Hour of Glory (1949)

The Small Back Room (original title)

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Approved
1h 46min
Drama, Romance
23 Feb 1952 (USA)
Movie

7.1 (3,103)

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As the Germans drop explosive booby-traps on Britain in 1943, the embittered expert who'll have to disarm them fights a private battle with alcohol.

Directors:

Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger

Writers:

Nigel Balchin, Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger

Stars:

Award:

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award.
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Reviews:

Photos and Videos

Still of Jack Hawkins (I) in Hour of Glory (1949)

Still of David Farrar (I) in Hour of Glory (1949)

Still of Anthony Bushell and David Farrar (I) in Hour of Glory (1949)

Still of Kathleen Byron, David Farrar (I) and Jack Hawkins (I) in Hour of Glory (1949)

Still of Sidney James (II) in Hour of Glory (1949)

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19 photos

Cast verified as complete

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	Michael Gough	...	Capt. Dick Stuart
	Henry Caine	...	Sgt. Maj. Rose
	Milton Rosmer	...	Prof. Mair
	Cyril Cusack	...	Cpl. Taylor
	Kathleen Byron	...	Susan
	Sidney James	...	'Knucksie' Moran - Barkeeper
	David Farrar	...	Sammy Rice
	Leslie Banks	...	Col. A.K. Holland
	Sam Kydd	...	Crowhurst - Door Sentry
	Emrys Jones	...	Joe
	Michael Goodliffe	...	Till
	Jack Hawkins	...	R.B. Waring
	Geoffrey Keen	...	Pinker
	June Elvin	...	Gillian
	David Hutcheson	...	Norval
	Robert Morley	...	The Minister (as 'A Guest')
	Roddy Hughes	...	Welsh Doctor
	Bryan Forbes	...	Peterson - Dying Gunner (as Brian Forbes)
	Walter Fitzgerald	...	Brine
	James Dale	...	Brigadier
	Elwyn Brook-Jones	...	Gladwin
	Roderick Lovell	...	Capt. Pearson
	Anthony Bushell	...	Col. Strang
	James Carney	...	Sgt. Groves
	Renée Asherson	...	A.T.S. Corporal
	Ted Heath's Kenny Baker Swing Group	...	Hickory Tree Band
	Kenny Baker	...	Trumpeter - Hickory Tree Band
	Frederic Lewis	...	Fred Lewis - Musician (as Frederick Lewis)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
	Jackie Amstrong	...	Trombone Player - Hickory Tree Band (uncredited)
	Hamlyn Benson	...	Prof. Char (uncredited)
	Wallace Bosco	...	Passerby (uncredited)
	Pete Chilver	...	Guitarist - Hickory Tree Band (uncredited)
	Jan Conrad	...	Polish Officer (uncredited)
	Michael Conry	...	Soldier (uncredited)
	Jan Frankowski	...	Man in Pub (uncredited)
	Claude Frederic	...	Col. D. Strachey (uncredited)
	Johnnie Gray	...	Saxophonist - Hickory Tree Band (uncredited)
	Julia Lang	...	Danny's Mother (uncredited)
	Patrick Macnee	...	Man at Committee Meeting (uncredited)
	Richard Neilson	...	American in Hickory Club (uncredited)
	Fred Nicholas	...	Officer at Gun Trial (uncredited)
	Sonya O'Shea	...	Mrs. Taylor (uncredited)
	Jack Parnell	...	Drummer - Hickory Tree Band (uncredited)
	Charlie Short	...	Bass Player - Hickory Tree Band (uncredited)
	Norman Stenfalt	...	Pianist - Hickory Tree Band (uncredited)
	John Stratton	...	Young Army Officer at Committee Meeting (uncredited)
	Jack Watson	...	Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)

Directed by

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Michael Powell
Emeric Pressburger

Written by

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Nigel Balchin	...	(novel)

Michael Powell	...	(writer) &
Emeric Pressburger	...	(writer)

Produced by

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George R. Busby	...	assistant producer
Anthony Bushell	...	associate producer (uncredited)
Michael Powell	...	producer
Emeric Pressburger	...	producer

Music by

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Brian Easdale

Cinematography by

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Christopher Challis

...

director of photography

Editing by

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Clifford Turner

Editorial Department

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Reginald Mills	...	supervising editor
Noreen Ackland	...	assistant editor (uncredited)
Derek Armstrong	...	assistant editor (uncredited)
Tom Simpson	...	assistant cutter (uncredited) / assistant editor (uncredited)
Frankie Taylor	...	junior cutter (uncredited)

Casting By

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Madeleine Godar

...

