The Lavender Hill Mob

There were sixteen or seventeen of the so-called Ealing Comedies from 1947 to 1957, depending on who is counting. I’ve seen about half of them. They vary in quality, but I’ve never seen one that is actually bad, and among them are some of the best comedies ever made. The most famous are probably Kind Hearts and Coronets and The Ladykillers, both starring Alec Guinness. There was what was basically a repertory company at the Ealing Studios, a group of actors who appeared repeatedly in these films, and writers and directors who created them.

It concerns a quiet bank employee who plans and carries out a robbery of ₤1,000,000 in gold bars, back when ₤1,000,000 was serious money. I dearly love movies and books about heists, capers, and cons. This is a good one.