The Lavender Hill Mob

The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)

  • 100% of critics liked it
    (27 reviews)

  • 84% of users liked it
    (5,039 ratings)

Charles Crichton directed this Ealing caper comedy, with a witty script by T.E.B. Clarke that won an Academy Award. Alec Guinness is Henry Holland, an unassuming transporter of gold bullion who, after working for twenty years with no rewards in sight for his faithful service to his company, decides… More

Unrated, 1 hr. 18 min.
Directed By
Charles Crichton
Written By
T.E.B. Clarke
Genres
Drama, Classics, Comedy
In Theaters
Jun 26, 1951 Wide
On DVD
Sep 10, 2002

Critic Reviews

  • Philip French, Observer [UK]

    Inventive, economic, masterly.

  • Derek Malcolm, This is London

    You are left wanting more rather than thinking less would have been better.

  • Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]

    It's tremendously good fun, though lighter in tone than Ealing's two scabrous masterpieces Kind Hearts and Coronets and The Ladykillers...

  • Sukhdev Sandhu, Daily Telegraph

    Both a joyous comedy and a tense thriller. Indeed, its climactic car-chase sequence is easily as dramatic as any of those found in today's summer blockbusters.

  • David Parkinson, Radio Times

    [A] superb and subtle crime-film spoof.

Read all 12 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Michael G


    The Lavender Hill Mob, one of the Ealing Studios classics was definitely amusing and had a few hysterical moments, but I didn't love it. The humor was witty and drier than Kafka in the Sahara. The movie has a reputation of being an absolute laugh riot (at least from what… More

  • Antony S


    Brilliant Ealing comedy, this pitch-perfect crime caper stars Alec Guinness in one of his finest performances, a timid clerk who decides to claim himself a fortune with a motely crew including Ealing mainstay Stanley Holloway. The film is probably the template for all bungling crime… More

  • First L


    Alec Guinness' other heist-comedy ("The Ladykillers") might have a slight edge over this one, but funnily enough, I prefer the actual heist from this movie. Guinness is a mild-mannered bank supervisor who oversees the gold bullion shipments for the bank of England.… More

  • MJS M


    An Ealing comedy that is part comedy and part conventional heist film. The idea is that a group of misfits decide to commit a robbery if only because they needed an adventure to get away from their mundane lives. The fact that the heist participants are generally good natured people… More

Cast

See full cast

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