The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958)

All her life Englishwoman Gladys Aylward knew that China was the place where she belonged. Not qualified to be sent there as a missionary, Gladys works as a domestic to earn the money to ... See full summary »

Director:

Mark Robson

Writers:

Isobel Lennart (screenplay), Alan Burgess (novel)

Stars:

Ingrid Bergman, Curd Jürgens, Robert Donat

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ingrid Bergman	...	Gladys Aylward
Curd Jürgens	...	Capt. Lin Nan (as Curt Jurgens)
Robert Donat	...	The Mandarin of Yang Cheng
Michael David	...	Hok-A
Athene Seyler	...	Jeannie Lawson
Ronald Squire	...	Sir Francis Jamison
Moultrie Kelsall	...	Dr. Robinson
Richard Wattis	...	Mr. Murfin
Peter Chong	...	Yang
Tsai Chin	...	Sui-Lan
Edith Sharpe	...	Secretary at China Inland Mission
Joan Young	...	Sir Francis' cook
Lian-Shin Yang	...	Woman with Baby
Noel Hood	...	Miss Thompson (as Noël Hood)
Burt Kwouk	...	Li

Storyline

All her life Englishwoman Gladys Aylward knew that China was the place where she belonged. Not qualified to be sent there as a missionary, Gladys works as a domestic to earn the money to send herself to a poor, remote village. There she eventually lives a full and happy life: running the inn, acting as "foot inspector", advising the local Mandarin and even winning the heart of mixed race Captain Lin Nan. But Gladys discovers her real destiny when the country is invaded by Japan and the Chinese children need her to save their lives. Based on a true story.

---

Plot Keywords:

china | missionary | mandarin | friendship | prison | 

---

Taglines:

Love had suddenly come to her under the China sky...love for this Eurasian soldier who now pressed his earthy, Oriental skin against her own...

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama | War

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese Mandarin Russian

Release Date:

19 December 1958 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

A Hatodik Boldogság fogadója

Filming Locations:

Portmeirion, Gwynedd, Wales, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

158 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was Robert Donat's last film, he died during its making. In the scene where he is saying goodbye to Gladys as the elders prepare to take their leave of the city, he says as though he was prophesying his death, "I fear we shall never see each other again."

---

Goofs

Eagle eyed viewers will see many plants in this film which are not commonly found growing wild in China. The location was partly chosen, because Portmeirion had certain Chinese plants growing near it, such as rhododendrons.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Gladys Aylward: My name is Gladys Aylward. I've written to the head of the missionary society. His reply stated that he'd see me if I ever came to London. If he's busy, I can wait.

---

Crazy Credits

The opening title card reads: "This story is based upon the life of Gladys Aylward, a woman of our time, who was, and is dedicated to the simple, joyful and rare belief that we are all responsible for each other."

---

Connections

Referenced in Sixth Happiness (1997)

---

Soundtracks

"THE CHILDREN'S MARCHING SONG (THIS OLD MAN)"
Traditional (Arranged by Malcolm Arnold)
Sung by Ingrid Bergman and a children's chorus

User Reviews

The One Who Loves People

In the 30's, the working-class Englishwoman Gladys Aylward (Ingrid Bergman) leaves Liverpool and arrives in London, trying to join the China Missionary Society expecting to be sent to China. However, having only ordinary schooling, her request is turned down due to her lack of qualification to the position. Gladys works hard as a maid and uses all her savings and salaries to buy a train ticket to Tientsin. Then she travels by mule to the remote province of Wangcheng, where she works with the Englishwoman Jeannie Lawson (Athene Seyler) and the Chinese cook Yang (Peter Chong) in the Inn of the Sixth Happiness. When Ms. Lawson has an accident and dies, Gladys has no money to run the establishment and accepts the position of "foot inspector" offered by the Mandarin Hsien Chang (Robert Donat). She is assigned to visit the countryside to promote and enforce the government's law against foot binding Chinese girls. She is successful, changes her nationality to Chinese and her name to Jen-ai (meaning "the one who loves people"), surprising the skeptical bi-racial Captain Lin Nan (Curt Jurgens). When Wangcheng is invaded by the Japanese, Jen-ai travels through the mountains with one hundred children to save them from death.

"The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" is a wonderful and engaging epic based on the true story of the enlightened Gladys Aylward. Her biography romanticized by Hollywood is awesome, and the movie is fantastic. Ingrid Bergman is stunning in the role of a servant in a period of class struggle in London determined to go to China where she believes she belongs and has a mission from God to be accomplished. The colors and the landscapes are impressive, but the cast of Ingrid Bergman as a woman not gorgeous; Curt Jurgens as a Chinese-Caucasian; and Robert Donat as a Chinese is weird, but they have perfect performances and I believe that is what matters in a film. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "A Morada da Sexta Felicidade" ("The Inn of the Sixth Happiness")