The Lavender Hill Mob

A mild, respectable bank clerk (Guinness) masterminds an audacious gold bullion robbery, and hits upon the idea of disguising the proceeds as souvenir models of the Eiffel Tower He then runs into problems when his models get mixed up with some genuine ones. This is one of the best loved of the Comedies, mainly because it is so ligh:hearted, but also because it shows someone behaving out of character and enjoying it. It appeals to the universal impulse to break free from the normal boring routine. It is also very funny, largely due the unusual double act of Guinness and Sid James, he of the Carry On films, but also because this is definitely not a moral tale.

Review by Katherine Edge
Taken from EUFS Programme 1994-95