A full-blooded post-War British melodrama set during World War 2, adapted from a stage play, co-scripted by Dylan Thomas and directed by Daniel Birt (see also THE THREE WEIRD SISTERS) and starring hatchet-faced Freda Jackson as wicked landlady Mrs Voray who takes in orphaned children and spends their allowance on drink and finery. Narrated in flashback by Mary O'Rane (Ann Stephens) as she recalls the experiences that turned both her and fellow orphan Norma Bates (get that name!), played by feisty Joan Dowling, into petty thieves, this has apparently been considerably opened out by co-scripter Thomas, to take in a less than thinly veiled attack on Church and State, as well as the kind of class hypocrisy that allowed middle-class types to tut-tut behind their net curtains at the dirty-faced urchins and carousing working-class slatterns, whilst simultaneously cooking up barely credible excuses not to take the hapless youngsters in; even when begged by a selfless and community-spirited young schoolmistress. Described at the time by 'Today's Cinema' as a '...completely sordid canvas...' and a work of '...cruelty which has no parallel on British screens...', this was clearly strong meat in its day and, even though time has dimmed much of its initial power and rendered some of its sentiment a shade sugary, its theatrics a trifle hammy and its portentous religious overtones somewhat trite and banal, this is still an undeniably downbeat tale of often almost Victorian squalor. Partially leavened by occasional shafts of wit (e.g. Voray recalls her ex-husband 'Nobody bothered about his family tree - except the dogs'), humorous comic stereotypes and sharp-tongued kids, this still packs a fair wallop; thanks in no small measure to Jackson's vividly etched turn as the kind of vicious and spiteful harridan who appears to have stepped out of a tale by the Brothers Grimm. Definitely worth a look for those interested in the often overblown, but nevertheless entertaining, school of post-War British genre cinema.
16 Reviews
A Disreputable Person
richardchatten30 April 2020
Sonia Dresdel had recently played a monstrous matriarch in 'This Was a Woman', now it was Freda Johnson preserving for posterity her performance in Joan Temple's West End hit of 1945 in a role that would have been perfect for Tod Slaughter had he fitted her furs and high heels.
Anybody curious as to what Mrs Bates in 'Psycho' was like before she took strychnine need look no further. Jackson as the monstrous Mrs Voray (we never learn what became of her husband) looks like a female version of The Childcatcher from 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang', and one of her victims is even called Norma Bates in this barnstorming melodrama that reveals what a fearsome place wartime Britain actually was.
Anybody curious as to what Mrs Bates in 'Psycho' was like before she took strychnine need look no further. Jackson as the monstrous Mrs Voray (we never learn what became of her husband) looks like a female version of The Childcatcher from 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang', and one of her victims is even called Norma Bates in this barnstorming melodrama that reveals what a fearsome place wartime Britain actually was.
Meet Mrs. Voray, one of the great forgotten villains of all time.
mark.waltz15 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
"I know why she is a thief." So says sweet Mary (Ann Stephens), shop clerk and one-time ward of a drunken floozie foster mother (Freda Jackson as Mrs. Moray) who took her in when her mother died, seduced her father and basically treated her charges with contempt. In a seedy British slum like the area where Fagin trained pickpockets, there's little hope for these young foundlings, but Mary manages to get out and live a respectable life even after an auspicious start. A concerned schoolteacher (Joy Shelton) treats her with kindness, instilling her with hope even though the other kids are rather cruel to those they are jealous of or feel they can bully. Surprisingly, the bullies are the female wards (particularly the character of Norma Bates whom an older Mary witnesses later being arrested for shoplifting), while Mary becomes concerned about the younger boy (a variation of Oliver Twist) who has been taken in and unable to defend himself. After a time, Mary's as bad as the other girls.
This is a Dickens like modern tale of desperation and how one person going out of her way to fix the situation and abuse by a pathetic and uncaring adult. The dingy atmosphere is presented in a way of making a strong point with the most disturbing performances actually top notch in the shocking cruelty. There are obvious elements of Miss Hannigan in Jackson's performance (a role she had played on stage), a great film villain that times makes her seem like a less campy cruella DeVille. Her performance should be added to the list of legendary film villians, leading to the nail biting conclusion that may have you gasping in excitement and had me clapping in glee. Some of the scenes of abuse are truly horrifying to watch, particularly when Mrs. Voray drunkenly locks the young boy in a rat infested cellar. The scene where Jackson sweetly defends herself against Shelton subtly reveals some aspects about society (here set during World War II and dealing with war orphans) makes some rather eye raising insinuations about how Voray got her way, making her character all the more disgusting and Jackson's performance all the more unforgettable.
