In 1955’s “The Ladykillers,” lonely widow Louisa Wilberforce (Katie Johnson) is renting out her upstairs room in her rickety old Victorian house.

As the frail 87-year-old sits down to a cup of tea with her parrot General Gordon, the doorbell rings – enter Professor Marcus (Alec Guinness). He quickly weasels her into renting her house for him and his musical quartet.

Soon we learn his amateur orchestra is far from honest in their work. They intend to rob two armored cars, and apparently Mrs. Wilberforce is the key ingredient.

How can this old woman stand up to the might of the thieves? When their plan begins to unravel, the gang sets out to kill Mrs. Wilberforce – but killing this old woman is far harder than it seems at first.

This is a delightful film and a true gem of black comedy. It’s subtle, witty, full of pitch-perfect performances and noteworthy for the inclusion of a young Peter Sellers.

This is the rarest of rare movies because it has aged well and still provides ample entertainment for a modern audience.

Penned by the writer of 1967’s “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?,” this film is crisp in every aspect – 91 minutes of sheer perfection. Not only is “The Ladykillers” intelligent, but it’s ahead of its time. If you think old movies can’t have a wicked streak, think again. The plan falls apart so logically, you wonder how you didn’t see it coming in the first place.

The ensemble cast is first rate. Johnson almost succeeds at stealing the film from Alec Guinness. She is perfect as the infuriating old woman unknowingly trapped in their schemes.

Alec Guinness oozes wickedness as the mastermind of the whole plan. He has crooked teeth and thinning hair to match his vile ways. And Peter Sellers sheds moments of genius as the bumbling youngster of the crooks.

In 2004, the Coen brothers – both respected filmmakers – adapted this British classic for American audiences, moving the location to the Deep South and changing the crime to a robbery of a casino on a large boat. They cast Tom Hanks as the eccentric professor (renamed Goldthwait Higginson Dorr III.)

When I first saw the Coens’ “The Ladykillers,” I wasn’t aware it was a remake. All the elements I found immensely amusing are lifted right from the original, and all the areas I disliked were added by the Coen brothers themselves.

The original film’s successes and the remake’s failures center on the same point – the old woman. In the remake, Mrs. Wilberforce (renamed Munson) is a feisty, powerful, confident black woman and well able to take of the incompetent band of crooks.

But what is so funny about the original is Mrs. Wilberforce is one sneeze away from death’s door. She should be helpless in the den of crooks, yet she constantly outsmarts them.

That is where the comedy comes from.

I strongly encourage you to rent the original to see how it should be done.

Best scene: As the thieves rush back to Mrs. Wilberforce’s house – having unsuccessfully made their getaway – she is joined by five of her friends. The criminals are overwhelmed by this onslaught of Mrs. Wilberforces, each one more infuriating and difficult than the next. While Professor Marcus tries to reason with the matriarch, his men are left helpless against old women stories, random trivia and sleeping shoulders.

Overall: The original “Ladykillers” has a magnificently intelligent, witty script with a stellar cast. It has survived the test of time as a true comedy classic. Guinness steals every scene as the diabolical professor.

– Ellis J. Wells is a senior in performing arts from Portishead, England.