(uncredited)

Production Design by

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Hein Heckroth

Art Direction by

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John Hoesli

Costume Design by

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Josephine Boss

Makeup Department

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Peter Evans	...	makeup assistant (uncredited)
Dorrie Hamilton	...	makeup supervisor (uncredited)
Iris Tilley	...	assistant hair stylist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Sydney Streeter	...	assistant director (as Sydney S. Streeter)
Jack N. Green	...	third assistant director (uncredited)
Archie Knowles	...	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department

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Ivor Beddoes	...	assistant art director (uncredited)
Peter Childs	...	junior draughtsman (uncredited)
Ted Clements	...	draughtsman (uncredited)
Harry Pottle	...	draughtsman (uncredited)
Dario Simoni	...	set dresser (uncredited)
Pat Sladden	...	junior draughtsman (uncredited)
Wallis Smith	...	chief draughtsman (uncredited)
Charles Townsend	...	production buyer (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Alan Allen	...	sound
W.H.O. Sweeney	...	dubbing sound (as Bill Sweeny)
Peter Butcher	...	boom operator (uncredited)
Peter Meyers	...	assistant boom operator (uncredited)
George Stephenson	...	sound maintenance (uncredited)
Cyril Swern	...	sound editor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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Freddie Francis	...	camera operator
Anthony Hopking	...	still photographer (uncredited)
Will Lee	...	focus puller (uncredited)
John von Kotze	...	clapper loader (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Jack Dalmayne	...	wardrobe master (uncredited)
Arthur Skinner	...	wardrobe assistant (uncredited)
May Walding	...	wardrobe assistant (uncredited)

Music Department

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Kenny Baker	...	composer: night club scene music (as Ted Heath's Kenny Baker Swing Group)
Hubert Clifford	...	musical director
Frederic Lewis	...	composer: night club scene music (as Fred Lewis)

Script and Continuity Department

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Doreen Merriman

...

continuity (as Doreen North)

Additional Crew

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Gwladys Jenks	...	production secretary (uncredited)
Vivienne Knight	...	publicist (uncredited)
Marjorie Mein	...	production department secretary (uncredited)
George Mills	...	production assistant (uncredited)
Charles Orme	...	production assistant (uncredited)
Jean Osborne	...	publicity assistant (uncredited)

Crew believed to be complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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British Lion Film Corporation (1949) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
Wivefilm (1949) (Sweden) (theatrical)
Filmimport A/S (1949) (Norway) (theatrical)
British Lion Film Corporation (1952) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (re-release) (edited)
Snader Productions (1952) (United States) (theatrical)
Snader Productions (1952) (United States) (tv)
National Telefilm Associates (NTA) (1958) (United States) (tv) (re-release)
Netflix (2021) (Non-US) (video) (VOD) (several territories in Europe)
9Gem (2023) (Australia) (tv) (as 'The Small Back Room')

Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Western Electric (sound recording system)

Storyline

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Plot Summary	The best bomb disposal officer during World War II was badly injured and is in frequent pain. He finds solace and relief from his pain in the whisky bottle & the pills that are never far away. A new type of booby trapped bomb push his nerves & resolution to the limit. Written by Steve Crook Plot Summary Plot Synopsis
Plot Keywords	pain bomb booby-trap bomb-disposal bomb-disposal-unit See All (104) »
Genres	Drama Romance Thriller War
Parents Guide	View content advisory »
Certification	Finland:S Ireland:PG (DVD rating) Italy:T Netherlands:9 (Netflix) Norway:12 (Netflix self-rating) Norway:A (Streaming rating) Norway:16 Sweden:15 United Kingdom:PG (DVD rating) United Kingdom:A United States:Approved United States:Not Rated (video rating)

Additional Details

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Also Known As	Hour of Glory (United States) La mort apprivoisée (France) Camera mică din spate (Romania) De mannen in de achterhoede (Netherlands) Маленькая задняя комната (Soviet Union, Russian title) See more »
Runtime	106 min
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Color	Black and White
Aspect Ratio	1.37 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix	Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Filming Locations	Stonehenge, Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England, UK See more »

Did You Know?

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Trivia	When Sammy and Susan are at the Hickory Tree nightclub, Susan spots Gillian, an old acquaintance, and asks Sammy to start talking, to avoid the meeting. Sammy starts, and then Susan joins in reciting the following lines: "I never nurs'd a dear gazelle / To glad me with its soft black eye / But when it came to know me well / And love me, it was sure to die." These lines are from the poem "Lalla Rookh" (in the section entitled "The Fire Worshipers") by the Irish poet Thomas Moore (1779-1852). See more »
Goofs	The ATS corporal mentions the Pavilion End at Wembley. There was no such end. See more »
Movie Connections	Featured in Michael Powell (1992). See more »
Soundtracks	If You Were the Only Girl in the World See more »
Crazy Credits	"It has been suggested that I should point out that the characters and incidents in this story are purely fictional. This I gladly do. They are." - N.B. N.B. is Nigel Balchin, the author of the original novel. See more »
Quotes	Susan: Wouldn't it be silly to break up something we both like doing, only because you think I don't like it. Sammy Rice: Yes, you've got it all worked out in the way women always have. They don't worry about anything except being alive or dead. See more »

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