Film Screening Report: The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) UK

Film Screening Report

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          **  The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), U.K.

Plot summary:

1.       What is the story being told?  Give a brief summary of the narrative:

a.       A bank clerk decides to rob the bank that he works for and enlists the help of his neighbor, a business owner, and two common thieves. Together they steal gold bars, which they melt down and mold into Eiffel tower paperweights. Trouble ensues when six gold Eiffel towers are sold to young school girls on holiday in Paris, and one young girl refuses to exchange her gold tower for a lead version. After an exciting and somewhat comical police chase through London, the bank clerk escapes to Rio de Janeiro where he is shown telling his story (a.k.a. confession) to an officer.

Production history:

1.       How was the film made?

a.       The film is a comedy caper film and much of the lighting and editing is representative of Hollywood gangster type films.

2.       Were there any historically important people involved in the production?

a.       Alec Guinness, the main star, went on to win several awards in Britain and America, and is most well known as his role as Obi-wan Kenobi in the Star Wars trilogy (1970s). He is one of only three British actors who were successful in their transition from the Shakespearean theaters of the U.K. to Hollywood blockbusters.

b.      Stanley Holloway, also a main role star, was well known in the British Broadway and stage shows, and went on to reprise his stage role as Mr. Doolittle in the 1964 film version of My Fair Lady.

c.       Douglas Slocombe, the cinematographer, was a member of both the British and American Society of Cinematographers, and was also the cinematographer for three Indiana Jones films.

d.      Producer, Michael Balcon is the grandfather of actor Daniel Day-Lewis.

Historical & cultural content:     

1.       When & where was the film made?

a.       1951, UK (England)

2.       What was going on at the time?

a.       The Festival of Britain, in the summer of 1951, was a national exhibition held throughout the UK to commemorate the Great Exhibition from 1851 (centennial). The Festival was organized to give the British a feeling of recovery in the aftermath of the British Army’s lost battle of the Korean War.

3.       How is the historical and cultural milieu of the production reflected in the film itself?

a.       There are scenes in the film in which you can see rubble and debris from the aftermath of war. There is also a center-theme of eccentricity that was a known trait to the Ealing Studio comedies.

Aesthetic approach:

1.       What are the themes of the film? How do the stylistic techniques of the filmmakers help communicate the themes of the film?

a.       The film uses a mix of realism and stylization to depict the eccentric lives of these ordinary Brits. Some scenes are shot on location, while others are shot indoors with low-key lighting and deep-focus composition, which parody film noir style. The contrast of the styles work well together to keep the storyline believable and depict the emotions of the characters, while still keeping a light-hearted approach to the comedy.

Film excerpt:

What is the key scene in the film?

      The scene in which Mr. Holland begins to retell his story. It shows that he has a routine life and is a rule-following, overlooked bank employee. In the retelling, we are shown that he is frustrated with this life, and he is considering how to steal from his bank.  The arrival of a new neighbor, and business owner, prompts him to enlist the neighbors help in the heist.