Ealing Studios (United Kingdom): 6

The British film Dorian Gray (2009), adapted from Oscar Wilde’s 1890 novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, was directed by Oliver Parker and written by Toby Finlay. A young and naive Dorian Gray arrives in Victorian London to inherit an estate from his abusive grandfather. There, he is introduced to the lavish lifestyle of the city by the charming Lord Henry “Harry” Wotton. Under Henry’s influence, Gray becomes enamored with the idea of eternal youth and makes a reckless vow to keep his beauty ...

The British black comedy crime film, The Ladykillers (1955), was directed by Alexander Mackendrick for Ealing Studios. It follows the story of Mrs Wilberforce, a kind and quirky elderly widow who resides in a sinking, crooked home above a railway tunnel in Kings Cross, London. Despite her active imagination and frequent visits to the local police station to report suspicious activity in the neighbourhood, her reports are often dismissed. Things take an interesting turn when she is approached by ‘Professor’ Marcus, a sinister figure seeking to rent rooms in her house. This scene was captured on Argyle Street ...

The Man in the White Suit (1951) is a British comedy film produced by Ealing Studios. The story follows Sidney Stratton, a talented young chemist and former Cambridge scholar, who has been fired from multiple textile mills in northern England for his extravagant requests and obsession with creating an indestructible fabric. While working as a laborer at Birnley Mills, he stumbles upon the opportunity to conduct research and successfully develops an unbreakable, dirt-resistant fiber. A suit is then made from this material, which appears brilliantly white due to its inability to absorb dye and faintly glows due to its radioactive components. Initially hailed as a ...

The British comedy film, The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), was written by T. E. B. Clarke and directed by Charles Crichton for Ealing Studios. In the movie, Henry Holland resides in luxury in Rio de Janeiro and entertains a dinner guest from Britain. As they dine, he recounts how he transformed his life through an elaborate gold bullion heist. Prior to this, Holland had worked as a dull bank clerk in London for two decades and was responsible for the delivery of gold bullion. Despite being dedicated and meticulous in his work, he hatched a plan to steal a shipment of gold but ...

In the timeless classic Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), directed by Robert Hamer, we are transported to Edwardian England where Louis D’Ascoyne Mazzini, 10th Duke of Chalfont, finds himself imprisoned awaiting execution for a murder he may or may not have committed. As he reflects upon his life in memoir form, we are taken back in time to see how events unfolded. Louis’s mother was the youngest daughter of the 7th Duke of Chalfont, but she scandalously eloped with an Italian opera singer named Mazzini and was subsequently disowned by her family. Sadly, Mazzini passed away soon after Louis’s birth, ...

Made by Ealing Studios, Dead of Night (1945) is a black and white British anthology supernatural horror film. It is a rare example from the 1940s, as horror films were prohibited from production in Britain during World War II. Its influence can be seen in subsequent British films of the same genre. John Baines’ stories were reused for later films, while the episode with the ventriloquist dummy was adapted for the pilot episode of CBS radio series Escape. Architect Walter Craig arrives at Elliot Foley’s country cottage in Kent, where he has been invited to consult on renovations. Strangely enough, despite never having met any of them before, Craig claims to ...