THE LADYKILLERS [1955 / 2020] [65th Anniversary Edition] [Blu-ray] [UK Release]
A Wonderfully Macabre Black Comedy! A Glorious Restoration with Colour by Technicolor!
This stunning new 4K restoration of 1955 Ealing comedy ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ and the first from the original 3 strip Technicolour negative, showcases Alexander Mackendrick 's vision in its full glory. Considered by many as the finest British comedy ever made, and ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ follows the hilarious capers of a group of small-time crooks, taking on more than they can handle in the form of their sweet elderly landlord, Mrs. Wilberforce (BAFTA Award winning actress Katie Johnson for the film ‘How To Murder A Rich Uncle’).The criminal gang, posing as a string quartet, are unprepared for their landlord’s meddling when one of the “musicians” cases gets caught in a door, revealing the group’s true identity.
Featuring an impressive all-star line-up, with the finest comedy actors of the day; Sir Alec Guinness (‘Kind Hearts and Coronets’ and ‘Lavender Hill Mob’) plays the gang’s mastermind ‘Professor Marcus,’ Cecil Parker (‘A French Mistress’) is Claude otherwise known as “Major Courtney,” Peter Sellers (‘I’m Alright Jack’) is Harry aka ‘Mr. Robinson,’ Herbert Lom (‘The Pink Panther’) is Louis aka “Mr. Harvey” and Danny Green (‘A Kid For Two Farthings’) plays One Round also known as “Mr. Lawson.”
"British comedy at its best" – The Radio Times
"Near Flawless" – The Guardian
"A wonderfully macabre black comedy" – BBC Online
FILM FACT No.1: Awards and Nominations: 1956 BAFTA Awards: Win: BAFTA Film Award for Best British Actress for Katie Johnson. Win: BAFTA Film Award for Best British Screenplay for William Rose. Nominated: BAFTA Film Award for Best British Film. Nominated: BAFTA Film Award for Best Film from any Source. 1957 Academy Awards®: Nominated: Best Writing, Best Original Screenplay for William Rose.
FILM FACT No.2: Alec Guinness seems to have based his performance of Professor Marcus on the actor Alastair Sim, for whom the part was originally intended. Harry Robinson was the first major film role for Peter Sellers; who would later appear with Herbert Lom in several of The Pink Panther films franchise. Peter Sellers and Sir Alec Guinness would appear together again in ‘Murder By Death’ [1976]. The British Film Institute ranked ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ the 13th greatest British film of all time. In 2017 a poll of 150 actors, directors, writers, producers and critics for Time Out magazine saw it ranked the 29th best British film ever.
Cast: Sir Alec Guinness, Cecil Parker, Herbert Lom, Peter Sellers, Danny Green, Jack Warner, Katie Johnson, Philip Stainton, Frankie Howerd, Madge Brindley (uncredited), Hélène Burls (uncredited), Kenneth Connor (uncredited), Michael Corcoran (uncredited), Harold Goodwin (uncredited), Fred Griffiths (uncredited), Lucy Griffiths (uncredited), George Hilsdon (uncredited), Phoebe Hodgson (uncredited), Vincent Holman (uncredited), Anthony John (uncredited), Stratford Johns (uncredited), Evelyn Kerry (uncredited), Sam Kydd (uncredited), Aileen Lewis (uncredited), Edie Martin (uncredited), Jack Melford (uncredited), Robert Moore (uncredited), Arthur Mullard (uncredited), Ewan Roberts (uncredited), George Roderick (uncredited), John Rudling (uncredited), Leonard Sharp (uncredited), Peter Williams (uncredited) and Neil Wilson (uncredited)
Director: Alexander Mackendrick
Producers: Michael Balcon and Seth Holt
Screenplay: William Rose (story/screenplay) and Jimmy O'Connor (uncredited)
Composer: Tristram Cary
Cinematography: Otto Heller, B.S.C. (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 and 1.66:1
Audio: English: 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo
German: 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo
English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English, English SDH and German
Running Time: 90 minutes
Region: Region B/2
Number of discs: 2
Studio: The Rank Organisation / Ealing Studios / STUDIOCANAL
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ [1955] One of the most popular films produced by Ealing Studios during their peak years, and ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ is a delightful black comedy that has aged much better than some of the other Ealing Studios entertainment films from the same period. For one thing, the clever script by William Rose, which was of course was nominated for an OSCAR® and is so impeccably British, conjuring up a portrait of post-war London that is both idealised and of its time. And the central premise is hard to top. A gang of thieves, headed by Professor Marcus [Sir Alec Guinness], and takes two rooms at a boarding-house run by the eccentric Mrs. Wilberforce [Katie Johnson]. Here they pretend to be a practicing the Minuet in E major string quartet as a cover for their true intention is a security van robbery. Although the gang successfully carry off their heist, the criminals are eventually undone by their own greed and their various, unsuccessful attempts to murder their meddling landlady who remains oblivious to their crime or does she?
A gang of robbers posing as a string quartet hole up in seedy King’s Cross in ‘THE LADYKILLERS,’ and we discover a glimpse of a vanished London in the past. Alexander Mackendrick’s 1955 black comedy crime caper ‘THE LADYKILLERS,’ is imbued with the seedy, grimy urban frontier feel that the King’s Cross district oozed in 1950s England and the last of the brilliant Ealing Studios Comedies, and the film centres on a rag-tag gang of crooks, led by Sir Alec Guinness’s sinister Professor Marcus, who pull off an audacious security van robbery at King’s Cross station. At the time of filming, King’s Cross station and its immediate vicinity was a very far cry from the gentrified area it has only recently become.
