Saturday 10 July 2021

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – THE INN OF THE SIXTH HAPPINESS (1958)

 

“The Inn of Sixth Happiness” is based on the novel by Alan Burgess and directed by Mark Robson, and is a film essentially about faith, but more importantly it’s about having faith and putting that faith to a practical use that will help others.

All her life Englishwoman Gladys Aylward (Ingrid Bergman) knew that China was the place where she belonged, and that God wanted her to be there.

Gladys was a domestic servant and was bluntly told that she was not qualified to be sent there as a missionary, so she worked hard to earn the money to send herself to a poor, remote village where elderly Missionary Jeannie Lawson (Athene Seyler) was turning the Mission  into an Inn.

Gladys slowly adapts to life at the Mission but when Lawson dies after a fall, Gladys finds herself in charge with only the Missions’ servant, Yang (Peter Chong), to support her.

Over time she makes a success of the Inn and even gains the confidence of the Mandarin of Yang Cheng (Robert Donat), the common people and even a representative of the Government, Capt. Lin Nan (Curt Jurgens), but when the Japanese invade China, she and local man Li  (Burt Kwouk) set off to escort 100 orphaned children to safety.

Richard Wattis, Ronald Squire and Moultrie Kelsall also feature in this thoroughly enjoyable film which everyone can enjoy.

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