"Grandparent scams" have recent hit Akron where elderly people in the area are conned by people claiming to be their grandchildren to send them money, only to have the money go to foreign locations. For some reason, criminals think that just because a person is old, means that they can be taken advantaged of. Of course, this attitude itself is not new, and has been explored in several movies, including the 1955 classic The Ladykillers.
Not to be confused with the 2004 remake starring Tom Hanks, this film stars Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, Cecil Parker, Herbert Lom, and Katie Johnson. The film starts out as Mrs. Wilberforce, The Old Lady( Johnson) as an eccentric old widow who lives in a lopsided house very close to a railway station, who has a repuation of going to the police to report varied, unsubstantial suspicions. Due to the police's past history with her coming up short, the police interpret her suspicions as humorous. One day, she is approached by Professor Marcus(Guinness) who wants to rent rooms in her house for his "musician" buddies, Major Courtney( Parker), Harry Robinson (Sellers), 'One-Round' Lawson (Danny Green), and Louis Harvey(Lom). Now, his buddies are not musicians, they are gangsters set on robbing the railway station through a security van. While they are planning, they play classic musical records after bringing up actual musical instruments. The theft is successful, but when One-Round accidently gets his cello case stuck in the door and the case opens to reveal lots of money, which confuses Mrs. Wilberforce. Mrs. Wilberforce realizes the truth and tells Marcus that she will inform the police on them. The gang decides to do away with her, but neither one of them has the heart to do it. They draw sticks. Will Mrs. Wilberforce inform on them, and be believed? Will the gang off her? Watch and find out.
For the eldery residents of Akron who have been scammed, thank you for reporting them. Like Mrs. Wilberforce, you are showing that you will not be taken advantaged of.
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