IMDb > The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958)
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
7.1/10   1,526 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 19% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Mark Robson
Writers:
Isobel Lennart (screenplay)
Alan Burgess (novel)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Inn of the Sixth Happiness on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
19 December 1958 (West Germany) more
Genre:
Biography | Drama | War more
Tagline:
Love had suddenly come to her under the China sky...love for this Eurasian soldier who now pressed his earthy, Oriental skin against her own...
Plot:
All her life Englishwoman Gladys Aylward knew that China was the place where she belonged. Not qualified to be sent there as a missionary... more | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 5 nominations more
User Comments:
The One Who Loves People more (43 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Ingrid Bergman ... Gladys Aylward
Curd Jürgens ... Capt. Lin Nan (as Curt Jurgens)

Robert Donat ... The Mandarin of Yang Cheng
Michael David ... Hok-A
Athene Seyler ... Jeannie Lawson
Ronald Squire ... Sir Francis Jamison
Moultrie Kelsall ... Dr. Robinson
Richard Wattis ... Mr. Murfin
Peter Chong ... Yang
Tsai Chin ... Sui-Lan
Edith Sharpe ... Secretary at China Inland Mission
Joan Young ... Sir Francis' cook
Lian-Shin Yang ... Woman with baby
Noel Hood ... Miss Thompson (as Noël Hood)
Burt Kwouk ... Li
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
158 min
Country:
USA
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
Australia:G | Canada:PG (video rating) | Finland:K-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (video rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #19037) | West Germany:12 | UK:U

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The song "The Children's Marching Song", more commonly known as "This Old Man", was better-known in England than the U.S. at the time this film was made. When the film became a hit in America, so did the song, helped in no small measure by Mitch Miller's popular recording. more
Goofs:
Errors in geography: The captain is talking with Gladys and says that someone will listen to anything for an extra bowl of rice. The story takes place in northern China and rice is only eaten in southern China. Noodles made from wheat was the mainstay of the Chinese diet in the north. Later in the film it appears Gladys takes a serving of rice from a large pot, and lastly on the journey with the children they come across some uncooked rice which Gladys picks it up. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Gladys Aylward: My name is Gladys Aylward. I've written to the head of the missionary society. His reply stated that he'd see me if I ever came to London. If he's busy, I can wait.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Sixth Happiness (1997) more
Soundtrack:
THE CHILDREN'S MARCHING SONG (THIS OLD MAN) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
8 out of 9 people found the following comment useful.
The One Who Loves People, 16 November 2007
9/10
Author: Claudio Carvalho from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In the 30's, the working-class Englishwoman Gladys Aylward (Ingrid Bergman) leaves Liverpool and arrives in London, trying to join the China Missionary Society expecting to be sent to China. However, having only ordinary schooling, her request is turned down due to her lack of qualification to the position. Gladys works hard as a maid and uses all her savings and salaries to buy a train ticket to Tientsin. Then she travels by mule to the remote province of Wangcheng, where she works with the Englishwoman Jeannie Lawson (Athene Seyler) and the Chinese cook Yang (Peter Chong) in the Inn of the Sixth Happiness. When Ms. Lawson has an accident and dies, Gladys has no money to run the establishment and accepts the position of "foot inspector" offered by the Mandarin Hsien Chang (Robert Donat). She is assigned to visit the countryside to promote and enforce the government's law against foot binding Chinese girls. She is successful, changes her nationality to Chinese and her name to Jen-ai (meaning "the one who loves people"), surprising the skeptical bi-racial Captain Lin Nan (Curt Jurgens). When Wangcheng is invaded by the Japanese, Jen-ai travels through the mountains with one hundred children to save them from death.

"The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" is a wonderful and engaging epic based on the true story of the enlightened Gladys Aylward. Her biography romanticized by Hollywood is awesome, and the movie is fantastic. Ingrid Bergman is stunning in the role of a servant in a period of class struggle in London determined to go to China where she believes she belongs and has a mission from God to be accomplished. The colors and the landscapes are impressive, but the cast of Ingrid Bergman as a woman not gorgeous; Curt Jurgens as a Chinese-Caucasian; and Robert Donat as a Chinese is weird, but they have perfect performances and I believe that is what matters in a film. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "A Morada da Sexta Felicidade" ("The Inn of the Sixth Happiness")

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (43 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Vale Robert Donat spocktom
GREAT MOVIE! BreathlessMahoney
Was there a sequel? ARM-3
location orinkel
Good Movie but read the book johnkimkel-1
Famouse School named after hear de_palma_nic
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Das Boot ist voll The Children of Huang Shi Three Came Home Europa Europa Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
IMDb Biography section IMDb USA section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.