Back from a photo-trek cross freezing, muddy countryside and everything aches - a stack of world and art DVDs to watch, but what do I reach out for?
Well, fairly obviously, this Ealing comedy, that has a take on American gangster flicks of the 40's - you can see, perhaps, shadows of Bogart and Edward G Robinson in there - but typically British, typically London and East End. Being a later Ealing, it's in Technicolor - the vast majority of Ealings from this classic period were in black & white and this one has high production values, some of older, lesser known weren't so good and/or have poorer DVD transfers.
The comedy is quite broad and obvious at times but which disguises a clever story but it is the characters and London scenes that steal it every time. The London before my time but must still be recognisable to many, all bustle and recovering from War.
The casting is sublime, from the wonderfully twee but rather plucky 80 year old Katie Johnson as Mrs Wilberforce (just 'Old Lady' in some credits) but also with a list that includes Herbert Lom, Peter Sellers, Cecil Parker, Danny Green and of course, the gang's smooth-talking leader, Alec Guinness, in a role I don't think he's ever played the like of which before, or since!
Anyway, this mob (with names as Mr Robinson, Mr Harvey, Mr Robinson, reminds one of Tarantino's 'Reservoir Dogs) want an innocent and discrete little pad from which to execute a large bank robbery from and the dappy old dear seems a too perfect landlady to be true. As pretend- musicians she says she doesn't even mind if they practice their instruments!
However, soon, as she innocently meddles in their affairs and we have lumbering crooks climbing out over the roof to try and catch her escaped parrot, they do not realise the trouble she will cause them. As you can imagine, there are lots of opportunities for both witty and visual humour. This is mixed with genuine 'Sweeney' style realism street scenes as the heist takes place. The final scenes include an atmospheric Hitchcockian style suspense scene, with the shunt and puff of steam trains below - and a really great twist...
A young Frankie Howerd has a quick, but amusing run-in with Mrs Wilberforce as a rather old barrow boy but perhaps what made it special for many my father's age was to feature Jack Warner (the incredibly popular and fondly remembered Dixon of Dock Green star, who was pretty much the face of the British 'Bobby' at this time) as the superintendent-in-charge of the case.
Really great films do get remade and Hollywood came knocking a whole half century later, with the Coen bros. casting Tom Hanks into the Alec Guinness role and a Deep South black woman as Mrs Wilberforce. In my opinion - and in my review of it - I feel that this is an adaptation by Americans and for them, not us and should be seen a different film - the humour does not translate, neither, I doubt did this original appeal wholly to the Americans, either.
So, one of the top five Ealings and one of the best British films. I watched it as part of my 'Ealing Comedy DVD Collection', that also includes The Man in the White Suit, The Lavendar Hill Mob and Kind Hearts & Coronets - an essential foursome if there ever was one and an excellent way of getting four of the best Brit flicks, ever!
Well, fairly obviously, this Ealing comedy, that has a take on American gangster flicks of the 40's - you can see, perhaps, shadows of Bogart and Edward G Robinson in there - but typically British, typically London and East End. Being a later Ealing, it's in Technicolor - the vast majority of Ealings from this classic period were in black & white and this one has high production values, some of older, lesser known weren't so good and/or have poorer DVD transfers.
The comedy is quite broad and obvious at times but which disguises a clever story but it is the characters and London scenes that steal it every time. The London before my time but must still be recognisable to many, all bustle and recovering from War.
The casting is sublime, from the wonderfully twee but rather plucky 80 year old Katie Johnson as Mrs Wilberforce (just 'Old Lady' in some credits) but also with a list that includes Herbert Lom, Peter Sellers, Cecil Parker, Danny Green and of course, the gang's smooth-talking leader, Alec Guinness, in a role I don't think he's ever played the like of which before, or since!
Anyway, this mob (with names as Mr Robinson, Mr Harvey, Mr Robinson, reminds one of Tarantino's 'Reservoir Dogs) want an innocent and discrete little pad from which to execute a large bank robbery from and the dappy old dear seems a too perfect landlady to be true. As pretend- musicians she says she doesn't even mind if they practice their instruments!
However, soon, as she innocently meddles in their affairs and we have lumbering crooks climbing out over the roof to try and catch her escaped parrot, they do not realise the trouble she will cause them. As you can imagine, there are lots of opportunities for both witty and visual humour. This is mixed with genuine 'Sweeney' style realism street scenes as the heist takes place. The final scenes include an atmospheric Hitchcockian style suspense scene, with the shunt and puff of steam trains below - and a really great twist...
A young Frankie Howerd has a quick, but amusing run-in with Mrs Wilberforce as a rather old barrow boy but perhaps what made it special for many my father's age was to feature Jack Warner (the incredibly popular and fondly remembered Dixon of Dock Green star, who was pretty much the face of the British 'Bobby' at this time) as the superintendent-in-charge of the case.
Really great films do get remade and Hollywood came knocking a whole half century later, with the Coen bros. casting Tom Hanks into the Alec Guinness role and a Deep South black woman as Mrs Wilberforce. In my opinion - and in my review of it - I feel that this is an adaptation by Americans and for them, not us and should be seen a different film - the humour does not translate, neither, I doubt did this original appeal wholly to the Americans, either.
So, one of the top five Ealings and one of the best British films. I watched it as part of my 'Ealing Comedy DVD Collection', that also includes The Man in the White Suit, The Lavendar Hill Mob and Kind Hearts & Coronets - an essential foursome if there ever was one and an excellent way of getting four of the best Brit flicks, ever!