The League of Gentlemen

"What is the league ... Who are the gentlemen ?"

1960 1h 56m EN

👍

7.1

SOLID

🍅

83%

FRESH

⭐

7.2

IMDB

★7.1TMDB · 110🍅83%Rotten Tomatoes★7.2IMDB · 5,400

ComedyCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Involuntarily-retired Colonel Hyde recruits seven other dissatisfied ex-servicemen for a special project. Each of the men has a skeleton in the cupboard, is short of money, and is a service-trained expert in his field. The job is a bank robbery, and military discipline and planning are imposed by Hyde and second-in-command Race on the team, although civilian irritations do start getting in the way.

“What is the league ... Who are the gentlemen ?”

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Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Jack Hawkins
Hyde
Nigel Patrick
Race
Roger Livesey
Mycroft
Richard Attenborough
Lexy
Bryan Forbes
Porthill
Kieron Moore
Stevens
Terence Alexander
Rupert
Norman Bird
Weaver

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Basil Dearden
Writers: Bryan Forbes
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

66 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Basil Dearden, shot by Arthur Ibbetson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Philip Green. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor John D. Guthridge shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Jack Hawkins and Nigel Patrick and Roger Livesey carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "What is the league ... Who are the gentlemen ?".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0052997 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Basil Dearden directs. Arthur Ibbetson behind the camera. Philip Green scores. John D. Guthridge cuts. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

166 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Basil Dearden, shot by Arthur Ibbetson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Philip Green. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor John D. Guthridge shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Jack Hawkins and Nigel Patrick and Roger Livesey carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "What is the league ... Who are the gentlemen ?".
7IMDB entry: tt0052997 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Arthur Ibbetson
Original score: Philip Green
Editing: John D. Guthridge
Costume design: Joan Ellacott
Makeup / hair: Harry Frampton
Runtime: 116 min · 1h 56m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The League of Gentlemen (1960)
Rotten Tomatoes: 83% 🍅 Fresh
IMDB rating: 7.2/10 · 5,400 votes
MPAA: Unrated

Awards

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award1 win & 1 nomination total

Also by

Basil Dearden

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Selected frames

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2014-08-28
★ 8.5/10
These Gentlemen are indeed extraordinary. The League of Gentlemen is directed by Basil Deardon and adapted to screenplay by Bryan Forbes from the novel written by John Boland. Forbes himself stars alongside Jack Hawkins, Nigel Patrick, Richard Attenborough, Roger Livesey, Kieron Moore, Terence Alexander, Norman Bird and Robert Coote. Music is by Philip Green and cinematography by Arthur Ibbetson. Splendid old chap, darn fine British entertainment as a roll call of Brit thesps and grafters enact a crime caper full of drama, sexual suggestion, humour and action. Plot is simple, Lieutenant-Colonel Norman Hyde (Hawkins), embittered after his decades of service to the army has counted for nothing, gathers up a band of not so merry men to enact a daring bank robbery. The men, all gentlemen scallywags with chequered pasts, have been selected for their various skills that were acquired during their own service to the forces. If they can pull it off, they will be made for life… Once the initial build up of character introductions and their respective lives has been cemented, film kicks on with a tale of men from different walks of life trying to bond together as one. They have to trust each other immeasurably, all the time while adhering to the regimental regime laid out by Hyde. The planning is intricate and fun, and this as some of the men try to balance matters of the heart back in their own homes, then it’s on to the action (which is two-fold Dirty Dozen style) and the subsequent aftermath. All of which leads to a bittersweet finale that’s simply joyous. There’s funny asides to army life and the food that dwells in the service! There’s machine gun etiquette and dangerous dames, choice dialogue and even an Oliver Reed cameo where he gays up! Older British movie fans will rejoice at seeing some of the location shots, and the use of the BSA motorcycle, while it’s always great to hear the word clot used as an insult. It’s a terrific caper movie awash with excellent character playing by a stoic and committed bunch of Briters. 8.5/10

Production companies