The Ladykillers (1955)
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 with St Pancras railway station serving as its backdrop.
Unbeknownst to Mrs. Wilberforce, a gang of seasoned criminals has been assembled for a sophisticated security van robbery at the nearby London King’s Cross railway station. Among the group are the suave con-man Major Claude Courtney, the comical Cockney spiv Harry Robinson, the dim-witted ex-boxer ‘One-Round’ Lawson, and the ruthless continental gangster Louis Harvey. In order to maintain their cover, the group poses as an amateur string quintet and uses Mrs. Wilberforce’s rooms for rehearsals. They even go so far as to carry musical instruments and play recordings of Boccherini’s Minuet from String Quintet in E, Op. 11 No. 5 and Haydn’s Serenade for Strings Op. 3 No. 5 during their planning sessions.
Date of download: 2015-11-11T17:22:34+00:00
Cast:  Alec GuinnessProfessor Marcus  Cecil ParkerMajor Claude Courtney  Herbert LomLouis Harvey  Peter SellersMr. Robinson  Danny GreenMr. Lawson  Katie JohnsonMrs Louisa Wilberforce |
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 with St Pancras railway station serving as its backdrop.
Unbeknownst to Mrs. Wilberforce, a gang of seasoned criminals has been assembled for a sophisticated security van robbery at the nearby London King’s Cross railway station. Among the group are the suave con-man Major Claude Courtney, the comical Cockney spiv Harry Robinson, the dim-witted ex-boxer ‘One-Round’ Lawson, and the ruthless continental gangster Louis Harvey. In order to maintain their cover, the group poses as an amateur string quintet and uses Mrs. Wilberforce’s rooms for rehearsals. They even go so far as to carry musical instruments and play recordings of Boccherini’s Minuet from String Quintet in E, Op. 11 No. 5 and Haydn’s Serenade for Strings Op. 3 No. 5 during their planning sessions.