The gang, posing as a string quartet, holed up in a lodging room in the area to plan the robbery. However, they meet their match in the form of their apparently frail old landlady, Mrs. Wilberforce, charmingly portrayed by Katie Johnson. As the 1950s dawned, that part of North London was thick with coal grime from the constant flow of steam trains in and out of the capital’s busiest station, and ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ was made a year before lawmakers introduced the Clean Air Act. As a major gateway to and from the rest of Great Britain, King’s Cross station was surrounded by myriad boarding houses, vans transporting sacks of wages unloaded from trains, and trolley buses choking the streets. It all made the likelihood of the crime happening at King’s Cross station all the more authentic.
The setting for Mrs. Wilberforce’s house was built so that it would have no perfect right angles and everything was designed to look dilapidated and broken. And director Alexander Mackendrick said he wanted the house to be “dwarfed by the grim landscape of railway yards and screaming express trains as an anachronism in the contemporary world”. So the set was built not in Ealing Studios, but on a vacant lot at the end of a through-road named Frederica Street, about a mile to the north of King’s Cross. But the view out of the windows and the street was actually Argyle Street, closer to the King’s Cross station.
For the film’s set-piece robbery, director Alexander Mackendrick and his crew began shooting on the cobbled streets behind King’s Cross station at the junction of Battle Bridge Road and Goods Way. The famous Victorian Gasometers loom large in the shots while several scenes, including one with Mrs. Wilberforce, are shot in the cavernous Victorian station itself. Other streets in the area used include Cheney Road and St Chad’s Street, while a red telephone box on Vernon Square is used by Guinness’s professor to make phone calls to a fellow gang member. And the Copenhagen rail track tunnel, whose walls can still be seen today, provides the location for the film’s grisliest scene when the body of gang member Harry [aka “Mr. Robinson”], played by Peter Sellers, is disposed of. ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ marked Alexander Mackendrick’s last film adventure on the British streets before he took off for the sunnier, altogether to less grimy streets of Hollywood.
According to the film's producer that in his autobiography “Michael Balcon Presents . . . A Lifetime of Films,” screenwriter William Rose “literally dreamed up ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ the germ of the idea came to him while he was asleep and at a time when he confessed that his brain was barren of ideas. William Rose had been working at high pressure and felt creatively exhausted. Happily for us, he recalled the dream one day while talking with director Alexander Mackendrick, and so was born the story of the somewhat pixilated old lady getting involved in the doings of an extraordinary gang of crooks.” The interesting thing about ‘THE LADYKILLERS,’ which is set in a precisely detailed world of English manners and tradition, is the fact that William Rose was actually an American, who defected to Canada prior to World War II and joined the army there, later coming back to England where he attempted to enter the film industry and eventually went to work at the Ealing Studios where he worked on ‘Genevieve’ [1953], ‘Touch and Go’ [1955] and other feature films.
Other cast members who would go on to greater fame and fortune after ‘THE LADYKILLERS,’ were Kenneth Connor as the Cab Driver (uncredited) and Frankie Howard as The Barrow Boy, who appeared in several of the popular British Carry On comedy films and, of course, Herbert Lom, who would team up with Peter Sellers years later, playing his nemesis in a series of the iconic Pink Panther films. ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ marked Alexander Mackendrick 's final film for the Ealing Studios; and he soon departed for America where he would direct the film ‘Sweet Smell of Success’ in 1957, and a film which was a complete departure from his forte, especially British comedy films.
Celebrating its 65th Anniversary ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ was the last of the legendary Ealing Comedies, a totally subversively amusing caper that proves the undeniable civilising force of charming female influence. The female in question is Katie Johnson as Mrs. Wilberforce, a genteel little old lady who agrees to let a suite of rooms in her St Pancras abode to a ghoulish looking “musicians” and the unfeasible denture wearing Sir Alex Guinness. As we soon discover, his intentions are far from honourable when joined by a motley crew of what turns out to be rather gentlemanly crooks, that included Peter Sellers, Herbert Lom, Cecil Parker and Danny Green. ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ reflects on the kindness of strangers – but reminds us never to look a gift horse in the mouth – in a world that sadly no longer exists.
‘THE LADYKILLERS’ was the last Technicolor three-strip film shot in Britain. Restoration-wise the 35mm Technicolor print was used as a reference for the Technicolor grade to ensure the new HDR Dolby Vision master stayed true to the film’s original 1950s ‘Colour by Technicolor’ look. In total the remaster benefitted from over a 1000 hours’ worth of 4K digital restoration to achieve this sparkling new digital print.
