Upstairs and Downstairs (1959)

On marrying the boss's daughter, Richard takes his father-in-law's advice to hire a live-in domestic. He soon finds good help is hard to come by. Run-ins follow with dipsomaniacs, bank ... See full summary »

Director:

Ralph Thomas

Writers:

Frank Harvey, Ronald Scott Thorn (novel)

Stars:

Michael Craig, Anne Heywood, Mylène Demongeot

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Craig	...	Richard Barry
Anne Heywood	...	Mrs. Kate Barry
Mylène Demongeot	...	Ingrid (as Myléne Demongeot)
James Robertson Justice	...	Mansfield
Claudia Cardinale	...	Maria
Sid James	...	P.C. Edwards
Joan Hickson	...	Rosemary
Joan Sims	...	Blodwen
Joseph Tomelty	...	Arthur Farringdon
Nora Nicholson	...	Edith Farringdon
Daniel Massey	...	Wesley Cotes
Austin Willis	...	McGuffey
Margalo Gillmore	...	Mrs. McGuffey
Reginald Beckwith	...	Parson
Cyril Chamberlain	...	Guard

Storyline

On marrying the boss's daughter, Richard takes his father-in-law's advice to hire a live-in domestic. He soon finds good help is hard to come by. Run-ins follow with dipsomaniacs, bank robbers, a Welsh lass who takes one look at London and runs, and an Italian charmer who turns the place into a bawdy house. Then when Ingrid arrives from Sweden things actually start to get complicated.

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Plot Keywords:

husband wife relationship | servant | antonyms in title | based on novel

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Taglines:

The Babysitter With the French Touch - M-M-M Mylene Demongeot

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

2 November 1959 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Las pícaras doncellas

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Rank Organisation, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dirk Bogarde was asked to play Richard.

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Soundtracks

"Men of Harlech"
(uncredited)
Traditional

User Reviews

Variety of changes throughout the movie that were unexpected

I just saw the movie and was captivated by that young french actress Mylene Demongeot. She played an attractive, yet confused girl.

With a number of the Carry on gang there I thought the movie would be an entire comedy. After the old couple who were hired as baby sitters, it turned into more of a drama, which was unexpected.

The wife's role was not really focused upon and it was really the husband trying to deal with his attraction to the new nanny, like all the rest of the male cast. You got the feeling if another time and another place, who she would have found in the end.

Mylene's character 'Ingrid' was the most interesting. THe way she drifted into the lives of the men around her and even the husbands. I think at the end she didn't know what she wanted and the solution was to end the adventure.

Very entertaining and interesting the way the plot developed to the surprise finish.