The Inn of the Sixth Happiness

"BACK AGAIN - INGRID BERGMAN in her greatest role"

1958 2h 34m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 87

WarDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

All her life, Englishwoman Gladys Aylward knew that China was where she belonged. Unqualified to be sent as a missionary, Gladys works as a domestic to earn to send herself to a poor, remote village. There, she eventually lives a full and happy life: running the inn, acting as 'foot inspector', advising the local Mandarin, and even winning the heart of mixed-race Captain Lin Nan. Gladys discovers her real destiny when the country is invaded by Japan and the Chinese children need her to save their lives.

“BACK AGAIN - INGRID BERGMAN in her greatest role”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Ingrid Bergman
Gladys Aylward
Curd Jürgens
Capt. Lin Nan
Burt Kwouk
Li
Robert Donat
The Mandarin of Yang Cheng
Tsai Chin
Sui-Lan
Richard Wattis
Mr. Murfin
Athene Seyler
Jeannie Lawson
Ronald Squire
Sir Francis Jamison

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Mark Robson
Writers: Isobel Lennart
Languages: Mandarin, English, Italian
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Clocks in at 154 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $3.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

68 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Mandarin, English, Italian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Mark Robson, shot by Freddie Young. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Original score by Malcolm Arnold. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ernest Walter shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Mark Robson directs. Freddie Young behind the camera. Malcolm Arnold scores. Ernest Walter cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in Mandarin, English, Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Clocks in at 154 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.
2Shot for just $3.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
368 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
4Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Mandarin, English, Italian.
5International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
6Directed by Mark Robson, shot by Freddie Young. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Original score by Malcolm Arnold. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
8Editor Ernest Walter shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9Ingrid Bergman and Curd Jürgens and Burt Kwouk carry the top of the cast.
10Marketing tagline: "BACK AGAIN - INGRID BERGMAN in her greatest role".
11IMDB entry: tt0051776 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
12Only 87 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Freddie Young
Original score: Malcolm Arnold
Editing: Ernest Walter
Costume design: Margaret Furse
Makeup / hair: John O'Gorman
Runtime: 154 min · 2h 34m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $3,500,000
Box office: $9,000,000
Return: 257% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958)

Awards

Golden Globe Award for Best Film Promoting International Understanding

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Mark Robson

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-11-07
★ 6/10
Ingrid Bergman is the renowned British missionary Gladys Aylward in this rather lavish - if shallow - biopic of her adventures in China. Forced to raise her £41 train fare by cleaning houses in London, she embarks on her journey with grim determination but no real notion as to what awaits her. Luckily, one of her erstwhile employers "Sir Francis" (Ronald Squire) has furnished her with the name of someone who might be able to help. Soon enough, she is established in the eponymous lodgings offering a place of rest for travellers. The town is run by local mandarin Robert Donat and protected by troops under the command of "Capt. Lin Nan" (Curd Jürgens). Initially she and the Captain don't quite see eye to eye, but gradually he begins to appreciate her skills as a communicator, mediator and generally decent woman. Her interventions generally improve life for all concerned and soon she is well respected by all. The mood soon changes, though, when the Japanese launch an invasion and she must try to ensure that a large group of children make it to safety over some rugged terrain under frequent assault from their pursuing invaders. The story itself is one of heroism and bravery, and is well worth telling - even if it has a slightly condescending colonial tone to it. Sadly though, the talent here just don't work very well at all. Sometimes Bergman could over-act, and here she does it in spades. Her characterisation is only really skin-deep. Donat just doesn't convince at all with his silk clothes and thin moustache and Jürgens... Well what was he thinking? What was director Mark Robson thinking? It's a very long film, and it does drag quite often before the ending gets us to the gist of the remarkable real-life achievements of this strong-willed woman. It is photographed beautifully with some glorious costumes and outdoor settings to set the context for this story well. It's a bit of a slog to watch but on a big screen it still just about works.

Production companies