The L-Shaped Room (1962)

Jane, a young French woman, pregnant and unmarried, takes a room in a seedy London boarding house, which is inhabited by an assortment of misfits. She considers getting an abortion, but is ... See full summary »

Director:

Bryan Forbes

Writers:

Lynne Reid Banks (novel), Bryan Forbes (written for the screen by)

Stars:

Leslie Caron, Anthony Booth, Avis Bunnage

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Leslie Caron	...	Jane Fosset
Anthony Booth	...	Youth in Street
Avis Bunnage	...	Doris
Patricia Phoenix	...	Sonia
Verity Edmett	...	Jane II
Tom Bell	...	Toby
Cicely Courtneidge	...	Mavis
Harry Locke	...	Newsagent
Ellen Dryden	...	Girl in Newsagent's
Emlyn Williams	...	Dr. Weaver
Jennifer White	...	Monica
Brock Peters	...	Johnny
Gerry Duggan	...	Bert
Joan Ingram	...	Woman in Park
Mark Eden	...	Terry

Storyline

Jane, a young French woman, pregnant and unmarried, takes a room in a seedy London boarding house, which is inhabited by an assortment of misfits. She considers getting an abortion, but is unhappy with this solution. She falls into a relationship with Toby, a struggling young writer who lives on the first floor. Eventually she comes to like her odd room, and makes friends with all the strange people in the house. But she still faces two problems: what to do with her baby, and what to do with Toby.

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Plot Keywords:

abortion | pregnant | black cat | childbirth | birth | 

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Taglines:

"Sex is not a forbidden word!"

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 November 1962 (UK)

Also Known As:

A Mulher que Pecou

Filming Locations:

4 St Luke's Road, Notting Hill, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Lion Film Corporation, Romulus Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Smiths open their album 'The Queen Is Dead' with the scene of the character Mavis leading a chorus of "Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty."

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Goofs

Toby and Jane wait to cross a road as marchers go by. Toby is smoking a fresh cigarette. When they cross, his cigarette is gone and his hand is in his pocket.

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Connections

Referenced in The Pawnbroker (1964)

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Soundtracks

"Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty"
(uncredited)
Written by A.J. Mills, Fred Godfrey & Bennett Scott
Sung by Cicely Courtneidge

User Reviews

Viva Brahms!

I was a tender 14 years old in 1962, when I accompanied my mentor (my high school Spanish teacher) to an art house movie theater in Greenwich Village to see this film. My only previous encounter with Leslie Caron had been in the wonderfully entertaining film "Gigi". I must say, this two hour spectacle of unrelieved misery came as quite a shock to me. I left the theater thinking I had just seen the most depressing film I had ever seen in my life. And yet...I loved it! In fact, I felt very grown up at having survived it. This would not have been possible without the aid of the movie's soundtrack, Brahm's Piano Concerto No.1, which my astonished ears heard for the first time that evening. I've been in love with that piece--and with Brahms--ever since.