This is a Dickens like modern tale of desperation and how one person going out of her way to fix the situation and abuse by a pathetic and uncaring adult. The dingy atmosphere is presented in a way of making a strong point with the most disturbing performances actually top notch in the shocking cruelty. There are obvious elements of Miss Hannigan in Jackson's performance (a role she had played on stage), a great film villain that times makes her seem like a less campy cruella DeVille. Her performance should be added to the list of legendary film villians, leading to the nail biting conclusion that may have you gasping in excitement and had me clapping in glee. Some of the scenes of abuse are truly horrifying to watch, particularly when Mrs. Voray drunkenly locks the young boy in a rat infested cellar. The scene where Jackson sweetly defends herself against Shelton subtly reveals some aspects about society (here set during World War II and dealing with war orphans) makes some rather eye raising insinuations about how Voray got her way, making her character all the more disgusting and Jackson's performance all the more unforgettable.
I did not think I could get any information on this film. Surprise.
b-mutton16 May 2004
I was in the U.K.throughout the war, I was an evacuee. My treatment was just like this movie. I saw it when it first came out, I was 15 years old and had been working for a little over a year, in London. Although somewhat sad it was also very amusing. Films like this leave a lasting impression. I remember one line in particular when the small boy got hold of a hat and stuck it in the pitcher, the comment was "What happened to me Sailor Beware", it was a womens sailor hat.
If you have lived through a war, buzz bombs, being bombed out, you would not appreciate the artistry of this production as much as I did.
If you have lived through a war, buzz bombs, being bombed out, you would not appreciate the artistry of this production as much as I did.
Dated, but worth a watch
jacqueestorozynski26 April 2020
I saw this film years ago as a child and it stuck in my memory, so when it appeared on TV on the Talking Pictures channel, I watched it again. Of course some of the acting is over the top, tipping into caricature. But the children are brilliant. Joan Dowling steals the film and it is sad that she committed suicide in the early fifties, as she had so much to give. An aunt had tales to tell of similar experiences as an evacuee and there is a moral to the film as the do gooders turn a blind eye when asked to help. The denouement is a bit mellow dramatic and the film ends suddenly which is a bit odd, especially as the story is told in flashback, one of the children as an adult is recounting it. We needed a bit more of the scenes from the beginning revisited at the end. Still I enjoyed seeing it again.
The cast at Winter Garden Theater wa different than the film
hydrostan23 January 2021
I was Ronnie and my stage name was Stanley Conett (Stanley Heinemann) I played that part for 427 performances at the Winter Garden. Then toured England and Scotland with the show. Also I did the BBC version.It is a pity that you have published the wrong actor's name for the Winter Garden version of the show.
I was too tall to be in the film version. The Theater version often caused the audience to erupt with shouting and curses at Fred Jackson. The show ended with the girls suffocating Mrs.Voray and it was different in the movie.
Ref -corrected version in Wikipedia.
Unstable Relationships
writers_reign10 August 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Unlike most, if not all, of the other reviewers I didn't see this film until yesterday when I needed to beguile ninety minutes or so in the NFT prior to a screening of Look Back In Anger. The recently opened Mediateque provided a solution so I was able to watch it for the first time. I'd recently viewed in the same venue another collaboration between Dyland Thomas and Daniel Birt made at the same time, The Three Weird Sisters and been less than enamoured so I didn't hold out too much hope for this one, in the event I was pleasantly surprised. At the time it must have come across as powerful social comment in which neither State nor Church came off very well. The sad thing is that over 50 years later children are still being abused in 'care' situations and probably facing far worse treatment than these orphans receive at the callous hands of Freda Jackson. It is, of course, a gift of a part for an actress and it's easy to imagine Sonia Dresdel, Siobhahn McKenna and Jackson fighting it out between them for the chance to play it. Joan Dowling almost walks away with it and it's arguably her finest performance just a tad better than Hue and Cry. It may be a tad over dramatised with a conveniently tidy denouement but it remains powerful stuff and well worth seeing.
Mad Bad And Sad
malcolmgsw23 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Frieda Jackson acts her heart out as the evil landlady who terrorises and exploits the evacuees who are lodged with her.What is worse the local committee responsible for the welfare of the children chooses to turn a blind eye to her behaviour.One suspects that this did reflect the experience of some children.
Powerful & compelling drama
ronevickers18 February 2008
From the opening shot of a department store, with a background choir singing "Once in Royal David's City," this turns out to be an engrossing, evocative & still-powerful film, which has much merit in the message it portrays. Although it dates from 1948, and I have only seen the truncated version of 63 minutes (does anyone have the full version available?) the film is a credit to all concerned. It carries a direct and hard hitting message, and the influence of the great Dylan Thomas is clear for all to see. The casting is top notch, and Freda Jackson plays a thoroughly despicable, two-faced harridan in grand style. In its day, it must have been a forceful, and probably unpalatable, slice of life, with the exposure of dual standards particularly unsettling in certain quarters. Although a work of fiction, it comes across as very true to life and totally believable. It's a must-see film!
