IMDb on iPhone and iPod touch Learn more Learn more Download from the App Store
IMDb > Room at the Top (1959)

Room at the Top (1959) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
8.0/10   1,543 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 33% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
John Braine (novel)
Neil Paterson (writer)
more
Release Date:
January 1959 (UK) more
Genre:
Tagline:
A Savage Story of lust and ambition
Plot:
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 synopsis
Awards:
Won 2 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 10 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
BBC4 to adapt Dh Lawrence's Women in Love
 (From The Guardian - TV News. 2 December 2009, 7:29 AM, PST)

Goodbye Toronto: Fish Tank and Le Refuge
 (From FilmExperience. 21 September 2009, 9:56 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Wonderful Simone Signoret more (30 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
USA:115 min | Argentina:115 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
Company:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
First film of Ian Hendry. more
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. more
Movie Connections:

FAQ

Midwest Premiere Happened When and Where?
more
18 out of 22 people found the following comment useful.
Wonderful Simone Signoret, 4 November 2007
Author: Lechuguilla from Dallas, Texas

Set in an English factory town, "Room At The Top" tells the story of an ambitious, blue-collar cad named Joe Lampton (Laurence Harvey), the film's anti-hero, attracted to two women. One woman is his boss's daughter; ergo, she is his ticket to a bright financial future. The other is an older woman named Alice (Simone Signoret).

The script trends in the direction of melodramatic soap opera, with emphasis on character development. It's rather talky. And the plot is somewhat slow. On the other hand, because of the way in which sexual relationships are portrayed, the script was a bit ahead of its time. The story has a lot to say about individual sacrifice.

The film's naturalistic, B&W lighting is fine. Background music is nondescript and unimportant. The most significant element of the film, perhaps, is the high quality of acting. Both Donald Wolfit and Hermione Baddeley give really fine performances in support roles. But, of course, the real reason to see "Room At The Top" is to marvel at the outstanding performance of Simone Signoret, who won the Oscar for Best Actress in a lead role.

Although this is not my kind of film, it is very well made. It's an important film, both for its avant-garde sexual content and for the acting achievement of wonderful Simone Signoret.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (30 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Room at the Top (1959)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
similar films daleac
Worst movie I ever saw! stomaino
What year was Room at the Top released? 58 or 59? roryo-2
Kinks reference trickymutha
Early Deaths ohkay43
Not just this, the sequel is soon to be on DVD too! nowisthetimeforheroes
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
A Place in the Sun The Cider House Rules Tunes of Glory Les liaisons dangereuses Shakespeare in Love
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
News articles IMDb Drama section IMDb UK 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.