The tenants of an old boarding house are terrorized by an evil slumlord. One day a strange man arrives at the house and begins to help them with their problems.The tenants of an old boarding house are terrorized by an evil slumlord. One day a strange man arrives at the house and begins to help them with their problems.The tenants of an old boarding house are terrorized by an evil slumlord. One day a strange man arrives at the house and begins to help them with their problems.
Cathleen Nesbitt
- Mrs. Tomkin
- (as Catherine Nesbitt)
Betty Baskcomb
- Minor Role
- (uncredited)
Pat Hagan
- Sailor on Pleasure Steamer
- (uncredited)
James Knight
- Police Inspector
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaBased on a short story and play written in 1908 and adapted for the screen by Michael Hogan and Alma Reville.
- Quotes
Major Tomkin: So you see my dear fellow, it's absolutely perfect. Invigorating breezes, romantic surroundings, Vivian, repentant. Plenty of opportunities for tête-à-têtes, return home, triumphant.
Wright: I don't believe a word of it, but you win.
- ConnectionsRemade as Au théâtre ce soir: Le locataire du troisième sur la cour (1978)
Featured review
Mary Poppins' Brother?
To demonstrate to anyone that 1930s films could be imaginative without being pompous, clever but still fun, and thought-provoking but not preachy, make them watch this! It's a beautifully made thoroughly entertaining story essentially about being nice to one another!
The script was written by Alma Reville, Mrs Alfred Hitchcock who frequently collaborated with her husband. On this occasion however Gaumont-British used their new Austrian exile, realist avant-garde Berthold Viertel to direct along with another German exile, distinguished cinematographer Curt Courant who both created a perfect blend of gritty realism and surreal expressionism. A lot of time was spent before shooting took place experimenting with different camera angles, with light and shadows to both capture the drudgery of normal life whilst at the same time hinting at something ethereal and mysterious without being too obtrusive about it.
Subtlety is the watchword here in both the story and the presentation. The acting is subtle - there's no early thirties style theatrical gesturing here or ridiculously over-blown clichéd stereotypes. You can believe that these people you're watching are real people and when you watch them you think you notice little tell tale signs which give you a insight into what they're thinking. The story is subtle - although some reviews suggest that the stranger is an angel there's absolutely nothing in the film to back that up. He's just a charismatic force for good. That's what's so good about this picture, it allows your imagination to fill in the gaps. Personally, I'm going with he and MARY POPPINS are both time travellers who have come back to save the world by making various people happy who otherwise would have started World War Three. There is one scene however which alludes to something more spiritual: the stranger intimates that the loathsome, evil Mr Wright recognises him as though this conflict between good and evil, between the angels and demons has being going on for a long, long time.
This is very much an ensemble piece, although Conrad Veidt will ingrain himself forever into your memory, the rest of the cast - all of them are just as authentic. The film's co-star is Réne Ray. She plays Stasia the maid from the slums who is treated with such cruelty and scorn by her "betters" that her life is unbearable. She is one of those characters whom you find totally adorable and instantly likeable - perhaps it's because the rest of the boarders are so unpleasant, perhaps it might even be because she looks a bit like Jessie Matthews? It is Stasia who in desperation cries out into the darkness: Is there not one decent person in the world? .... and it's at that point that Conrad Veidt knocks on the door and the world slowly changes.
The script was written by Alma Reville, Mrs Alfred Hitchcock who frequently collaborated with her husband. On this occasion however Gaumont-British used their new Austrian exile, realist avant-garde Berthold Viertel to direct along with another German exile, distinguished cinematographer Curt Courant who both created a perfect blend of gritty realism and surreal expressionism. A lot of time was spent before shooting took place experimenting with different camera angles, with light and shadows to both capture the drudgery of normal life whilst at the same time hinting at something ethereal and mysterious without being too obtrusive about it.
Subtlety is the watchword here in both the story and the presentation. The acting is subtle - there's no early thirties style theatrical gesturing here or ridiculously over-blown clichéd stereotypes. You can believe that these people you're watching are real people and when you watch them you think you notice little tell tale signs which give you a insight into what they're thinking. The story is subtle - although some reviews suggest that the stranger is an angel there's absolutely nothing in the film to back that up. He's just a charismatic force for good. That's what's so good about this picture, it allows your imagination to fill in the gaps. Personally, I'm going with he and MARY POPPINS are both time travellers who have come back to save the world by making various people happy who otherwise would have started World War Three. There is one scene however which alludes to something more spiritual: the stranger intimates that the loathsome, evil Mr Wright recognises him as though this conflict between good and evil, between the angels and demons has being going on for a long, long time.
This is very much an ensemble piece, although Conrad Veidt will ingrain himself forever into your memory, the rest of the cast - all of them are just as authentic. The film's co-star is Réne Ray. She plays Stasia the maid from the slums who is treated with such cruelty and scorn by her "betters" that her life is unbearable. She is one of those characters whom you find totally adorable and instantly likeable - perhaps it's because the rest of the boarders are so unpleasant, perhaps it might even be because she looks a bit like Jessie Matthews? It is Stasia who in desperation cries out into the darkness: Is there not one decent person in the world? .... and it's at that point that Conrad Veidt knocks on the door and the world slowly changes.
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- 1930s_Time_Machine
- Dec 14, 2023
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Hyvä ihminen
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 30 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was The Passing of the Third Floor Back (1935) officially released in Canada in English?
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