THE LADYKILLERS MUSIC TRACK LIST
Minuet in E major (uncredited) (Written by Luigi Boccherini and was arranged for string ensemble) [played on the phonograph whenever the robbers are pretending to be practicing]
SILVER THREADS AMONG THE GOLD (1873) (Music by H.P. Danks) (Lyrics by Eben E. Rexford) [played and sung in the parlour of Mrs. Wilberforce's house]
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Blu-ray Image Quality – Ealing Studios and STUDIOCANAL presents us the film ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ with a spectacular Technicolor image and enhanced with a 1.37:1 aspect ratio and the bonus 1.66:1 aspect ratio that has been completely remastered. ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ offers a stunning knockout 1080p image transfer for an Ealing Studios classic vintage British comedy film. This new Blu-ray release accurately displays the restored negatives in the manner they were originally shot to generate an image capable of showing off the film with its best image presentation so far. STUDIOCANAL’s new 2020 release transfer looks even much improved for its 1955 release. Fine object details comes close to the clarity of a modern production film, and it's a natural element of the period in which the classic film was shot. Regarding the black levels, contrast, and colouring, the film has never looked better. In the end, fans of ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ and the classic cinema in general will be very pleased with the stunning visual upgrade with this 2020 STUDIOCANAL’s Blu-ray release. Please Note: Playback Region B/2: This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray region specifications.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – Ealing Studios and STUDIOCANAL brings us the film ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ with an upgraded 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo experience. This welcome audio upgrade offers a very subtle increase in its brilliant audio clarity and has brilliant gains in the audio balance. Listening to the dialogue audio track, I never noticed a shred of distortion, hiss, or dropout, and the vocal nuances of each actor character were reproduced with the highest level of accuracy. Environmental sound effects are well-balanced with the rest of the elements in the audio mix without coming across overbearing, and the whimsical musical score by first-time composer Tristram Cary adds a brilliant touch of character to the overall track. In my assessment, this is a perfectly capable audio experience that remains true to the nature of the original sound recording of this upgraded 2020 STUDIOCANAL Blu-ray release.
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Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Includes the feature film in both 1.37:1 and 1.66:1 aspect ratios and it is the first time both have been available together. When choosing the aspect ratio you prefer to watch the film, we are informed: In the 1950’s widescreen formats were evolving at pace with studios and exhibitors looking for an advantage over television, which was becoming more prevalent. However, different studios had differing widescreen technology and due to filmmakers, they would often shoot multiple formats in mind and films would often be released in various aspect ratios.
Special Feature: Investigating ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ [2020] [1080p] [1.78:1 / 1.37:1] [40:08] With this new special feature focuses on the lasting appeal and cinematic brilliance of the Ealing Studios classic film ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ and includes clips from interviews with Stuart Maconie, Catherine Shoard, Terrence Davis, Reece Shearsmith and Ronald Harwood. Stuart Maconie informs us that when he was a child remembers seeing the film ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ one afternoon on British Television and since then has watched the film about 12 times and also feels the Ealing Studios were iconic filmmakers and there are at least five of their films that are up there with the best and the top of everyone else’s favourite comedy film, and of course especially the film ‘The Lavender Hill Mob’ [1951] and praises William Rose (story/screenplay) and Alexander Mackendrick (Director) for their efforts in producing such wonderful iconic films. Catherine Shoard as a young child growing up, they only had three VHS tapes of films and one of them was ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ which they watch so many times, the tape got worn out. Terrence Davis informs us that when he was 11 years of age, was taken to the cinema to see the film ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ and fell in love with the film instantly. Reece Shearsmith feels the film ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ is one of those light bulb moment in one’s life, and feels the film is definitely for me in many ways, and also feels the Ealing Studios has made films for his personal taste, because it was that delicious moments you get to see in their films, where the marrying of comedy and dark themes, and especially very dark humour, and shaped Reece Shearsmith’s future career prospects. Reece Shearsmith in his youth came aware of the Ealing Studios name and its films and especially seeing the film ‘Kind Hearts and Coronets’ [1949] and could not at the time realise why Ealing Studios became so enamoured in his life by its unique comedy genre, and its brand of film he would always look out for when being released in the cinema. But of course all contributors point out the story surrounding the film ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ and is a very simple one, in which a group of five men work out a heist robbery for a large some on British bank notes, and they use an old lady’s home as there hideout and disguise themselves as a string quintet musicians, but as always their plan goes seriously wrong and eventually all five of them get bumped off one by one. We find out the scenario came to William Rose in a dream, and immediately wrote out the plot line, and of course it was perfect in its concept and has a strange nightmarish quality in certain elements in its outline, and of course it is brilliantly comedic about how the five criminals get trapped in the house when the old lady realises who they really are. Also the ambience of the film does not seem quite real, especially in England in 1955, and of course it is a perfect 90 minute film and nothing is wasted, because director Alexander Mackendrick (September 8, 1912 – December 22, 1993) was American-Scottish director and was born in Boston, Massachusetts and later moved to Scotland and so made his an outsider and had clarity in his vision in showing the eccentric side of British humour and especially the eccentric British character actors, and their moral outlooks, and especially making the criminals look stupid and pathetic. Alexander Mackendrick had a mantra in saying “Laughter without sympathy is intolerable,” and that is what you get in the film ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ and it has the best kind of joke. The contributors now talk about the cast and especially the main actors and start to talk about Sir Alec Guinness, who of course is superb as Professor Marcus and was also brilliant in the various characters in the film ‘Kind Hearts and Coronets’ and was the linchpin as Professor Marcus is in control of the other four criminals, and the contributors feels like a homage to Alfred Hitchcock and Fritz Lang, especially by the director Alexander Mackendrick, who loved to see the expressions of the actors faces in their films. So when it comes to Professor Marcus and his expressions, they feel he is very sinister and disturbing at the same time, but it was all done by very clever editing, and of course it is all down to the brilliant performance of Sir Alec Guinness, and we find out a bit of bonus information regarding Sir Alec Guinness, is the fact he felt the part was ideal for Alistair Sim, who in fact was