IMDb >
Room at the Top (1959)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at
blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
blockbuster.com
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsRoom at the Top (1959) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 13 | slideshow) |
Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
January 1959 (UK) moreTagline:
A Savage Story of lust and ambitionPlot:
An ambitious young accountant schemes to wed a wealthy factory owner's daughter, despite falling in love with a married older woman. full summary | add synopsisAwards:
Won 2 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 10 nominations moreUser Comments:
Outstanding angry young man film. moreCast
(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 |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
USA:115 min | Argentina:115 minCountry:
UKLanguage:
EnglishColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 moreSound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)Certification:
UK:X (original rating) | Argentina:Atp | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | UK:15 | Sweden:15Fun Stuff
Goofs:
Anachronisms: 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. moreFAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Room at the Top (1959) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| A Place in the Sun | Big Fish | A Kind of Loving | The Cider House Rules | Tunes of Glory |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| IMDb Drama section | IMDb UK section | Add this title to MyMovies |












Although "Room at the Top" is set in Britain just after WWII, Americans of today will recognize in Joe Lambton the prototype of a yuppie an offensively pushy, horny and self-obsessed social climber with no concern for the feelings of others, but a winning charm that pushes him all the way to the top.
An orphaned working class veteran who has studied bookkeeping, Joe leaves his bombed out home for another dismal industrial town where he goes to work at a dead end civil service job, while trying to promote himself into the ranks of the wealthy by romancing the young daughter of the richest man in town. In the mean time, he commences a tawdry affair with a wealthy woman who may be a prostitute.
At almost every turn, Lambton runs afoul of the husband or lover who got there first, but he won't be deterred from his goal of climbing higher up the social ladder, no matter who it hurts and even if it means having to commit adultery or marry for money.
For all of that, he is by turns a sympathetic character, as ably portrayed by Laurence Harvey, in spite of the fact that his lust for the older rich woman, matter of factly played by Simone Signoret, has consequences that should make him seem thoroughly detestable. Seeing the world from his point of view, we can't help but feel that his upper class foils deserve the trouble he visits upon them, even if we feel that he is wrong to corrupt himself and betray his working class origins.
The first rate production is trimmed down to essentials, yet has a balletic quality of movement when it comes to even the smallest gestures that is an unusually effective combination of masterful montage, choreography and camera movement. It is a great example of how technique and subject matter can come together to achieve a flawlessly artful yet modest effect. One of the best of the British angry young man genre.