package. The Ladykillers definitely merits a recommendation.