offered the part, but had to turn it down because he had another engagement. All contributors say they thought the actress Katie Johnson who played Mrs. Wilberforce was utterly brilliant and so perfect for the part and became an instant overnight star in ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ and especially at a late stage in her life and was 80 years of age, and sadly just before the film was released Katie Johnson passed away and never got to see the finished film. All contributors give great praise about the actor Peter Sellers and his character in the film, especially playing the Teddy boy, and the director Alexander Mackendrick hired Peter Sellers because he was a massive fan of The Goon Show Radio programme, that was originally produced and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960, and they point out that Peter Seller’s character was very vulnerable and very scared he might say something wrong to Mrs. Wilberforce. They also give great praise to the actor Herbert Lom’s character performance in the film and was one of his first comedy film and of course played his part brilliantly as very menacing, which in the is very comedic, in also at the same time very menacing. They also give great praise to the composer Tristram Cary who composed such wonderful evocative music for the film, especially with the opening music for the start of the film, and also the use of sound was superb, especially when each criminal was bumped off and fell into the empty train trucks and also the amazing whistle of the steam trains. All of the contributors talk about the “Dark Themes” in British films in the 1950’s and especially coming out of the Ealing Studios films, that did extremely well at the box office in British cinemas, and on top of all that, they feel the British public are the only people in the world who love a really spooky Ghost Story around Christmas time, and again that is why the film ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ worked so well. What was also very indicative of the film is the start of the film with the overhead crane shot looking down on Mrs. Wilberforce Victorian house and the fact the house is lopsided with subsidence and at the back is modern 1959’s Britain and the sight of the new steam trains coming in and out of King’s Cross station. All of the contributors get around talking about the brilliant cinematographer Otto Heller and although it was in Technicolor, it still had the style of a “film noire” film genre, and every shot done by Otto Heller was a total masterpiece of image presentation, and a heightened sense of reality, as well as slightly unreality at the same time. All of the contributors now talk about the Ealing Studios and the people who set it up, and of course it was Michael Bolton and everyone worked together as a team to make good classic professional films, and when Michael Bolton passed away also left a great legacy for British cinema that were sheer genius, and the contributors also feel that the films ‘Paddington’ and ‘Paddington 2’ are definitely homage to the Ealing Studios comedy films, and the criminals that Paddington me in ‘Paddington 2’ were sheer Ealing Studios comedy characters. They say that there are still people out there who have never seen the film ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ and should be made to sit down and made to watch it and on top of all that, we have come to associate ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ with The Beatles, Monty Python and S William Shakespeare, that is 100% pure British and of a slice of British life that has been seen around the world. At that point this special feature ends and is quite interesting hearing everyone’s comments about Ealing Studios and of course the film ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ and is well worth viewing. Contributors include: Stuart Maconie [Broadcaster and Author], Catherine Shoard [Film Editor/The Guardian], Terrence Davis [Writer/Director], Reece Shearsmith [Actor/Writer] and Ronald Harwood [Author].
Special Feature: Colour in ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ [2020] [1080p] [1.78:1 / 1.37:1] [15:38] With this new video interview, Professor Keith Johnston [Reader in Film & Television Studies at University of East Anglia], he discusses the visual style of the Technicolour scheme for ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ film and also feels it is a good example of a totally excellent Technicolor and ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ film was the last one to be made in Technicolor and cinematographer Otto Heller and director Alexander Mackendrick wanted to make the film in Technicolor to show off all aspects of British life in the 1950’s. Otto Heller and Alexander Mackendrick wanted to control the colour for different scenes to highlight what you are experiencing in presenting the best Technicolor can achieve, so that it did not overwhelm a scene in the film, but when it came to the red telephone box, they wanted to highlighted to make it stand out in that scene. But when it came to Mrs. Wilberforce gothic Victorian house, they wanted a much more subtle toned down colour scheme. But Technicolor was much more at home at the Ealing Studios because they could control the colour scheme so much better, because they did not have to worry about filming outside scenes because you cannot control the weather, but with the scenes inside King’s Cross station, they wanted it to have a much more natural look when filming. Otto Heller was a master at cinematography and had a background working in British films, especially in “film noire” genre, like the film ‘They made Me A Fugitive’ and had been in a couple of other films before embarking on ‘THE LADYKILLERS,’ both Otto Heller and Alexander Mackendrick wanted lots of strong dark shadows to enhance the film, especially in Mrs. Wilberforce house. In the early days of Technicolor films, the British audiences enjoyed them immensely and especially the American Technicolor films like ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood,’ but there were also lots of British Technicolor films being released at the same time in the 1930’s era, like the film ‘Wings of the Morning,’ but it was in the 1940’s that British Technicolor films flourished like ‘Henry V,’ ‘A Matter of Life and Death’ and ‘The Red Shoes,’ but the output was very limited because black-and-white films were much cheaper to make. Around 1948 Ealing Studios got into their stride in making Technicolor films and they were ‘Saraband of Dead Lovers’ and ‘Scott of the Antarctica’ which were high quality drama films. But other film studios who wanted to make films in Technicolor concentrated more on historical drama films to highlight the colourful costumes, colourful outdoor scenes and especially inside historical buildings. Other well-known cinematographers were also hired by Ealing Studios and the most prominent one was Douglas Slocombe OBE, BSC, ASC, in the 1940’s and 1950’s, as well as the first three Indiana Jones films and always helped to make films look very atmospheric, especially with darker scenes, which he was able to make them look very subtle, compared to American Technicolor films, and another film Douglas Slocombe was involved with was ‘The Titfield Thunderbolt’ [1953]. But eventually over a period of time Ealing Studios released at 40 films in colour, that included ‘The Love Letter’ [1940] which the main location was Italy that really highlighted the Technicolor process. But sadly over time people would only remember the Black-and-White film output with films like ‘Passport To Pimlico,’ ‘Kind Hearts & Coronets,’ ‘The Blue Lamp’ and ‘The Cruel Sea.’ But Ealing Studios was prepared to take a risk with their colour films and started to make Technicolor widescreen films in the 1950’s, especially in the Technirama aspect ratio like the film ‘Davy’ [1958] that starred Harry Secombe. So ends this particular special feature and right at the end it states, With thanks to Keith Johnson and The Media Suite @ The Univerity of East Anglia, Norwich.
