Hour of Glory (1949) The Small Back Room (original title)

Directors:

Michael Powell
Emeric Pressburger

Writers:

Nigel Balchin (novel)
Michael Powell (writer) ...
(more)

Release Date:

23 February 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Thriller | War

Plot:

As the Germans drop explosive booby-traps on 1943 England, the embittered expert who'll have to disarm them fights a private battle with alcohol.

Plot Keywords:

Bomb | Pain | Bomb Disposal | Booby Trap | Explosion

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award.

Cast

David Farrar	...	Sammy Rice
Kathleen Byron	...	Susan
Jack Hawkins	...	R.B. Waring
Leslie Banks	...	Col. A.K. Holland
Michael Gough	...	Capt. Dick Stuart
Cyril Cusack	...	Cpl. Taylor
Milton Rosmer	...	Prof. Mair
Walter Fitzgerald	...	Brine
Emrys Jones	...	Joe
Michael Goodliffe	...	Till
Renée Asherson	...	A.T.S. corporal
Anthony Bushell	...	Col. Strang
Henry Caine	...	Sgt. Maj. Rose
Elwyn Brook-Jones	...	Gladwin
James Dale	...	Brigadier
Sam Kydd	...	Crowhurst, door sentry
June Elvin	...	Gillian
David Hutcheson	...	Norval
Sid James	...	'Knucksie' Moran, barkeeper (as Sidney James)
Roderick Lovell	...	Capt. Pearson
James Carney	...	Sgt. Groves
Roddy Hughes	...	Welsh doctor
Geoffrey Keen	...	Pinker
Bryan Forbes	...	Peterson, dying gunner (as Brian Forbes)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ted Heath	...	Band Leader (uncredited)
Patrick Macnee	...	Man at Committee Meeting (uncredited)
Robert Morley	...	The Minister (uncredited)
Richard Nielson	...	(uncredited)
Michael Powell	...	Gunnery Officer (uncredited)
John Stratton	...	Young Army Officer at Committee Meeting (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Powell
Emeric Pressburger

Writing credits
Nigel Balchin		(novel)
Michael Powell		(writer) &
Emeric Pressburger		(writer)

Produced by
George R. Busby	....	assistant producer
Michael Powell	....	producer
Emeric Pressburger	....	producer
Anthony Bushell	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Brian Easdale

Cinematography by
Christopher Challis

Film Editing by
Clifford Turner

Casting by
Madeleine Godar		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Hein Heckroth

Art Direction by
John Hoesli

Costume Design by
Josephine Boss

Makeup Department
Peter Evans	....	makeup assistant (uncredited)
Dorrie Hamilton	....	makeup supervisor (uncredited)
Iris Tilley	....	assistant hair stylist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sydney Streeter	....	assistant director (as Sydney S. Streeter)
Jack N. Green	....	third assistant director (uncredited)
Archie Knowles	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Ivor Beddoes	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Peter Childs	....	junior draughtsman (uncredited)
Ted Clements	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Harry Pottle	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Dario Simoni	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Pat Sladden	....	junior draughtsman (uncredited)
Wallis Smith	....	chief draughtsman (uncredited)
Charles Townsend	....	production buyer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Alan Allen	....	sound
W.H.O. Sweeney	....	dubbing sound (as Bill Sweeny)
Peter Butcher	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Peter Meyers	....	assistant boom operator (uncredited)
George Stephenson	....	sound maintenance (uncredited)
Cyril Swern	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Freddie Francis	....	camera operator
Anthony Hopking	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Will Lee	....	focus puller (uncredited)
John von Kotze	....	clapper loader (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jack Dalmayne	....	wardrobe master (uncredited)
Arthur Skinner	....	wardrobe assistant (uncredited)
May Walding	....	wardrobe assistant (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Stephen Bearman	....	colorist (digitally restored version)
Reginald Mills	....	supervising editor
Noreen Ackland	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Derek Armstrong	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Tom Simpson	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Tom Simpson	....	assistant cutter (uncredited)
Frankie Taylor	....	junior cutter (uncredited)

Music Department
Kenny Baker	....	composer: night club scene music (as Ted Heath's Kenny Baker Swing Group)
Hubert Clifford	....	musical director
Frederick Lewis	....	composer: night club scene music (as Fred Lewis)

Other crew
Doreen North	....	continuity
Gwladys Jenks	....	production secretary (uncredited)
Vivienne Knight	....	publicist (uncredited)
Marjorie Mein	....	production department secretary (uncredited)
George Mills	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Charles Orme	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Jean Osborne	....	publicity assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Archers, The
• London Film Productions

Distributors

• British Lion Film Corporation (1949) (UK) (theatrical)
• British Lion Film Corporation (1952) (UK) (theatrical) (re-release) (edited)
• Snader Productions (1952) (USA) (theatrical)

Also Known As:

"The Small Back Room" - UK (original title)

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | UK:A | Sweden:15 | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Chesil Bank, Dorset, England, UK

Company:

Archers, The

Trivia:

Cameo: [Robert Morley]A Guest.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: A little over 75 minutes into the film, during the scene where the character of Sammy Rice trashes his sitting room, the shadow of the boom mic can be seen reflected in the empty picture frame in the foreground of the shot.

Quotes:

Susan:Where were you going Sammy?
Sammy Rice:I don't know.
Susan:A woman?
Sammy Rice:Maybe.
Susan:How about me?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Taxi Driver (1976)

Soundtrack:

Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow-Wow

Minor Archers, in my opinion

Newly released by Criterion, The Small Back Room was made by the Archers right after The Red Shoes. I had never even heard of it, and it's definitely a less well known film by the directors. In my opinion, it really is a lesser Archers movie. It reunites two of the stars of Black Narcissus, David Farrar and Kathleen Byron. Farrar plays an explosives expert during WWII who works for the government as a scientist. He and his team are on the case of a booby trap that's being dropped by the Germans from planes. He has lost his right foot in an explosion, and he's being driven crazy by phantom limb syndrome. He's also a recovering alcoholic. The only thing keeping him away from the booze is the love of his girlfriend, played by Byron. The love story is involving, and the bomb stuff is quite suspenseful. Both of the lead performances are excellent (although Byron is definitely the kind of actress I have a hard time separating from her most famous role – the sharpness of her features definitely gives off a wicked vibe to me). So why was I not blown away by this one? The major reason is that it's just too talky. There are sequences where the dialogue just goes on and on, and I found my attention wandering. There are many sequences where I could tell there were experts behind the camera, but not a lot jumped out at me. Sure, there's that one fantasy sequence with the clock and the bottle, the showiest bit of the movie, but that felt to me a bit amateurish. It's also reminiscent of two famous dream/fantasy sequences from famous movies that had been made in recent years, Spellbound and The Lost Weekend (and I would also call those sequences in those two movies overly showy, as well). The best sequence in the movie is when the scientists get a visit from a governmental minister in their lab. They hope to show him all the exciting projects they're working on, but he becomes obsessed with their calculator. All in all, I'd say this is a good movie, and one that any Archers lover will want to get a hold of, but it's a lesser work, for sure.