Room At The Top (1959) | Audition (Clip 3) - Ian Hendry (as Cyril - early film credit)
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Room at the Top is a
1959 British film based on the novel of the same name by
John Braine. The novel was adapted by
Neil Paterson with uncredited work by
Mordecai Richler. It was directed by
Jack Clayton and produced by
James and
John Woolf.
The film stars
Simone Signoret,
Laurence Harvey,
Heather Sears,
Donald Wolfit,
Donald Houston and
Hermione Baddeley. Signoret won the
Academy Award for Best Actress for this film, while Baddeley's performance became the shortest ever to be nominated for an acting
Oscar (she had 2 minutes and 20 seconds of screen time).
Plot
In late
1940s Yorkshire, England, ambitious young man Joe
Lampton (Laurence Harvey), who has just moved from the dreary factory town of
Dufton, arrives in
Warley, to assume a secure, but poorly-paid, post in the
Borough Treasurer's
Department.
Determined to succeed, and ignoring the warnings of a colleague, Soames (Donald Houston), he is drawn to
Susan Brown (Heather Sears), daughter of the local industrial magnate,
Mr. Brown (Donald Wolfit). He deals with
Joe's social climbing by sending
Susan abroad; Joe turns for solace to
Alice Aisgill (Simone Signoret), an unhappily married older woman who falls in love with him.
When Susan returns from her holiday, shortly after the lovers (Joe and Alice) have quarrelled, Joe seduces Susan, and then returns to Alice. Discovering that Susan is pregnant, Mr. Brown, after failing to buy off Joe, coerces him to give up Alice and marry his daughter. Deserted and heartbroken, Alice launches on a drinking bout that culminates in her car-accident death. Distraught, Joe disappears, and after being beaten unconscious by a gang of thugs for making a drunken pass at one of their women, he is rescued by his colleague Soames in time to marry Susan.
Cast
Laurence Harvey - Joe Lampton
Simone Signoret - Alice Aisgill
Heather Sears - Susan Brown
Donald Wolfit - Mr. Brown
Donald Houston -
Charlie 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
Mary Peach - June
Samson
Anthony Newlands -
Bernard
Avril Elgar - Miss Gilchrist
Thelma Ruby - Miss Breith
Paul Whitsun-Jones -
Laughing Man at Bar
Derren Nesbitt -
Thug in
Fight On Tow
Path
Derek Benfield - Man in bar
Richard Caldicot -
Taxi driver
Wendy Craig -
Joan
Basil Dignam -
Priest
Jack Hedley -
Architect
Miriam Karlin -
Gertrude
Wilfrid Lawson -
Uncle Nat
Prunella Scales -
Council Office Worker
John Welsh - Mayor
Sheila Raynor -
Vera
John Moulder Brown --
Urchin (uncredited)
Cast
Laurence Harvey - Joe Lampton
Simone Signoret - Alice Aisgill
Heather Sears - Susan Brown
Donald Wolfit - Mr. Brown
Donald Houston - Charlie 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
Mary Peach - June Samson
Anthony Newlands - Bernard
Avril Elgar - Miss Gilchrist
Thelma Ruby - Miss Breith
Paul Whitsun-Jones - Laughing Man at Bar
Derren Nesbitt - Thug in Fight On Tow Path
Derek Benfield - Man in bar
Richard Caldicot - Taxi driver
Wendy Craig - Joan
Basil Dignam - Priest
Jack Hedley - Architect
Miriam Karlin - Gertrude
Wilfrid Lawson - Uncle Nat
Prunella Scales - Council Office Worker
John Welsh - Mayor
Sheila Raynor - Vera
John Moulder Brown -- Urchin (uncredited)
Awards and nominations
Academy Awards
Wins
Best Actress in a Leading
Role (Simone Signoret)
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on
Material from Another
Medium.
Nominations
Best Picture
Best Actor in a Leading Role, (Laurence Harvey)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Hermione Baddeley)
Best Director (Jack Clayton)
BAFTA Awards
Wins
Best British Film
Best
Film from any
Source
BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Simone Signoret)
Nominations
Best
British Actor (Laurence Harvey)
Best British Actor (Donald Wolfit)
Best British
Actress (Hermione Baddeley)
Most Promising
Newcomer (Mary Peach)
[edit]
Golden Globe Awards
Win
Samuel Goldwyn Award
Nomination
Best Motion Picture Actress -
Drama (Simone Signoret)
Cannes Film Festival
Win
Best Actress (Simone Signoret)
Nomination
Golden Palm (Jack Clayton)