The Halfway House
- 1944
- 1h 18m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
1.3K
YOUR RATING
A group of travellers, all with something to hide in their past, take shelter from a storm in an old inn. The inn-keeper seems a little mysterious...A group of travellers, all with something to hide in their past, take shelter from a storm in an old inn. The inn-keeper seems a little mysterious...A group of travellers, all with something to hide in their past, take shelter from a storm in an old inn. The inn-keeper seems a little mysterious...
Françoise Rosay
- Alice Meadows
- (as Francoise Rosay)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAlthough it is nominally based on the unsuccessful 1940 play "The Peaceful Inn" (which makes no mention of World War II), this film is chiefly inspired by a real incident of the war which had attracted some attention at the time. The Welsh village of Cwmbach had only one bomb dropped on it by the Luftwaffe during the entire course of the war; it fell on a local inn and killed the landlord and his daughter (no-one else). It has never been satisfactorily explained why this incident should have occurred. It had not been part of an air raid; there were none in this remote rural area.
- GoofsThe action takes place on 21 June 1943 exactly one year after the inn was destroyed on the same day Tobruk fell. The calendar in the ghostly inn shows 21 June 1942 as a Thursday. In fact 21 June 1942 was a Sunday.
- Crazy creditsOpening credits prologue: CARDIFF
- ConnectionsRemade as The Peaceful Inn (1957)
Featured review
Never having been a fan of the concept of the dead returning to advise the living, I was none-the-less pleased with this charming film. The tragedies that occur during war-time can often be treated as 'due course' by most of us, but we are not usually those who have suffered a loss. Like many stories involving benevolent ghosts or angels, the supernatural beings are metaphors for the hand of God in the lives of the living, seeking to influence them along a better path than that which they currently pursue.
'Halfway House' is a kind-hearted, quirky little film, with talented character performances. Sally Ann Howes, the gifted musical actress, plays an early role as the daughter of an estranged couple heading for divorce. Her performance was amusing and poignant, as she tries to think of ways to get her parents back together. Françoise Rosay's character desperately attempts spiritualism, trying to contact her only son who has died in the war. They, and the other guests at a ghostly Welsh inn, seem to take a somewhat 'oh, well, so that's it' attitude toward their dearly-departed innkeepers, which makes the film that much more appealing. 'Halfway House' is exactly what it was intended to be, a comfort and a lesson.
'Halfway House' is a kind-hearted, quirky little film, with talented character performances. Sally Ann Howes, the gifted musical actress, plays an early role as the daughter of an estranged couple heading for divorce. Her performance was amusing and poignant, as she tries to think of ways to get her parents back together. Françoise Rosay's character desperately attempts spiritualism, trying to contact her only son who has died in the war. They, and the other guests at a ghostly Welsh inn, seem to take a somewhat 'oh, well, so that's it' attitude toward their dearly-departed innkeepers, which makes the film that much more appealing. 'Halfway House' is exactly what it was intended to be, a comfort and a lesson.
- How long is The Halfway House?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 18 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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