The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)
An overlooked gold transporter with twenty years service plots to steal a million pounds of gold.
Cast: Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway, Sidney James, Alfie Bass Dir: Charles Crichton BW-81 mins, TV-G. 11:30 AM EDT. TCM
I know Matt will beat me about the head and shoulders for not picking the Kurosawa trio showing in prime time, but I have a soft spot for heist films and this is both that and a comedy — and a great film. For a generation raised on Obi-Wan Kenobi it’s good to go back a remember the damn fine actor Alec Guinness was. Also look for a very young Audrey Hepburn in this film. Oh yeah… and do be sure and check out the Kurosawa prime time lineup: The Bad Sleep Well, High and Low, and Red Beard
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I confess I haven’t seen Lavender Hill Mob (or the original Ladykillers, for that matter), but I have seen Kind Hearts and Coronets and it was fantastic, right up there with Dr. Strangelove in the pantheon of black comedies.
JimmyC,
You just reminded me of a book I read about 15 years ago. I was working in Ireland and someone there recommended it. I think this is it, http://www.amazon.com/General-Irish-Mob-Boss/dp/0765308789/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268686432&sr=1-1
For those of you interested in true crime stories, it’s a great one! I don’t recall this guy getting much media attention here in the States, but his story is really interesting.
Rufus, there’s a pretty good little movie they made of that book with Brendan Gleeson as The General in 1998. Me Irish mate used to tell me about this guy and the art robberies years before I saw the movie.
Its’ a great, true life story. As much as I wanted to hate the guy for being a thief I couldn’t bring myself to do it. For anyone interested in the criminal mind it’s a great read.
Floyd, we all know the film to pick is Herbie Rides Again.