This post has been reposted here
Whenever asked my favourite film I say The Ladykillers, without hesitation. Considering I have difficulty deciding my favourite colour this speaks volumes. The 1955 black comedy blends social-commentary caricatures, meaningful music, and a perfect cast, to create something that is, in my mind, unparalleled in charm.
The film is set in post-war Britain, close to King’s Cross railway station. Policemen stand dutifully on every street corner, a red telephone box is never more than a stone-throw away, and steam trains endlessly billow by. These are relics of a fleeting British dynasty. Sitting amongst the remnants is a sweet little house, advertising rooms to let. It is here a gang, who caricature all that threatens society, decide to base their operation. They intend to use the owner, a dotty old dear called Mrs. Wilberforce, in their plan to steal £60,000, by having her carry the money without her knowledge. To paraphrase ‘Professor’ Marcus, leader of the criminal ‘quintet’ (their cover story is that they are a travelling musical group), what could possibly go wrong?