L is for The Lavender Hill Mob

 L is for The Lavender Hill Mob (de l’or en barres), winner of an Academy Award for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay in 1953. This black and white comedy tells the story of a formerly faithful bank employee gone bad. The story begins with Henry “Dutch” Holland (Alec Guinness) telling his tale of how he came to be rich to a man he meets at a restaurant at his hotel in Rio de Janiero. (There is a delightful cameo by Audrey Hepburn early in the film as a woman friend of Holland’s named Chiquita.)

It all began when by happenstance a new resident, Al Pendlebury (Stanley Holloway), moves into the boarding house in South London where Holland lives. Al’s occupation sparks an idea in Holland. He begins to see a new future for himself with the help of Pendlebury. Holland’s job involves seeing that gold bullion bars are transferred safely from the foundry to the bank daily. Al is a businessman who manufactures trinkets for sales to tourist markets. One of his creations from his foundry is Eiffel Towers of substantial size that he markets to curio shops in Paris for souvenirs.

Holland suggests that they steal the gold bars and transform the gold into Eiffel Towers that they can smuggle into Europe and sell on the black market. Al likes this idea and they begin to plan.

The two schemers need to find some help though and a search, or rather putting out some bait, for seasoned criminals ensues. Lackery Wood (Sidney James) and Shorty Fisher (Alfie Bass) take the bait like mice to cheese, and are deemed suitable for the heist. Thus is formed the Lavender Hill Mob.

The film is entertaining enough, and laugh out loud funny during several scenes. As with any undertaking of a sensitive nature such as a complicated robbery, there are bound to be delays and complications, and the troubles the four run into are quite amusing.

T. E. B. Clarke wrote the screenplay. The film was made by Ealing Studios, which began in 1902 and transitioned to sound in 1931. It is the oldest continuously operating studio for film production in the world. Ealing Studios was known for making comedies up until 1955 when the BBC purchased the facility.

Charles Crichton, who later went on to write and direct the comedy A Fish Called Wanda, directed The Lavender Hill Mob. A Fish Called Wanda is a very funny film that you should see if you haven’t already. It was released in 1988 and starred John Cleese, Kevin Kline and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Does crime really pay for the Lavender Hill Mob? And for Holland? You’ll have to watch to find out. I found this film on streaming Amazon Prime. I enjoy watching these older films as they rely on some slapstick humor to impart lightness to what could be a very serious tale of crime in another’s hands.

I leave you with a very silly trailer for The Lavender Hill Mob: 

The Lavender Hill Mob - Trailer