ROOM AT THE TOP
UK, 1959, 115 minutes, Black and white.
Simone Signoret, Laurence Harvey, Heather Sears, Donald Wolfitt, Donald Houston, Hermione Baddeley, Allan Cuthbertson, Raymond Huntley, Ian Hendry.
Directed by Jack Clayton.
Room at the Top was an adaptation of a popular kitchen-sink novel of the period by John Braine. Laurence Harvey created the character Joe Lampton, a typical English character of the time, living in an industrial city, bored but ambitious. In his spare time he joins a theatre group and is interested in wooing and marrying one of the actresses, Susan – who is the daughter of his boss, Donald Wolfit. However, he becomes infatuated with an older French actress, unhappily married, who is part of the group. His ambition is to marry the daughter while having the relationship with the older woman. This is the portrait of a callous young man who wants to get to the top.
This is another example of a film where Laurence Harvey was the main actor with an Oscar-winning actress (also with Elizabeth Taylor in Butterfield 8 and Julie Christie in Darling). Simone Signoret, very well known from French cinema, is the ageing actress and won the Oscar, the National Board of Review award, a BAFTA for her performance. The film also won an Oscar for best adapted screenplay for Neil Paterson. This is interesting in view of the year, 1959, with the big winner of Oscars Ben Hur. Room at the Top is credited along with such films as Anatomy of a Murder, also in 1959, with changing attitudes and perspectives on what was permitted on screen, franker presentations of adult relationships, adultery and infidelity, franker scenes of sexuality and language.
Jack Clayton was principally a producer but directed a number of films including The Bespoke Overcoat, The Innocents, The Pumpkin Eater, Our Mother’s House, The Great Gatsby, Something Wicked This Way Comes and The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne.
1. The significance of the title, the emphasis on location in the town, the reference to business and success? The overtones of each word?
2. The film's focus on Joe Lampton? Laurence Harvey's style and the portrayal? Could audiences identify with him? Understand him in his environment, was he a sympathetic character? The nature of his drives and ambitions? His moral attitude, lack of scruple, callousness? His use of people? His feelings and lack of them? As representing human nature? As representing the man on the make in modern Britain? A man
of the fifties?
3. The film's use of locations, location photography for a sense of authenticity? The industrial towns, slums, fashionable homes? The black and white photography? City life, offices, the top, society? An atmosphere for hypocrisy? Joe being beaten up? The weddings? The picture of decadence and ugliness In this way of life? Audience interest, fascination, repulsion?
4. Joe and his background, the significance of his returning home, Joe as seen within the environment of his family, of the office? His response to Brown's manipulation? A picture of English industry?
5. The presentation of Joe with Soames and Jane? An ordinary way of life, the details of normality? Yet Joe being above it? Yet getting his support In this environment? His work for the borough? And his seeing this as a kind of a death?
6. Joe and his meeting of Susan? His fastening on to her, flirting, using her, the seduction? Her innocence and naivety? The effect of her being sent away? The manipulation of the marriage? As a false foundation for the future, the spoiling of their lives? Brown's manipulation? Susan's mother and her attitude? People's gossip? Joe and his friends? Joe as a manipulator like Brown?
7. How credible was the relationship between Joe and Alice? Alice and her personality? The intensity of the relationship, their love? The sequences of Alice and her husband? Alice and her acting? Why did the love start, why did each fascinate the other? The mutual dependence, the suffering? The importance of the drunkenness? The attitude of Elspeth and her rebuke of Joe? The Impact of Alice's death? The effect on Joe, his drinking, beating? The lasting effect on him?
8. Joe and his relationship with the Browns? Their snobbery, forced politeness, wanting to buy him off? Joe's hold over the Browns?
9. How like life was this story? Its presentation of good and evil? Its pessimistic outlook on human nature? Why did critics acclaim the film at the time?
