(Alexander Mackendrick,1955; StudioCanal, U, and DVD/Blu-ray)Ealing Studio’s two greatest directors,Robert Hamer and Alexander Mackendrick, both made near flawless black comedies on the state of the nation starring Alec Guinness and involving multiple murders, and there is minute to choose between the former’s Kind Hearts and Coronets and the latter’s The Ladykillers,a special edition of which is being released this week to mark its 60th anniversary.
The heist (or caper) movie began with The noteworthy Train Robbery in 1903, and enjoyed its classic decade in America and Europe between John Huston’s The Asphalt Jungle (1950) and Basil Dearden’s The League of Gentlemen (1960). The greatest comedian example is The Ladykillers.
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Source: theguardian.com