Room at the Top (1959)

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

Director:

Jack Clayton

Writers:

Neil Paterson (screenplay), John Braine (adapted from the novel by)

Stars:

Laurence Harvey, Simone Signoret, Heather Sears

Won 2 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

The English factory town is dreary but Joe Lampton has landed a job with a future. To have something to do at night he joins a theatrical group. His boss's daughter Susan is playing ingenue roles on stage and in real life. She is attracted to Joe and Joe thinks about how much faster he will get ahead if he is the boss's son-in-law. This plan is complicated by his strong desire to be with an older woman who also belongs to the theatrical group. She is French and unhappily married. Joe believes he can get away with seeing both women.

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Plot Keywords:

angry young man | infidelity | extramarital affair | loss of virginity | cheating on girlfriend | 

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Taglines:

A Motion Picture So Frankly Physical...So Boldly Unashamed...We Recommend It to Adult Audiences Only!

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Simone Signoret's Oscar was the first time the award had been bestowed on an actress who had done no work in Hollywood.

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Goofs

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.

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Quotes

Mr. Brown: Don't worry about the way the world's run, lad. Enjoy it while you're young.

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Connections

References Citizen Kane (1941)

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Soundtracks

The Wedding March
(uncredited)
Music by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
Arranged by Lambert Williamson

User Reviews

Signoret's Performance Is Unforgettable

This is a superb movie. The plot is reminiscent of "An American Tragedy." But it takes place in England, and the hero is very much an Angry Young Man. Nevertheless, it is so beautifully written and directed it feels as fresh and new as if the such issues had never before been touched in movies.

Laurence Harvey, whom I'm generally not crazy about, is superb as the lower-class guy determined to make it big. He sets his sights on the boss's daughter, appealingly played by Heather Sears. But something happens to sidetrack him. And that something -- Simone Signoret -- is the main reason to see and to cherish "Room At The Top." She is very believable as the slightly shady older woman with whom he has a romance. And her eyes! Her eyes, suggesting wisdom and great depths of sadness, will break you heart. It seems like a simple performance and it is uncluttered, stark. But it is flawless. I can think of almost no other performance by a woman in an English-language movie that compares to Signoret's.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

French English

Release Date:

22 January 1959 (UK)

Also Known As:

Room at the Top

Filming Locations:

Halifax Railway Station, Horton Street, Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

GBP280,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Romulus Films, Remus

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1