Special Feature: Lobby Cards Gallery: Here we get to view a collection of 8 colour original lobby cards for ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ film. To advance the images you have to press the right hand NEXT button on your remote control. To EXIT you have to press the Top Menu button on your remote control that takes you back to the Menu.
Special Feature: Behind the Scenes Gallery: Here we get to view a collection of 21 black-and-white behind-the-scenes stills from the production for the film ‘THE LADYKILLERS.’
Audio commentary with Author and Film Historian Scholar Philip Kemp: Author and Film Historian Scholar Philip Kemp deliver’s a well-researched audio commentary, and introduces himself and says that for those who enjoy voice over audio commentaries he will be talking through the release of the last of the great Ealing comedies and director Alexander Mackendrick’s film ‘THE LADYKILLERS.’ Although his delivery is rather dry and I felt like it was too much like Philip Kemp was reading from a script rather than reacting to what he saw in the film, which is understandable considering all the information he offers, but at the same time after a while he starts rambling on about other films relating to the Ealing Studios and is very off putting, but at least the audio commentary track does have a wealth of information collected by Philip Kemp is astounding, especially from conversations on the set to anecdotes regarding Alexander Mackendrick's compulsive desire for perfection, Philip Kemp literally transports viewers back to 1955. Though Ealing comedies are known and loved the world over, and sadly the run of their classic comedies had a short life and it started with the film ‘Hue and Cry’ [1947] and when ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ was eventually released, and the popularity of Ealing Studios output had started to lose its momentous, but late entrants like the film ‘The Titfield Thunderbolt’ [1953] were charged with being far too cosy and not very adventurous and eventually the last Ealing Studios masterpiece was released and the very black humour film ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ and was the last film to be produced at the Ealing Studios and eventually was sold to the BBC. Philip Kemp starts to talk about the two main characters in the film and they were Mrs. Wilberforce and her ramshackle Victorian Gothic house near to St Pancras Station in London. Philip Kemp tells the story that I have already mentioned elsewhere the story of the American William Rose [story/screenplay] who had a dream about the film ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ who also did the screenplay for the films ‘Genevieve’ [1953] and ‘The Smallest Show on Earth’ [1957], but unfortunately when teaming up with director Alexander Mackendrick to make the Ealing comedy film, had a small falling out, but after Alexander Mackendrick reading William Rose’s draft for the film, which he fell in love with, and with a smooth talk by Alexander Mackendrick to William Rose, everything was back on track and eventually they both went to Michael Balcon [Film producer] to present the outline of the film and after some enthusiastic long discussions the project was given the green light to shoot the film and over a three month period they started to have regular conferences and fleshing out ideas and it seems William Rose without realising it, might have been influenced by the film ‘The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse’ [1938] that was scripted by John Houston and John Wexley and is about Dr. Clitterhouse is a brilliant psychiatrist who is fascinated with the working of a criminal mind. To observe their behavioural actions, he himself starts working closely with professional criminals. One interesting fact we hear about, is that they were going to hire Sir Richard Attenborough because of his early career as an actor in British films, but in the end they changed their minds. But of course the ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ had the most professional British actors to really act out this amazing black comedy film of all time. Director Alexander Mackendrick was keen to hire Peter Sellers as one of the villains because he was a massive fan of the BBC Radio Show “The Goon Show” and the way he uses his voice to create different characters was a bonus, and Peter Sellers does all the voices for Mrs. Wilberforce’s 3 parrots. The biggest casting was of course Mrs. Wilberforce’s lopsided Gothic Victorian House and Alexander Mackendrick who original was a trained artist and sketched what sort of house he wanted to look like, and sent out his staff to search all over London for a suitable house around North London and no suitable house could be found, and because Alexander Mackendrick was a perfectionist, decided to actually built the house to his specific drawings and of course they found the perfect location of a cul-de-sac that backed onto the railways line, which was roughly one mile from St Pancras Station, and of course for film fans in search of the famous house will be sadly disappointed, because it was built of very thick plasterboard and was completely demolished as soon as the shooting had been completely finished. Director Alexander Mackendrick demanded total realism when it came to the stolen Sterling Pound Notes and usually with type of thing they usually print what they call Mickey Mouse notes, and again Alexander Mackendrick demanded something totally convincing and held out for real Sterling Pound Notes, and contacted the HM Treasury, but instead they were able to supply really realistic looking Sterling Pound Notes, but while filming those particular scenes, they had to have security there all of the time to make sure people did not want to have some for souvenirs, but of course the other reason Alexander Mackendrick wanted the £60,000 Sterling Pound Notes to see it could all fit into a Cello case, and sent one of his staff off to the local bank to see if could be done for real, and with the Manger’s cooperation they filled the Cello case with the bank notes, and the maximum they could put into the Cello case was actually £60,000 and was a most haul in those days. To check out the plan of the robbery, Alexander Mackendrick went to Scotland Yard for their help, especially the police worked in cooperation with the film ‘The Blue Lamp,’ so Alexander Mackendrick asked the Chief Inspector to read the script and to let him know if the robbery in ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ could be executed, and after sometime the Chief Inspector came back to Alexander Mackendrick and told him to stick to filming, and specifically asked if the robbery was realistic enough and the answer came back “All too well.” Then Philip Kemp talks about the structure of