A really grotty DVD copy
k-ward19 December 2011
In answer to the requests for a DVD copy above it can be found at "Loving Classics" as a NTSC DVD-R copy. It isn't a very good copy but I dare say it will take the sparkle off those old memories described above. I tried to imitate the cinema audiences of the day when the villain got her comeuppances by standing and cheering but it all seemed a bit like a kids movie when the hero was coming to the rescue and they were playing the William Tell overture.
It takes place in the early stages of WWII when the children of London were evacuated to the country. Mrs Vorey (Freda Jackson )takes in some children and they live like pigs , albeit friendly pigs while their school teacher tries to remedy the situation and the authorities prevaricate.
It takes place in the early stages of WWII when the children of London were evacuated to the country. Mrs Vorey (Freda Jackson )takes in some children and they live like pigs , albeit friendly pigs while their school teacher tries to remedy the situation and the authorities prevaricate.
Evocative and powerful message.
jennyelse1 September 2005
I saw this film when I was very young and it had the most amazing effect on me. My Mother took me to the cinema I think not realising that it was to be so disturbing. I now work in the caring industry and have a highly developed sense of justice, fairness and the importance of treating people as you would wish to be treated yourself which I attribute largely to this film. I will never forget it - it is the most haunting film I have ever seen. I would really love to be able to see it again from my adult perspective but cannot find it. Can anyone tell me where I might get a copy? If I had to chose one scene which affected me most it would have to be when one of the children was locked in the outside coal shed - I am now a claustrophobic and can't bear to be shut in anywhere! What a legacy to have been left by a film!!
Try to see the full original version of this film if possible!
graham-30612 August 2009
I saw this film for the first time very recently at the Mediatheque at the BFI in London and was stunned by the film itself, and the excellent performances of Freda Jackson and Joan Dowling in particular.
"No Room At The Inn" was originally a stage play by Joan Temple in which Freda Jackson scored an immense success as the despicable Mrs Voray. The play opened at the Embassy Theatre in London in 1945, and Miss Jackson repeated her triumph the following year at the Winter Garden Theatre.
The film's screenplay, based on Temple's play, was co-written by the producer Ivan Foxwell and the celebrated Welsh writer Dylan Thomas, and their skill shines through. The treatment in many ways is surprisingly modern, as is much of the acting. Although the denouement is somewhat melodramatic, the film remains hugely powerful and entertaining. It is also darkly disturbing, and reveals that today's appalling stories of child abuse beloved by the tabloids are nothing new at all.
Other British character actors supply memorable performances. We see Hermione Baddeley in one of her grotesque frowsy harridan roles - her character in "It Always Rains On Sunday" with large knobs on - Sydney Tafler as a dapper spiv, and good old stalwart Dora Bryan (sans ubiquitous plastic mac) as his girlfriend. Tafler's wife, Joy Shelton gives a strong performance as the teacher of Mary O'Rane, who in turn is played by Ann Stephens (familiar as the bad gal of "The Franchise Affair").
It is unquestionably Jackson's film, however, although the delicious Joan Dowling - brilliant as the amoral kid Norma Bates - gives her a run for her money. One wishes much more of Freda Jackson's work had been committed to celluloid.
Apparently the film is not currently available commercially, and I understand has not been shown on British TV since the 1950s. Another reviewer on here states that the BFI informed them it is "in private hands". I hope that this doesn't suggest that for some reason we may never have the opportunity of seeing this film in its entirety.
I have seen a copy of a 16mm version - not at the BFI - and as far as I am aware that is the only copy in any sort of circulation at present. However, I believe this was from a later release of the film that was cut down - (possibly to be part of a double feature?).
Unfortunately so severe is the truncation of this version that in parts it makes little sense, and indeed some of the very best scenes have been cut - for example Joan Dowling's magnificent "cockney" version of the Cinderella story. This scene alone shows this tragically short-lived actress at her very finest, and it is sorely missed.
The shortened version loses more than 30 valuable minutes I'm afraid, so to those who have never seen this film, I recommend - if it is at all possible - that you see the version held by the BFI - either at the Mediatheque, or on screen.
Meanwhile, I am keeping my fingers crossed for a release of the complete version on DVD in the not-too-distant future!
"No Room At The Inn" is a must-see for lovers of good 1940s British dramatic film.
"No Room At The Inn" was originally a stage play by Joan Temple in which Freda Jackson scored an immense success as the despicable Mrs Voray. The play opened at the Embassy Theatre in London in 1945, and Miss Jackson repeated her triumph the following year at the Winter Garden Theatre.
