Otto Von Bismarck once remarked about the special providence God has for drunks, babes, and the United States of America. If he had ever seen The Ladykillers he might well have added daft little old ladies who are in a world all their own.
This was sadly remade by Tom Hanks a few years ago, and the remake wasn't necessary. The charm of this comedy is its British origin and characters, a little old lady whose coming out debut coincided with the death of Queen Victoria, clashing with a gang of crooks all of whom are quite modern characters circa 1955.
One of the crooks Alec Guinness rents a room from Katie Johnson who was 77 at the time this film was made. He brings his fellow heist accomplices over to plan an armored car robbery, similar to what he did as an amateur crook in The Lavendar Hill Mob.
But as the final touch to his plan, Guinness involves Johnson in the plot as a dupe in which she goes to pick up a trunk where the money has been stashed. Against the advice of some of his gang, particularly Herbert Lom. But Guinness has his way and soon regrets it.
Other members in the Guinness gang are Danny Green, Cecil Parker, and a young Peter Sellers.
All I can say is it is a special providence indeed that protected Katie Johnson from these criminals and come out the way she did at the end of The Ladykillers.
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