The Halfway House (1944)

Director:

Basil Dearden
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Writers:

Denis Ogden (play)
Angus MacPhail (writer) ...
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Release Date:

February 1944 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Mystery

Plot:

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...

Plot Keywords:

Ealing | Ghost | Based On Play

Cast

Mervyn Johns	...	Rhys
Glynis Johns	...	Gwyneth
Sally Ann Howes	...	Joanna French
Richard Bird	...	Richard French
Valerie White	...	Jill French
Françoise Rosay	...	Alice Meadows
Tom Walls	...	Captain Harry Meadows
Guy Middleton	...	Captain Fortescue
Alfred Drayton	...	William Oakley
Esmond Knight	...	David Davies
Philippa Hiatt	...	Margaret
Pat McGrath	...	Terence
John Boxer	...	John, Davies' doctor
Roland Pertwee	...	Prison governor
Eliot Makeham	...	George, Davies' valet
C.V. France	...	Mr. Truscott, solicitor
Rachel Thomas	...	Miss Morgan, Meadows' landlady
Joss Ambler	...	Pinsent
Jack Jones	...	Welsh Porter
Moses Jones	...	Welsh Porter

Directed by
Basil Dearden
Alberto Cavalcanti		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Denis Ogden		(play "The Peaceful Inn")
Angus MacPhail		writer &
Diana Morgan		writer and
Roland Pertwee		script contributor &
T.E.B. Clarke		script contributor

Produced by
Michael Balcon	....	producer
Alberto Cavalcanti	....	associate producer (as Cavalcanti)

Original Music by
Lord Berners

Cinematography by
Wilkie Cooper

Film Editing by
Charles Hasse

Art Direction by
Michael Relph

Costume Design by
Bianca Mosca

Production Management
Hal Mason	....	production manager
Jack Rix	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael McCarthy	....	assistant director (as Mickie McCarthy)
Micky McCarthy	....	assistant director
Muriel Cole	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Jack Martin	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Jim Morahan	....	assistant art director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Len Page	....	sound recordist
Eric Williams	....	sound supervisor
Peter Davies	....	dubbing sound camera (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Roy Kellino	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Manny Yospa	....	focus puller (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Sidney Cole	....	supervising editor

Music Department
Ernest Irving	....	musical director

Other crew
Daphne Heathcote	....	continuity (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Ealing Studios

Distributors

• Associated British Film Distributors (ABFD) (1944) (UK) (theatrical)
• A.F.E. Corporation (1945) (USA) (theatrical)
• Státní Pujcovna Filmu (194?) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)

Also Known As:

Halfway House
The Half-Way House (USA) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Barlynch Farm/St Nicholas' Priory, Barlynch, Dulverton, Somerset, England, UK

Company:

Ealing Studios

A sweet little ghost story.

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.