The film's screenplay, based on Temple's play, was co-written by the producer Ivan Foxwell and the celebrated Welsh writer Dylan Thomas, and their skill shines through. The treatment in many ways is surprisingly modern, as is much of the acting. Although the denouement is somewhat melodramatic, the film remains hugely powerful and entertaining. It is also darkly disturbing, and reveals that today's appalling stories of child abuse beloved by the tabloids are nothing new at all.
Other British character actors supply memorable performances. We see Hermione Baddeley in one of her grotesque frowsy harridan roles - her character in "It Always Rains On Sunday" with large knobs on - Sydney Tafler as a dapper spiv, and good old stalwart Dora Bryan (sans ubiquitous plastic mac) as his girlfriend. Tafler's wife, Joy Shelton gives a strong performance as the teacher of Mary O'Rane, who in turn is played by Ann Stephens (familiar as the bad gal of "The Franchise Affair").
It is unquestionably Jackson's film, however, although the delicious Joan Dowling - brilliant as the amoral kid Norma Bates - gives her a run for her money. One wishes much more of Freda Jackson's work had been committed to celluloid.
Apparently the film is not currently available commercially, and I understand has not been shown on British TV since the 1950s. Another reviewer on here states that the BFI informed them it is "in private hands". I hope that this doesn't suggest that for some reason we may never have the opportunity of seeing this film in its entirety.
I have seen a copy of a 16mm version - not at the BFI - and as far as I am aware that is the only copy in any sort of circulation at present. However, I believe this was from a later release of the film that was cut down - (possibly to be part of a double feature?).
Unfortunately so severe is the truncation of this version that in parts it makes little sense, and indeed some of the very best scenes have been cut - for example Joan Dowling's magnificent "cockney" version of the Cinderella story. This scene alone shows this tragically short-lived actress at her very finest, and it is sorely missed.
The shortened version loses more than 30 valuable minutes I'm afraid, so to those who have never seen this film, I recommend - if it is at all possible - that you see the version held by the BFI - either at the Mediatheque, or on screen.
Meanwhile, I am keeping my fingers crossed for a release of the complete version on DVD in the not-too-distant future!
"No Room At The Inn" is a must-see for lovers of good 1940s British dramatic film.
reflections on the impression the film made on me when I was a boy and how I see it now
julianscutts11 April 2013
When I saw the film the first time I was scared out of my wits by Mrs Voray. I could empathize with evacuee children as some of them came to my town at the end of the war. The film can be viewed in full length on the Internet these days. As an adult I interpret the film as the interplay of myth and social realism. Mrs Voray has the attributes of a witch even in her looks but more significantly in her power to bewitch town worthies and others by her smarmy insinuations and false charm. I agree with another reviewer that the film recalls the world of the Grimm brothers, Hansel and Gretel particularly. Dylan Thomas was intrigued by images drawn from the world of witches and sinister occult practices. What saves the play from being a moralizing allegory is its keen almost Dickensian observation of people as they are, foibles and all.
No Room At The Inn
pepperme7229 January 2009
Yes i was in the same boat.With a dragon of a woman chasing my sister brother and me, i think for her sport.The scene that stands out for me was when one of them say's You.v Broke Me Bleed-en feather.I remember very well the war years.Three of my cousins were buried alive in the blitz of Portsmouth.Being a naval port it got it's share.We ended up living in tent's courtesy of the army.I think this film depicted some of the deplorable situations that children were placed in.I think the small amount of comedy gave it the lift it so badly needed.I know it made an everlasting impression on me.I wonder if by to-days standards it would have won Best Picture Of The Year.I should think so.
A wonderful, evocative film of the war in London
ahsargeant27 February 2009
My only complaint is that I cannot get a copy (DVD) of this film. I have been trying for years! The British Film Institute tell me it is in 'private hands' - what does this mean? Has anybody an idea how I might get hold of it? My wife and I both lived through the war years in London's 'East End' and this film has many fond, albeit, sad memories for us both. I should be delighted if someone could put me on to a copy. Isn't it strange how such a simply told story such as 'No Room at the Inn' has such a profound impact on peoples' memories. It is seriously underrated in my view - perhaps to see it again might spoil the illusion but I am willing to chance That!
about no room at the inn
arezendes-130 January 2006
since i was a little boy , i have heard about this film , i have never seen this film , i wanted to say , that as a child in england in the late 1940's my mother said that this was her all time favorite movie,so i am sure that it has some merit! since i have never seen this film i really do not have the right to comment on it. it seems to me that this film has left a very tangible impression on my mother. so in conclusion i would say that this is a film was well worth seeing! ever though i have never seen it. i am no film critic , i would say give it a try ! you may find that it is a wonderful link to another era in cinema.thank you.
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