Synopsis
After the lavish Technicolor spectacle of The Red Shoes, British filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger retreated into the inward, shadowy recesses of this moody, crackling character study. Based on the acclaimed novel by Nigel Balchin, The Small Back Room details the professional and personal travails of troubled, alcoholic research scientist and military bomb-disposal expert Sammy Rice (David Farrar), who, while struggling with a complex relationship with secretary girlfriend Susan (Kathleen Byron), is hired by the government to advise on a dangerous new German weapon. Deftly mixing suspense and romance, The Small Back Room is an atmospheric, post–World War II gem.
Cast
| Sammy | David Farrar |
| Susan | Kathleen Byron |
| Waring | Jack Hawkins |
| Stuart | Michael Gough |
| Taylor | Cyril Cusack |
| The minister | Robert Morley |
Credits
| Director | Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger |
| Written, produced, and directed by | Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger |
| Based on the novel by | Nigel Balchin |
| Supervising film editor | Reginald Mills |
| Production Design | Hein Heckroth |
| Art director | John Hoesli |
| Sound | Alan Allen |
| Camera | Freddie Francis |
| Editing | Clifford Turner |
| Music | Brian Easdale |
| Cinematography | Christopher Challis |
Disc Features
- New, restored high-definition digital transfer
- Audio commentary featuring film scholar Charles Barr
- New video interview with cinematographer Christopher Challis
- Excerpts from Michael Powell’s audio dictations for his autobiography
- PLUS: A new essay by film critic Nick James
From the Current
The Small Back Room: Whisky Galore!
by Aug 18, 2008The fantasy-enriched, near operatic Technicolor dramas for which director-writer-producer collaborators Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger are perhaps best known—such as...
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