DVD Reviews

The Ladykillers - Blu-ray Review

By Jeff Swindoll Feb 17, 2010, 15:17 GMT

Called "one of the greatest comedies ever made” by ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, THE LADYKILLERS showcases Alec Guinness in one of his most unforgettable performances as Professor Marcus, mastermind of a gang of vicious bank robbers who rent a room from an elderly widow. But when the dear old woman begins to meddle in their "perfect crime,” the crooks decide that she might pose the biggest threat of all. Co-starring Peter Sellers ...more

Hilarity is the name of the game in the Ladykillers.  Ealing Studios fantastic comedy makes the leap to high definition and the laughs keep on rolling in.  Add in some great special features and you’ve got a sting quartet of comedy.  Play on.  

Mrs. Louisa Wilberforce (Katie Johnson) is the neighborhood busybody nosy-old-lady.  She lives in her uneven, sloping house with the memories of her late husband and her parrot.  She does however have some rooms for rent. 

Her door is darkened by Professor Marcus (the divine Alec Guinness) who rents the aforementioned room and tells Mrs. Wilberforce that he is part of an amateur string quartet and that they’ll be practicing in his rooms.  His partners in musical “crime” include Major Courtney (Cecil Parker), the thuggish One-Round (Danny Green), the skittish Harry Robinson (Peter Sellers), and the dark Louis Harvey (Herbert Lom). 

One look at this crew and we realize that music is not what they’re up to.  This turns out to be the case as Professor Marcus is a criminal mastermind that his planning on robbing the nearby King’s Cross station.  The group plans the event while playing a record of a string quartet, the mobsters with instruments at the ready in case Mrs. Wilberforce knocks on the door. 

You’d think they’d bumble it at first but the Professor’s plan goes off swimmingly.  Trouble soon arises when Mrs. Wilberforce realizes what is going on and threatens to go to the authorities.  Now somebody has to do away with the old bird… hilarity ensues.  

Leonard Maltin quipped that even Alec Guinness’ teeth were funny in the film.  True enough.  Guinness’ choppers, of course housed in the genius cranium of himself who is aping Alastair Sim (so much so that some think that it IS Sim in the role), are given ample support by a host of Brit performers.

If we were to award the top performance of the film, Guinness would find himself upstaged by Katie Johnson.  She wasn’t a known entity, only appearing in bit parts, but the old girl has some stuff left in her as she shines in the role of the force-of-nature Mrs. Wilberforce. 

That she stands head and shoulders over the others is a tribute to her hereto unused skills.  It’s a performance for the ages, maybe so as Johnson would die a year after the film was released.  Her performance would win her a BAFTA as best British actress so it’s good to go out on top I suppose. 

Those expecting hijinks will find more of a gentle British comedy, but the laughs just keep on coming.  They kick into high gear when our villains decide that the old lady should be shuffled off and they find that it’s them that are done in by her inactivity.  The Ladykillers was my introduction to the jewel that was Ealing Studios, sadly it was towards the end of the studio’s life but as with Johnson the old girl still had some magic left in her. 

It pains me, and Sir Alec as well, that a generation only knows him from his role in a certain space opera. They’re missing out on a broad career steeped in fantastic roles in all sorts of films.  The Ladykillers is one of the comedies, but even Sir Alec is upstaged by Katie Johnson.  All are given ample support by a familiar host of Brit actors.  It’s a near perfect sample of British comedy.  

The Ladykillers is presented in fullscreen.  Special features are presented in standard definition, unless noted. 

There’s a commentary with film historian Philip Kemp, a 3 minute introduction with fan director Terry Gilliam, the 49 minute “Forever Ealing” documentary about the studio, a 6 minute “Cleaning up the Ladykillers” restoration demonstration (in high-def), 2 minute trailer (in high-def), and interviews with screenwriter/producer Allan Scott (10 minutes), friend of director Alexander Mackendrick Ronald Howard (7 minutes), and student under Mackendrick director Terence Davies (13 minutes).  There’s also a booklet included in the case.  

The Ladykillers is a high water mark in the realm of British comedy.  Those only familiar with Alec Guinness through that “other film” will see his range as an actor, but he’s bested by Katie Johnson.  An excellent film all around and a grand Blu-ray presentation.  

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