1949 film
The Small Back Room, released in the United States as Hour of Glory, is a 1949 film by the British producer-writer-director team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger starring David Farrar and Kathleen Byron and featuring Jack Hawkins and Cyril Cusack. It was based on the 1943 novel of the same name by Nigel Balchin. The theme is the unsung heroes of the last war, the 'backroom boys', gradually coming into their own.
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Plot
Sammy Rice (David Farrar) is a British scientist in a "back room" team evaluating new weapons in London during the Second World War. Their work is constantly frustrated by bureaucrats and poor management. He is drowning in self-pity: he feels unworthy of his girlfriend Susan (Kathleen Byron) because he is disabled, and he is in constant pain due to his prosthetic leg. He drinks too much whisky to ease his depression and pain. Susan, who is a secretary in the department, puts up with his temper and self-destructive behaviour until their Minister is forced to resign. Susan knows that if non-scientists take over, the section will become useless and Rice will be even more difficult to live with. She urges him to take action. When she realises Rice refuses to do anything to stand up for himself, she leaves him.
Earlier, Rice had been asked by Captain Stuart (Michael Gough) to help investigate mysterious booby-trapped devices (mines) being dropped by Nazi bombers. They received some useful information from a critically wounded soldier (Bryan Forbes in his debut). While Rice is getting drunk in his flat after Susan's departure, Stuart calls him: two further devices have been found at Chesil Beach. They look like common thermos flasks. While Rice makes his way to the location, Stuart dies attempting to defuse the first device. Stuart gave a running commentary during the process by radio, recorded by ATS corporal (Renée Asherson). Rice listens to the transcript before attempting to defuse the second device. He discovers that the mine has in fact two booby traps, not one, and manages to defuse them both.
When Rice returns to London, his reputation and his own self-esteem restored by his success, he is offered an officer commission as head of the Army's new scientific research unit. He accepts. Susan returns to him and they go back to his flat to find she has repaired and reinstated everything he damaged while drunk.
Production
The Small Back Room marked the return of Powell and Pressburger to Alexander Korda after a profitable but contentious time at the Rank Organisation that culminated with The Red Shoes. The film was shot at a number of studios: Denham Film Studios in Buckinghamshire; Worton Hall Studios in Isleworth, Middlesex; and Shepperton Studios in Shepperton, Surrey. Location shooting took place at Chesil Bank and St Catherine's Chapel, Abbotsbury in Dorset; Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain; on the Victoria Embankment in London; and at Abbotsbury station.
In his autobiography, A Life in Movies, Michael Powell acknowledged the influence of German expressionist films such as Nosferatu in leading him towards making films such as The Red Shoes, Tales of Hoffmann and The Small Back Room.[4]
Box Office
As of 30 June 1949 the film earned £129,700 (equivalent to £4.1 million or US$5.24 million in 2019)[5] in the UK of which £84,073 went to the producer.[1]
Critical reception
The review for Variety said that although the film lacked "the production tricks usually associated with" Powell and Pressburger it was nevertheless "a craftsmanlike job". It praised the performance of David Farrar as "his best role", and lauded the careful casting of the "lesser roles."[3]
The Small Back Room was nominated for a 1950 BAFTA Award as "Best British Film".[6]
DVD
The Region 2 DVD was released in May 2004 by Studio Canal / Warner Home Video. In Region 1, The Criterion Collection released the film in August 2008. The release included an essay, an interview with cinematographer Christopher Challis, an audio commentary and excerpts from Michael Powell's audio dictations for his autobiography.
