The hostel for the 6th happiness

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Movie
German title The hostel for the 6th happiness
Original title The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
Country of production United States ,
United Kingdom
original language English
Publishing year 1958
length 160 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Mark Robson
script Isobel Lennart
production Buddy Adler for
Twentieth Century Fox
music Malcolm Arnold
camera Freddie Young
cut Ernest Walter
occupation

The hostel for the sixth happiness (original title: The Inn of the Sixth Happiness , alternative title: The hostel for the sixth happiness ) is a British - American film drama from 1958 directed by Mark Robson . The main roles are cast with Ingrid Bergman , Curd Jürgens and Robert Donat . The film is based on the experiences of the British missionary Gladys Aylward . The resulting novel The Hostel for Sixth Bliss. An untalented woman in China (original title: The Small Woman ) by Alan Burgess, first published in London in 1957, served as the template for the script.

action

The inexperienced Gladys Aylward comes to London because she wants to apply to a missionary society as a missionary for China. Because of her allegedly inadequate qualification, however, she is led by the head of mission Dr. Robinson refused. Instead, on his recommendation, she takes up a position as a housemaid for a noble China researcher and begins to save for a ticket for the Trans-Siberian Railway in order to be able to travel to China with her own funds. For cost reasons, she wants to take the more dangerous land route. Her initially skeptical employer supports her in her project.

Once in China, Gladys drives to the city of Yangcheng . There she is registered at the mission station of old Jeannie Lawson, who not only serves her guests a hot meal, but also tells stories from the Bible . Here she meets the half-Chinese officer Lin Nan, who initially rejects her and recommends that she leave China again. However, Gladys soon becomes part of Chinese society and when Jeannie Lawson is killed in an accident, she takes over her duties.

Gladys is hired by the city's mandarin as a foot inspector to make sure that the girls' feet are no longer wrapped. This unpopular office poses many difficulties. Gladys masters the tasks assigned to her very successfully, and thanks to her courage, she manages to end a prison revolt. Their reputation among the population and also among those in charge of the city increases. As the Sino-Japanese war looms, officer Lin Nan accompanies them on an inspection tour. A tender love story is emerging.

Then China is occupied by the Japanese. Lin Nan implores Gladys to leave town, but she vehemently refuses. When the urban area, where Gladys is hiding in a basement with 50 children, is attacked, the situation comes to a head. Even before the city has to be evacuated, the Mandarin wants to convert to Christianity. Gladys, who is delighted, has to take care of the children first. She is assisted by Li, who started a prison revolt. Gladys learns that trucks in the neighboring province that are supposed to leave the area in three weeks are ready to be evacuated.

While they are preparing to leave, they are joined by another 50 orphans from a neighboring town. Now Gladys and Li have to lead 100 children on a long march across the country. Lin Nan warns Gladys just in time that the streets are being watched by the Japanese military. They both say goodbye, aware of an uncertain future. Gladys and Li and the children now face an even more difficult path because they have to go through the mountains. To save the children from a Japanese patrol, Li sacrifices his life. The group arrives at its destination just in time, on the day of departure. When they move into town, they sing the song This Old Man . Gladys is led by Dr. Robinson greeted. Although she is offered the opportunity to return to England, she does not think about it for a second; she has long since found the place where she wants to be.

Production and Background

Originally it was planned to shoot the film on location in Formosa , but this failed, so that the film was shot in Great Britain from mid-March to mid-July 1958 . The exterior shots were made in Wales. The Chinese city of Yang Chen was recreated in the Borehamwood studios near London. The song This Old Man , which is sung at the end, became a hit after the film was released. In England the song is better known as The Children's Marching Song or Nick Nack Song . For Robert Donat it was the last film in which he acted. He died - shortly after the shooting - on June 9, 1958 of the consequences of a severe asthma attack, after a brain tumor had just been discovered in him. The film is also Buddy Adler's last production. He died on July 12, 1958. The working titles of the film were: The Inn of the Eighth Happiness and The Small Woman . The film opens with the following words: "This story is based on the life of Gladys Aylward, a woman of our time who believes that we are all responsible for one another."

Gladys Aylward (1902–1970), whose life story is retold here, was very upset about the inaccuracy of the film, so that she distanced herself from it. For example, she rated the typical Hollywood love scenes as damaging to her reputation, especially since she had never kissed a man. The magazines Hollywood Citizen-News and Los Angeles Herald Express reported at the time that Aylward described the film as a "bundled lie" and claimed that the studio had not presented her with the finished script. She is said to have been indignant that her name had been used without her permission and was now associated with this evil woman (by which she meant Ingrid Bergman not only in her role). In that regard, she was probably referring to the scandal that broke out when Bergman left her husband and daughter for the Italian director Roberto Rossellini . Although Aylward is said to have written several letters of protest to the studio, there is no evidence that she ever sued them. The woman, who is revered as a national hero in China, opened an orphanage in Taiwan in 1958, which she ran until her death in 1970.

