A meek bank clerk who oversees the shipment of bullion joins with an eccentric neighbor to steal gold bars and smuggle them out of the country as miniature Eiffel Towers.A meek bank clerk who oversees the shipment of bullion joins with an eccentric neighbor to steal gold bars and smuggle them out of the country as miniature Eiffel Towers.A meek bank clerk who oversees the shipment of bullion joins with an eccentric neighbor to steal gold bars and smuggle them out of the country as miniature Eiffel Towers.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 4 wins & 4 nominations total
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaEaling Studios, planning a bank robbery movie, asked the Bank of England to devise a way in which a million pounds sterling could be stolen from the bank. A special committee was created to come up with an idea, and their plan is the one used in this movie.
- GoofsWhatever the Eiffel Tower paperweights are made of it is not gold or lead, because a paperweight of that size cast in those metals would be too heavy to handle with the ease that they are handled in the film. (For example, Holland places one lightly on the palm of his hand without flinching a muscle.)
- Quotes
Henry Holland: A minute later, the guard will appear around this corner, and you, Pendlebury, will detain him for at least half a minute. Ask him for a light, ask him the way, ask him anything, but keep him there, we must have those thirty seconds.
Pendlebury: Edgar.
Henry Holland: I beg your pardon?
Pendlebury: Isn't one supposed to say that when one's being briefed? On my rare visits to the cinema...
Henry Holland: The word is "roger."
Pendlebury: Oh, roger. How silly of me.
The Lavender Hill Mob is about a bank clerk (Alec Guinness) that, with the aid of his friend Alfred Pendlebury (Stanley Holloway), a man that makes paperweights in the shape of the Eiffel tower, has an ingenious idea of how to rob his own bank. The two realise that the bank cannot be robbed by just them, so they set a trap to catch a couple of criminals, and once they've recruited them; The Lavender Hill Mob is born.
Alec Guinness, a regular of Ealing comedies and a man that I think is worthy of the title "the greatest actor of all time" shines, as usual, in this movie. Alec Guinness manages to hit the tone of his character just right; he is suitably creepy, as he is, a criminal, and yet at the same time he's also eccentric enough to be considered an upstanding citizen and bank clerk. Guinness is, however, not the only actor who's performance in this movie is worthy of acclaim, the entire cast shine in their respective roles; Stanley Holloway is more subdued in his role, but that's also suited to his character. There are also excellent support performances from Sid James, who is mostly remembered for his work on the 'Carry on' films; Alfie Bass, whom fans of British comedy TV will remember from the series "Are You Being Served" and there's also a very small role for Audrey Hepburn, who's movie legacy is legendary.
The Lavender Hill Mob also features many memorable moments that will stick in the viewers' mind long after the film has ended. Parts of the film such as the chase on the Eiffel tower and the way that the two central characters manage to loose the entire police force are legendary. The Lavender Hill Mob is a small movie, but it's a movie that aims big and it works a treat. This movie also features a brilliant twist ending that rivals the one in the superb 'Kind Hearts and Coronets'.
Overall, The Lavender Hill Mob is, despite its low budget and short running time, a spectacular comedy film that should not be missed by anyone.
- The_Void
- Jul 19, 2004
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- Einmal Millionär sein
- Filming locations
- Gunnersbury Park, London, England, UK(Police Exhibition)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $15,871
- Runtime1 hour 18 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1