Alexander Mackendrick

Alexander Mackendrick was a film director. In 1957, he headed the production of a sequel to the 1955 classic film The Ladykillers, produced by Ealing Studios.

The location filming, at the London mansion Wester Drumlins, was plagued with incidents, including the disappearance of location managers and two crewmembers being severely injured by the collapse of a lighting rig. A softly-spoken man approached Mackendrick and actor Alec Guinness, urging them to either abandon the project or film elsewhere, citing "killer statues" as the source of the trouble. Mackendrick was frightened by the warning and chose to end production, assisted by insurance companies wanting to pull support due to the issues.

Peter Sellers, another cast member on the film, recounted the story in a 1974 interview, stating the cancellation rankled as he had gone on to do a less well-remembered project instead. (PROSE: The Very Real Mystery of Wester Drumlins)

Behind the scenes
Although not mentioned in The Very Real Mystery of Wester Drumlins, Mackendrick directed The Ladykillers in real life.