Lorraine LoBianco focused on the international cast, in which the Swede Ingrid Bergman played an English girl and the English Robert Donat played a Mandarin who would be converted to Christianity. For the role of the Eurasian-Chinese army officer, which then went to the Austrian Curd Jürgens, the Scot Sean Connery was originally in discussion. The children in the film came from the Chinese community in Liverpool, one of the largest in Europe. One of these children was Perry Lee, who later said he had very fond memories of the film and the experiences he had there. Lee was three years old at the time, and his four and a half year old brother William also appeared in the film. Her fee was 12.50 per week, which was a lot of money back then. The film work was incredibly exciting, but not always easy. The children were not allowed to wear shoes if they were lucky, with rags wrapped around their feet, which were then dyed red to simulate bleeding feet. They would also have had to dive into cow dung during some aerial shots. They were rather unaware of the cameras. His big scene was the one on the river when Ingrid Bergman carried him.

history

The Second Sino-Japanese War is a comprehensive Japanese invasion of China that began on July 7, 1937 and lasted until September 9, 1945. The war was part of World War II . In China, this war is also known as the War of Resistance . After Japan surrendered, that also meant the end of the war in China.

Music track

publication

The film premiered on November 23, 1958 in London, on December 13, 1958 in New York and on December 17, 1958 in Los Angeles. It started operating in the Federal Republic of Germany on December 19, 1958. It has also been published in Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Japan, Argentina, Spain (Madrid, Barcelona), Denmark and Turkey. It also ran in Bulgaria, Brazil, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal and the Soviet Union.

On March 6, 2003, Twentieth Century Fox released the film with a German soundtrack on DVD.

criticism

at the time of the film's release

Bosley Crowther , the New York Times critic , said Ingrid Bergman's way of conveying sincere feelings was very touching. He went on to say that Miss Bergman was beautiful, but looked a bit matronly and chubby. The story is good to watch, but not anymore. The screenwriter Isobel Lennart, who was based on the biography of Gladys Aylward, does not give any information about what makes the heroine really tick. Curd Jürgens found Crowther “remarkable”, Robert Donat refined and regal as an old Mandarin. Athene Seyler makes a warm and dry-humored missionary, and Ronald Squire and Moultrie Kelsall did particularly well in their roles. Both attitudes and the external landscape, which pretend that one is in China, are okay. The children's long hike through rugged rocks is believable and these scenes are the most moving and unforgettable in the film.

The industry journal Variety found Ingrid Bergman played her role brilliantly and with humor and gave the impression of sincere devotion. As an astute but benign Mandarin, Robert Donat is an outstanding achievement.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops certified Ingrid Bergman in her role as a missionary an achievement carried by warmth and compassion, which credibly conveys patience, selflessness and sincerity, which ultimately also causes the Mandarin and his people and the cynical Eurasian army officer to rethink. Regardless of the exciting moments and the violence of the war, it is a richly rewarding family film.

later

The lexicon of international films judged the film: “The at the same time adventurous, soulful and edifying entertainment film is particularly interesting because of its good presentation and the unusual environment. Its indicated ethical value is largely lost in the naivety with which the story tries to convey it. "

The TV magazine Prisma spoke of a “first-class cast” film with Ingrid Bergman, Curd Jürgens and Robert Donat. It went on to say, “the work captivates with its closeness to reality and human, but by today's standards, quite kitschy drama”.

The film magazine Cinema read: "This wonderfully kitschy CinemaScope ham sends Ingrid Bergman [...] as a missionary on an arduous journey through China." Conclusion: "Great old-school emotional cinema."

Awards

  • Oscar nomination for Mark Robson in the category "Best Director"
  • Golden Globe as the best contribution to international understanding. There were also nominations for Bergman and Donat in the category “Best Actor in a Drama”.
  • Donat was posthumously awarded a special award by the National Board of Review (NBR). Bergman received the "NBR Award" in the "Best Actress" category.

literature

  • Alan Burgess: The hostel for the Sixth Bliss. An untalented woman in China (original title: A Small Woman ). German by Ursula Löffler. Brunnen, Gießen / Basel 1999, ISBN 3-7655-1642-2 .
  • Lawrence J. Quirk : Ingrid Bergman and Her Films. Translated from American English by Marie Margarete Giese. Goldmann, Munich 1982, pp. 130-135, ISBN 3-442-10214-6 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958) Screenplay Info at TCM - Turner Classic Movies (English)
  2. ↑ a b c The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958) Notes at TCM (English)
  3. ↑ a b The Inn of the Sixth Happiness Articles at TCM (English)
  4. ↑ The hostel for the 6th Bliss DVD
  5. ↑ The hostel for the 6th happiness at heise.de
  6. ↑ Bosley Crowther : Movie Review: Inn of 6th Happiness at Paramount In: The New York Times , December 14, 1958 (English). Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  7. ↑ Review: The Inn of the Sixth Happiness In: Variety, 1958 (English). Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  8. ↑ The Inn of the Sixth Happiness In: archive.usccb.org (English)
  9. ↑ The inn for the 6th bliss. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed May 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  10. ↑ The hostel for the 6th happiness at prisma.de. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  11. ↑ The hostel for the 6th happiness at cinema.de