The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958)

Director:

Mark Robson

Writers:

Isobel Lennart (screenplay)
Alan Burgess (novel)

Release Date:

19 December 1958 (West Germany)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | War

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...

Plot Keywords:

China | Missionary | Mandarin | Foot Binding | Mediation

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 5 nominations

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Frank Blaine	...	Madman (uncredited)
Christopher Chen	...	Tax collector (uncredited)
Lin Chen	...	Innkeeper's wife (uncredited)
Frank Goh	...	Timothy (uncredited)
Ronald Kyaing	...	Young Lin (uncredited)
Judith Lai	...	Sixpence (uncredited)
Ronald Lee	...	Chief muleteer (uncredited)
Louise Lin	...	Mai Da (uncredited)
André Mikhelson	...	Russian commissar (uncredited)
Stanislaw Mikula	...	Russian conductor (uncredited)
Aung Min	...	Buddhist priest (uncredited)
Michael Wee	...	Mandarin's aide (uncredited)
Ye-Min	...	Bai-Bao (uncredited)
Zed Zakari	...	Chief Prison Guard reporting riot (uncredited)

Directed by
Mark Robson

Writing credits
Isobel Lennart		(screenplay)
Alan Burgess		(novel "The Small Woman")

Produced by
Buddy Adler	....	producer

Original Music by
Malcolm Arnold

Cinematography by
Freddie Young		(as F.A. Young)

Film Editing by
Ernest Walter

Casting by
Nora Roberts

Art Direction by
John Box
Geoffrey Drake

Costume Design by
Margaret Furse

Makeup Department
John O'Gorman	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Cecil F. Ford	....	production manager
James E. Newcom	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Middlemas	....	assistant director
Peter Yates	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Mickey Lennon	....	dressing props (uncredited)

Sound Department
J.B. Smith	....	sound mixer
Gerry Turner	....	sound mixer
Michael Hickey	....	sound (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Walker	....	camera operator (as Bob Walker)
Dennis Fraser	....	grip (uncredited)
Ronnie Fox Rogers	....	clapper loader (uncredited)

Casting Department
Joe Powell	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Music Department
Malcolm Arnold	....	conductor

Other crew
Jung-En Liu	....	technical advisor
Angela Martelli	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (presents) (as Twentieth Century-Fox)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1958) (USA) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Company (1958) (UK) (theatrical)
• Hispano Foxfilms S.A.E. (1959) (Spain) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1965) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• CBS/Fox Video (1989) (UK) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Fox Video (1995) (UK) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Fox Video (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Fox Video (199?) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation  CinemaScope is the Registered Trademark of

Runtime:

158 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Japanese | Mandarin | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

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

Filming Locations:

Beddgelert, Gwynedd, Wales, UK

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The real Gladys Aylward was reportedly very embarrassed at the romantic part of the film. She did fall in love with a Chinese soldier but they never married and it was very brief.

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.

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.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hollywood Screen Tests: Take 1 (1999) (TV)

Soundtrack:

THE CHILDREN'S MARCHING SONG (THIS OLD MAN)

Strange that so many people deny Gladys' romance with the Chinese officer....

This is a wonderful movie which can be totally blown apart by those more interested in accuracy about Gladys Aylward's life than the spirit of her life. The strangest thing is that over and over one can read that Gladys was a chaste woman who never would have dreamed of having a romance with any man. The book on which the film is based, The Small Woman by Alan Burgess, is cited on the webpage for the movie, so there's no excuse for ignorance. Mr Burgess wrote at length of Gladys' romance with a colonel in the Chinese Nationlist Army. The man's name was Linnan, and aside from being portrayed by a German actor, the romance was as portrayed. Linnan was pure Chinese, he and Gladys loved each other very much, and they planned to be married. In the uncertainty of World War 2, Gladys decided against the marriage, and Linnan was lost in the war. She never saw him again and did not even know if he had survived the war, but she always remembered him as the one man she truly loved. I for one think her romance is in keeping with the rest of her life-she loved the Chinese people so much that she became a Chinese citizen, and when she fell in love it was with a Chinese man.