the film ‘THE LADYKILLERS,’ especially the Victorian Gothic House, the five criminals and especially Mrs. Wilberforce and how the robbery was is going to happen and eventually Philip Kemp details the exact plan of the robbery, but of course the robbery does not go to plan and of course one by one the five criminals near the end of the film get their comeuppance and one by one through circumstances get bumped off and the little old lady Mrs. Wilberforce is able to keep the loot out of this hilarious dark black humorous film. But before filming was started Sir Alec Guinness was so meticulous in his preparation for the character of Professor Marcus and Alexander Mackendrick was totally fascinated in observing Sir Alec Guinness preparation and after several false starts, Sir Alec Guinness finally perfected the character of Professor Marcus, and having the false teeth was so genius and made him look very sinister. Because William Rose had a sensitive nature and when near him he could hear people making jokes and he thought they were aimed at him and stormed off the set and only three quarters of the screenplay had been finished, to the point where the first victim was bumped off and falling into the empty train truck, and so the last part of the screenplay was written by Alexander Mackendrick and Seth Holt. We also find out that this was Alexander Mackendrick first colour film, but secretly preferred to work in black-and-white. Eventually Alexander Mackendrick left Ealing Studios because he felt restricted in what type of films he wanted to direct. With the composer Tristram Cary was invited by Alexander Mackendrick was keen for him to compose the film score music for the film and wanted Tristram Cary to also do the sound effects and he especially did the sounds of the steam trains whistle. We also find out that there was some classic scenes in the screenplay that eventually did not get filmed, but what I heard was totally hilariously funny and what a shame they were not included in the finished film When we get to Chapter 6, Philip Kemp now turns his attention where we get to the classic aspect of the heist in the film, that was originally laid down by direct John Houston in his film ‘The Asphalt Jungle’ [1950] or like the scenario in the French film ‘Rififi’ [1955] or even Stanley Kubrick’s film ‘The Killing’ [1956], where at first the criminals feel they have certain skills in knowing how perform a robbery to the last detail and try not to get caught, but in the second half of the heist, as usual the crime all falls apart, and of course its plot structure lends it well in its comic treatment, and there is something inherently funny in watching an elaborate structured scheme disintegrate at a tug of a loose thread, but also restores the element of danger, especially when it is very stylised and at the same time unreal, but also at the same time a menace of a nightmare scenario, and the way the moment starts to fall apart when the strap of the Cello case gets trapped in the door that Mrs. Wilberforce had closed, and from here on it is all downhill, and here on sweet innocent little Mrs. Wilberforce becomes transformed to something that is far more formidable. Philip Kemp mentions the Joel Coen and Ethan Coen collectively referred to as the Coen Brothers and their attempt at the re-make of the 2004 ‘The Ladykillers’ who Philip Kemp thinks the Coen Brothers are normally exceptional in directing films, but of course their version of ‘The Ladykillers’ was a big fat turkey and was a massive box office failure and especially with the critics and the box office receipts and it is not hard to see why, because the relocation was America and the Deep South, but in place of Mrs. Wilberforce, their heroine was a tough outspoken little old black lady called Irma P. Hall as Marva Munson, a well-meaning, God-fearing elderly widow who balls out the white Sheriff Wyner, the lazy sheriff of Saucier in his office because she knows a college professor Goldthwaite Higginson Dorr, Ph.D., has gathered a bunch of thieves and hatches a plan to rob a casino, and we know from the start that Marva Munson is one tough cookie and more than a match to those low life lodging in her house, and the central plot of the film is lost. Now about three quarters well into the original ‘THE LADYKILLERS,’ Mrs. Wilberforce gives a right moral telling off to the criminals, especially turning into a dreaded nanny, and immediately paralyses them all with her dominating stare and seeing Professor Marcus peering shame faced over the incriminating robbery headline in the newspaper, and like a small boy caught with a catapulted, and slaps Louis [Herbert Lom] on the wrist. Then the criminals have to endure all of Mrs. Wilberforce’s elderly lady friends, especially when they sing “SILVER THREADS AMONG THE GOLD” and one of the last lines of the chorus says, “Life is fading fast away” which is so apt for the criminals, but not for the old ladies, and at this moment in time, the criminals have about 12 hours left in their lives, bit of course they do not know their fate. When the film ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ was released, a lot of people who viewed the film were quite shocked by the fact that all of the gang got killed off, as they felt they were too loveable, but Alexander Mackendrick was extremely good at laying down fuses that people did not expect with the gang’s comeuppance and everything in ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ is laid out with beautiful dramatic inevitability, especially in the first 10 to 15 minutes of the film and especially making a very well constructive film overall and Alexander Mackendrick always use to say, “That action should derive from the character and not the other way round,” and puts this mantra into great effect, especially for the film ‘THE LADYKILLERS.’ As to Mrs. Wilberforce, especially when leaving the police station, because the police thinks Mrs. Wilberforce may of dreamed up the scenario about the bank heist and accepts the outcome while walking back to her home, and a very interesting point Philip Kemp points out, that the chimney that came down with the Major is still there, so perhaps the whole situation that happened to Mrs. Wilberforce, was actually a dream after all. And so ends this audio commentary that was partly interesting, but a lot of the time Philip Kemp does go off rambling in lots of different directions on information about other films that came out of the Ealing Studios, but instead should stick to information about ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ as Philip Kemp certainly likes the sound of his own voice and after a while you wish he would be silent much more often now and again. So all in all I can only give a 3 star rating for his effort in doing this audio commentary.
