6 February - The Ladykillers

I think we all enjoyed the truthful black comedy, The Memory of Water, in January.  You may wish to know that it is hoped that the ECC will produce it this year or next, and if they do perhaps we can all go to see it together.

Also, for those of you who liked January's cake, here it is:  
https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/collections/life-in-the-freezer/italian-chocolate-nut-christmas-cake
It is embarrassingly easy.  I used a wider cake tin and cooked it for an hour.  I also omitted the breadcrumbs from the tin!

Advance Warning:  It is highly likely that I won't be here for the March reading, and so, subject to bathroom work, you may be meeting at Kyung-Sook's or Louise's.  Thank you both for offering to host.


And so to February:  The Ladykillers

This month we will be reading a play that started out as a film!  The famous 1955 film was nominated for an Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay and won the BAFTA Award for Best British Screenplay. American writer William Rose claimed to have dreamt the entire film and merely had to remember the details when he awoke.

The film holds a rare 100% rating on review website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 23 reviews. The British Film Institute ranked The Ladykillers the 13th greatest British film of all time. In 2017 a poll for Time Out magazine saw it ranked the 29th best British film ever. 

The film was remade in 2004, but we are not going to concern ourselves with that!!  For further information see:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ladykillers_(2004_film)

The Ladykillers is a classic black comedy; I and his gang rent rooms in the lopsided house of sweet but strict Mrs Wilberforce.  The villains  plot to involve her, unwittingly, in Marcus’ brilliantly conceived heist job.  The police are left stumped but Mrs Wilberforce becomes wise to their ruse and Marcus concludes that there is only one way to keep the old lady quiet.  With only her parrot, General Gordon, to help her, Mrs Wilberforce is alone with five desperate men.  But who will face the music?

1955 Film Cast (Because I know you’re going to ask!)

Alec Guinness as Professor Marcus

Cecil Parker as Major Claude Courtney

Herbert Lom as Louis Harvey

Peter Sellers as Harry Robinson

Danny Green as ‘One-Round’ Lawson

Jack Warner as the superintendent

Katie Johnson as Mrs Louisa Wilberforce

Philip Stainton as the sergeant

Frankie Howerd as the barrow boy

Kenneth Connor as a taxi driver.