Room at the top 1959

     The setting of this film is 1947 in Yorkshire, England.  Joe Lampton was taken prisoner in WWII.  He’s from an English factory town of Dufton but he’s started a new job with a future in Warnley.  He has a secure but poorly paid post in the Borough Treasurer’s Department.  Joe is interested in Susan Brown and she’s the daughter of the local industrial magnate in town.  Mr. and Mrs. Brown are not keen on Joe’s social climbing with their daughter.  They send Susan abroad to ‘rescue’ her from Joe.  While Susan is away, Joe starts to see Alice Aisgill.  She’s married but her husband treats her horridly.  Alice asks her husband for a divorce but he says he will never let Alice go.  He will ruin them both socially and financially.  Now, Joe has a choice, Alice or Susan?

     Joe pushes and pushes for what he thinks he wants but is it really what he wants?  He just knows he never wants to be poor or work in Dufton again.  Class is very important and your perceived class is the basis for your treatment.  With your mates, you’re OK but don’t try to mix with those above your station!!  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

117 min, Drama directed by Jack Clayton with Simone Signoret, Laurence Harvey, Heather Sears, Donald Wolfit, Donald Houston, Hermione Baddeley, Allan Cuthbertson, Raymond Huntley, John Westbrook, Ambrosine Phillpotts, Delena Kidd.

Note:  Imdb 7.7 out of 10, Amazon 4.5* out of 5* with 35 reviews, TCM Leonard Maltin 4* out of 4* average user rating 4.26* out of 5*, letterboxd 7.2* out of 10* with 459 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in West Yorkshire and Surrey, England, UK.  Hermione Baddeley in the role of Elspeth, Alice's friend, was nominated for an Oscar.  Her performance is the shortest for an award at 2 minutes and 19 seconds.  There is a LOT of cigarette smoking and both Harvey and Signoret died from smoking-related cancers.  Claudette Colbert was the first French actress to win an Academy Award in 1934 and Simone Signoret was the second.  An Oscar was also won for Best Writing.  Signoret was 37 years old at filming, Heather Sears was 24 years old and Harvey was 30 years old.