Could be the greatest of all time (GOAT). My young self found it hilarious at the cinema and the current old boy still loved it. The usually brilliant Coen bros version wasn't a patch on it. None of the Ealing comedies lasted as well. Peerless and timeless. In a cameo, Frankie Howard lives forever.

Like so many English comedies of this era it is delightfully offbeat and filled with gallows humor. Guinness' choice to do the movie mimicking Alister Sim was an inspired choice.

This is very much a mad caper type comedy crime film. I prefer it to the modern remake but thats not necessarily saying a lot, as the remake was pretty bad. I like the old lady, Mrs. Wilberforce, how oblivious she seems and the way the bungling burgulars rush around to try not to incriminate themselves. Its not seriously funny as such but its certainly fairly amusing and more warm and entertaining than the remake, so I'd recommend it on that basis. There are some aspects of the plot of this original film version that I don't recall seeing in the remake and it makes it a better film, I feel.

LOL, the greatest 1.5 hours ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One of the better Ealing studios comedies about some hapless hitmen and bank robbers. Neat ending.

Like so many English comedies of this era it is delightfully offbeat and filled with gallows humor. Guinness' choice to do the movie mimicking Alister Sim was an inspired choice.

a sequence of slapstick accidents tired in a grim intrigue

Don't make the same mistake I did by watching the Coen Brothers' 2004 remake first; the Ealing Studios original is far more nuanced, but much of the enjoyment is ruined if you are constantly reminded of its over-the-top counterpart and what parallels may be drawn between them. In true classic British comedy fashion, the overt jokes are relatively few and far between, choosing instead to lampoon through tinier moments. Guinness really demonstrates his superb range here, with a character that seems to exude grease like carbon dioxide, and Sellers gives a relatively uncharacteristic (yet capable) performance that doesn't necessarily take advantage of his strengths in terms of physical comedy. It may not be entirely to modern tastes, but remains a classic. (3.5/5)

This ist still a very, very enjoyable film. Great pacing, hilarious story and perfect comedic timing - love it.

"So how much real harm have we done anybody? One farthing's worth, Mrs. Wilberforce. You hadn't thought of it like that, had you?" *in the next room* "Hey, you know what, I never thought it like that either." 5 thieves move into an old lady's house and use it as a staging ground for an armored car heist. After the heist the old lady finds out what they're up to and is a good kind person so tells them she's going to report them to the police... so... they need to kill her. I thought this movie was terrific. Couple firsts here for me. This is the first Ealing studios British comedy I've seen as well as the first time I've seen Alec Guinness in the kind of role he was originally famous for, these comedic roles rather than epics like Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia or ya know.... Star Wars. Alec Guinness as this almost inhuman monster of a man, he's totally unrecognizable with the bad hair and teeth. And it's a great performance! He's excellent as this gentlemanly master thief like in the scenes where he's trying to explain to the old lady why they "can't" give the money back and he's just making all this horseshit up but he's trying to talk on her level. The whole cast is great. Peter Sellers is one of my favorite actors of all time and here he plays a London thief and like always he's fantastic. This great bit where he's playing with a gun flipping it around miming how he's gonna blow the old lady away and nobody is better at physical humor than Peter Sellers, that's just a fact. 1955 British comedy and it's STILL funny, which is nice. Not just the dialog but moments like the lady takes the money and locks it away in a room... and the second she leaves, One Round the gang's muscle breaks the door open with one hand And it's a great crime movie, as well. Like the thrill of wondering if the thieves are gonna get away with it like a moment where the trunk full of money is left alone hanging out of a taxi cab and our guys have to sit there and watch. And throughout the final act it's all about this battle of who kills the old lady and who gets the money. This movie was of course remade by the Coen Brothers in 2004 and that's a personal favorite of mine despite most people not liking it. Goddamn there's a lot of funny in that movie. I prefer it actually, for one thing the old lady is much more entertaining in the remake. I tend to think when it comes to remakes it's really whichever version you see first tends to be the one you prefer anyway. So I prefer the Coen Brothers version but this is a superb crime comedy nonetheless.

Lovely performances and a style of filming that makes clear from the very beginning that what you are about to see is a masterpiece.

One of my favourite movies, absolutely unique, it is charming, terrific and a proper British classic.

The film comes alive in it's darker last quarter, when they start falling dominoes!

This movie really wasn't for me.

Terrific!!! Dr. Marcus is such a iconic character!

Black comedy at its finest, as a group of thieves find an unwilling accomplice - and biggest obstacle to success - in an elderly woman. Top notch performances and dry British humor abounds - and, oh, those hilarious teeth of Sir Alec Guiness.

I could watch this many many times and still get it.

A true classic of British cinema. Doesn't waste a moment. Absorbs the viewer, taking you into a house at the end of a central London cul de sac, inhabited by a sweet old lady; only to turn into a delicious black comedy. Complete with wonderous 1950's post-war London scenery, it's a must-watch classic.

Mrs. W steals the show, quite a feat considering the Professor's Alstair Simesque performance. A couple of minor editing hiccups don't distract from this classic.

Perfect little comedy. Impossible not to like.