Lavender Hill Mob (1951)

Prolific Ealing writer T.E.B. Clarke won an Oscar for his deft script for THE LAVENDER HILL MOB. But he was helped greatly by the precise direction and impeccable timing of director Charles Crichton, and by the brilliance of Alec Guinness's performance. When he tries to recruit Mr. Pendlebury (Stanley Holloway) as Pendlebury chips away at one of his sculptures, Guinness circles Holloway, playfully seducing him into the idea of robbery and, as Holloway finally understands the proposition, Guinness looks back over his shoulder like some elfin Lucifer. When the mob goes over its robbery plans, Guinness insists on a detail and Shorty (Alfie Bass) acknowledges that Guinness is the boss. Guinness, concentrating, agrees. Then, as he relaxes and eases back in his chair, Guinness sheds his years of servitude to the bank--Dutch Holland is indeed the boss.


Plot Summary

This classic comedy from Ealing Studios stars Alec Guinness as Holland, a mild-mannered bank clerk who masterminds an ingenious robbery. For the past 20 years, Holland's job has been to escort shipments of gold bullion from refineries to his bank's vaults. However, he's fed up with his lot in life and so decides to team up with three accomplices to smuggle a load of gold from England to France. Holland cooks up a clever, secret plan to melt stolen gold into models of the Eiffel Tower and then ship them off to Paris as souvenirs. Although the scheme seems foolproof, the caper proves tricky to pull off. Soon the motley gang of thieves are being chased through the streets of London--and their stash has fallen into the hands of some very unlikely people. THE LAVENDER HILL MOB is one of the finest comedies to come out of England in the 20th century.