An effective little diversion, "The Lavender Hill Mob" is one of Ealing's most beloved comedies, even if - like much of their output - it isn't exactly filled with hilarity and genuine belly-laughs. Yet it has the best Ealing hallmarks, including another "little man" trying to overcome the authorities and a breezy plot that has a touch of fantasy about it despite being firmly entrenched in the real world.
Alec Guinness gives a wonderful performance as the seemingly meek bank clerk willing to mastermind the greatest gold heist in history, Guinness enriching the character with so many subtle touches that it bears repeated viewings just to realise how great he is; it's not grand, emotional acting, just playing a character and playing it bloody well. Stanley Holloway, whilst not in the same league as Guinness, is also very entertaining to watch and the two actors form a lovable double act. Less can be said about the rest of the cast as the story really only concerns Guinness and Holloway - even Sid James and Alfie Bass, receiving prominent billing, get about 20 minutes of screen time. The cinematography is also notable, particularly the famous sequence of our two stars running down the spiral staircase at the Eiffel Tower which manages to make the viewer feel as giddy as the characters are. It shows how even a small slice of whimsy can be enriched further with a bit of effort; nobody concerned with this film is giving less than 110%.
The only drawbacks to the film are a certain datedness - especially the toe-curling bit where a middle aged police constable sings "Old MacDonald" loudly and happily (did grown men really used to like those songs?) - and the fact that much time is spent on action with the result that there isn't a lot that's actually *funny* in what is supposed to be a comedy. Certainly there are few quotable lines as there isn't a lot of dialogue in the script. However, these problems are slight and "The Lavender Hill Mob" remains a highly enjoyable 80 minutes of whimsical charm. Nobody made such films quite as well as Ealing did.
Alec Guinness gives a wonderful performance as the seemingly meek bank clerk willing to mastermind the greatest gold heist in history, Guinness enriching the character with so many subtle touches that it bears repeated viewings just to realise how great he is; it's not grand, emotional acting, just playing a character and playing it bloody well. Stanley Holloway, whilst not in the same league as Guinness, is also very entertaining to watch and the two actors form a lovable double act. Less can be said about the rest of the cast as the story really only concerns Guinness and Holloway - even Sid James and Alfie Bass, receiving prominent billing, get about 20 minutes of screen time. The cinematography is also notable, particularly the famous sequence of our two stars running down the spiral staircase at the Eiffel Tower which manages to make the viewer feel as giddy as the characters are. It shows how even a small slice of whimsy can be enriched further with a bit of effort; nobody concerned with this film is giving less than 110%.
The only drawbacks to the film are a certain datedness - especially the toe-curling bit where a middle aged police constable sings "Old MacDonald" loudly and happily (did grown men really used to like those songs?) - and the fact that much time is spent on action with the result that there isn't a lot that's actually *funny* in what is supposed to be a comedy. Certainly there are few quotable lines as there isn't a lot of dialogue in the script. However, these problems are slight and "The Lavender Hill Mob" remains a highly enjoyable 80 minutes of whimsical charm. Nobody made such films quite as well as Ealing did.