Room at the Top (1959)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Jack Clayton

Writers:

John Braine (novel)
Neil Paterson (writer)

Release Date:

January 1959 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A Savage Story of lust and ambition

Plot:

An ambitious young accountant schemes to wed a wealthy factory owner's daughter, despite falling in love with a married older woman.

Plot Keywords:

Accountant | Cocktail Party | Ruins | 1940s | Racetrack

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Simone Signoret	...	Alice Aisgill
Laurence Harvey	...	Joe Lampton
Heather Sears	...	Susan Brown
Donald Wolfit	...	Mr. Brown
Donald Houston	...	Charles Soames
Hermione Baddeley	...	Elspeth
Allan Cuthbertson	...	George Aisgill
Raymond Huntley	...	Mr. Hoylake
John Westbrook	...	Jack Wales
Ambrosine Phillpotts	...	Mrs. Brown
Richard Pasco	...	Teddy
Beatrice Varley	...	Aunt
Delena Kidd	...	Eva
Ian Hendry	...	Cyril
April Olrich	...	Mavis

Runtime:

USA:115 min | Argentina:115 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:X (original rating) | Argentina:Atp | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | UK:15 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, UK

Company:

Remus

Trivia:

Features the first open reference to the sex act in a British film.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The story takes place in 1947, but all the women's fashions and hairstyles are strictly in the contemporary 1958 mode, when the film went before the cameras.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Home Improvement: Room at the Top (#7.3)" (1997)

Classic

This movie started one of the best of genres: the gritty Northern England working-class social dramas of the early '60s. DVD review.

An ambitious accountant gets involved with two quite different women with tragic results.

One of the best British movies ever. What recent movie from Britain has packed such a punch? Could be considered a romantic movie for men. Some great acting talent appear: Wolfit, Harvey, Sigornet, Cuthbertson, Huntley and Houston. I loved those terraced houses, factory chimneys, haircuts, class divisions, bombed-out buildings, fights, street and office scenes. But how could Harvey's character (who's only 25) be an ex-POW from the War when he would have been about 10? Best scene: the chat with the aunt and uncle: "Money marries money lad". Priceless final scene. Clayton (already a veteran in the industry as an assistant director) made a remarkable debut.

Room At The Top is one of the best British movies ever.