Special Feature: Forever Ealing [2002] [1080i / 1080p] [1.37:1] [49:37] Channel 4 Television presents the “Forever Ealing” documentary and is narrated by Daniel Day-Lewis and is a relatively plain and straightforward documentary about England’s Ealing Studios, which during its heyday in the 1940’s and 1950’s and turned out some truly memorable, intensely witty dark comedies. Ealing Studios was founded in 1902, and its history summarizes the cinematic century and especially from their silent films through to the ultimate dominance of television especially via the BBC owned the studio for a time and the struggling economics of the present day. The documentary gives a nod to all the eras, but Ealing Studios would simply be a footnote in cinematic history and several of their soundstages were homes to good work and were it not for the slew of mid-century classics that share a uniquely British humour, drier than dry. They were produced under the studio reign of Michael Balcon, whose grandson Daniel Day-Lewis narrates. The most famous of the films is probably the ever-delicious ‘Kind Hearts and Coronets’ [1949], in which Sir Alec Guinness plays multiple roles as related members of a family murdered by a serial killer who’s clearing the path between himself and a dukedom. For good measure, he plays all the relatives, too. There was also ‘The Lavender Hill Mob’ a witty crime comedy also starring Sir Alec Guinness. And, praised in this documentary as the jewel in the crown, was the film ‘THE LADYKILLER’ [1955], and was an ensemble black comedy about the doomed efforts of bumbling assassins to kill the epitome of the little old lady. Along with interviews with a screenwriter, cinematographer and some surviving actors, “Forever Ealing” throws in tributes by contemporary directors who were affected by the films. Martin Scorsese claims, not particularly believably, that ‘Kind Hearts and Coronets’ had an impact on the film ‘GoodFellas’ [1990] Terry Gilliam, more believably, refers to clips that have been a direct influence for the film ‘Brazil’ [1985]. Stephen Frears and John Landis talk more generally but with the same clear enthusiasm. It’s the glee they emit when discussing the movies that really matters in “Forever Ealing,” telling viewers there’s something particular about this distinctive collection of comedies that makes Ealing Studios live on. To emphasise the massive output of classic films from the Ealing Studios we get clips from the following films: ‘The Impassive Footman’ [1932], ‘Sing As We Go!’ [1934], ‘Trouble Brewing’ [1939], The Big Blockade’ [1942], ‘The Goode Steps Out’ [1942], San Demetrio London’ [1943], ‘Dead of Night’ [1945], ‘The Captive Heart’ [1946], ‘It Always Tains On Sunday’ [1947], ‘Hue and Cry’ [1947], ‘Scott Of The Antarctic’ [1948], ‘Passport To Pimlico’ [1949], ‘Kind Hearts and Coronets’ [1949], ‘The Lavender Hill Mob’ [1951], ‘The Man In The White Suit’ [1951], ‘The Cruel Sea’ [1953], ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ [1955] and ‘The Importance Of Being Earnest’ [2003]. Contributors include: Daniel Day-Lewis [Narrator], Jill Balcon [Wife of Cecil Day-Lewis], Googie Withers [Actress], John McCallum [Actor], Lord Richard Attenborough [Actor / Producer / Director], Sir John Mills [Actor / Producer / Director], Derek Bond [Actor / Writer], Martin Scorsese [Producer / Director / Writer], Douglas Slocombe [Director of Photography], Philip Kemp [Film Historian], Stephen Frears [Director], Terry Gilliam [Director], John Landis [Director], Barnaby Thompson [Head of Studio, Ealing], Colin Firth [Actor] and Rupert Everett [Actor].
Special Feature: Peter Sellers Spoof Trailer [Audio only] [1955] [1080p] [1.78:1] [7:04] Here we are presented with a rare spoof trailer for the film ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ that was put together by Peter Sellers. In his biography of Peter Sellers, Ed Sikov [American Author] writes that towards the end of production of ‘THE LADYKILLERS,’ Peter Sellers “showed up with his own limited-edition work of audio art – a spoof trailer” for which Peter Sellers provided all of the voices, including the five other actors of the film Sir Alec Guinness, Cecil Parker, Herbert Lom, Danny Green, Katie Johnson, director Alexander “Sandy” Mackendrick, cameraman Otto Heller and assistant director Tom Pevsner. With thanks to Tom Pevsner and Paul Cronin. You also get to view lots of still images relating to the film ‘THE LADYKILLERS.’ This is totally hilarious!
