Review of The October Man

I love this film for the atmosphere. It seems to be always October, the dark time of the year, and the cast seem to love wandering about a lonely common at night. John Mills comes out of hospital to live in a residential hotel. The other guests are a motley crew, beautifully played by Joyce Carey and others. Miss Heap, who is always moaning "Miss Selbeeee! Could we have more coal?" Joyce Carey, with her beautiful face which hides a soul that only cares about bridge and gossip. The weedy Mr Pope, who turns out to be rather a good egg. And Miss Newman, the underwear model with the dubious boyfriend. (That camel-hair overcoat is a giveaway.) The hotel is almost a character in its own right with its furnishings unchanged for at least 40 years. John Mills falls for the sister of a colleague, whose family represents normality and thick- headed respectability. She is played by Joan Greenwood, with an unflattering hairdo and unbelievably frumpy clothes. Kay Walsh as the model, with her stash of gin and book on horoscopes, seems much more amusing. I think someone should reinvent residential hotels.