Special Feature: Locations Featurette with Alan Dein [2015] [1080p] [1.78:1 / 1.37:1] [9:50] Here we have the BBC Radio 4's Alan Dein [Broadcaster and Oral Historian] with his special anniversary film talk tour and we also get screenings of some of the iconic comedy clips from the film ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ and pointing out at the same time where it was actually filmed. It is 65 years since the release of this iconic classic comedy film by Ealing Studios and the tour starts off in Argyle Street that was repeatedly used throughout the film and also the main view of Mrs. Wilberforce’s house and was just a prop that was built in Frederica Street, London. We also find out that the famous Red Telephone Box that is used by the Professor and the Major that is no longer there. Next location is St. Chad's Street, Kings Cross, London WC1H 8BD, where the Major bumps into Peter Sellers and where the police delivers the trunk full of the stolen money. The next location is Field Street, Kings Cross, London WC1X 9DA and this is where the abandoned car was filmed. Allen Dein also gives us more views around the King’s Cross area where a lot of the filming was shot and the director Alexander MacKendrick loved the area a lot in 1955, as it still had that Dickensian look of the 1880’s and the spot where Mrs. Wilberforce house was built and was on top of the Copenhagen Tunnel where the actors get bumped off and at that point we get few moments near the end of the film and without warning suddenly ends abruptly, but despite this, Allen Dein does a brilliant job with this special feature. This definitely gets a top rated 5 star rating. Due to some unknown reason, this special feature with Allen Dein stops abruptly and they could of at least they could of added some end credits towards tis feature.
Special Feature: Audio Interview with Assistant Director Tom Pevsner [2014] [1080p] [1.78:1] [91:35] With this particular interview, we are not informed who conducted the interview, but I can tell you it is totally boring, as the interviewer is so monotonous and has not done his homework. Tom Pevsner was born on the 2nd October, 1926 in Dresden, Germany, and was the son of the distinguished architectural historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner. Tom Pevsner’s parents were German and were originally from Russia, and due to a decline in the fur trade, moved to Europe. Tom Pevsner eventually entered the film industry under the direction of Sir Michael Balcon at the famed Ealing Studios. He eventually became a third assistant director and moved up to first Assistant Director with Ealing Studios productions, such as ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ [1955]. Tom Pevsner later served as Associate Producer on such films as ‘A High Wind in Jamaica’ [1965], Fred Zinnemann's ‘JULIA’ [1977] and John Badham's ‘DRACULA’ [1979]. Tom Pevsner served as Executive Producer for the first and only time on the 1995 relaunch of the James Bond films. Tom Pevsner, sadly passed away on the 18th August, 2014. Please Note: This audio interview you get to view several black-and-white and colour still images of cast and crew involved with the film ‘THE LADYKILLERS.’
Special Feature: Audio Interview with Unit Production Manager David Peers [2014] [1080p] [1.78:1] [92:34] Once again we have this boring monotonous idiot doing another audio interview. David Peers was born in 1924 in London in the Notting Hill Gate area, which was his home and working area for most of his life, but now resides in the countryside. When he as 9 years of age his Parents sent him up to a boarding school in Yorkshire, which always departed from King’s Cross Station. David Peers informs us of a tragic fire that happened with one of carriages caught fire on the journey up to Yorkshire, where six boys were killed, but luckily David had a lucky escape. In 1942 David Peers entered the army and spent the rest of that period in the Second World War. He is asked how he became involved with the film industry, which all came about via his father, who was one of the earliest pioneers in the film industry in. David Peers then went onto the Gate Film Studios, and then moved onto the Ealing Studios. David Peers talk about Ealing Studios and Michael Balcon who had a moral outlook. David Peers praised the direct Alexander MacKendrick and David Peers does most of the talking thank goodness and is a joy to listen to and is also totally fascinating and very informative on his life and times in the film industry and it is a sheer delight and joyous 1 hour 32 minutes and 34 seconds. Please Note: This audio interview you get to view several black-and-white and colour still images of cast and crew involved with the film ‘THE LADYKILLERS.’
Special Feature: BBC Omnibus: ‘MADE IN EALING’ clip [1986] [1080i] [1.37:1[ [6:49] The following short excerpt we get to view is taken from the BBC TV Omnibus Series entitled ‘MADE IN EALING’ that was first broadcast in 1986. This documentary clip informs us about Ealing Studios, which under Michael Balcon flourished from the 1930s to 50s to produce a strain of highly influential British films. In its heyday more than 50 film crews used Ealing as their HQ, with cutting rooms, developing facilities, telecine machines and studio spaces for filming inserts which appeared in some of the most famous programmes of the era; the filmed sequences of ‘Cathy Come Home’ and ‘Z-Cars’ were edited here and ‘Quatermass and the Pit,’ ‘Colditz’ and ‘The Singing Detective’ were completed here. The BBC sold the studios to the National Film and Television School (NFTS) in 1995 and they have now reverted to their original use as a film and television studio. We get to view a plethora of clips from the film ‘THE LADYKILLERS.’ Contributors include: William Rose [Screenwriter] and Alexander Mackendrick [Director].
Theatrical Trailer [1955] [1080i] [1.37:1] [2:35] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ and it is a totally brilliant trailer presentation and especially with the over excited voice over announcer and is as good as the film itself.
Finally, ‘THE LADYKILLERS’ is a must-own this 2020 upgraded Blu-ray title, especially for all fans of classic Ealing Studios dark comedy films. Because it combines lasting appeal, a first-rate professional cast actors, exceptional directing, and very clever witty dialogue, and the film's relevance is undeniable. This new high-definition presentation offers a definitive technical upgraded presentation that exceeds all prior previous Blu-ray disc releases in every possible way, while also managing to deliver an extensive brilliant supplemental package of value-added material. If you've been waiting for the right time to buy ‘THE LADYKILLERS,’ then this special upgraded 2020 Blu-ray release, then this is the one for you. Very Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
