The Small Back Room
1949 · Movie · 106 min · ★ 6.8 · 78% critics
In wartime Britain, a troubled technical expert is drawn into the urgent effort to stop deadly booby-trap bombs while struggling with alcohol and deep personal strain. The story mixes wartime suspense with an intimate portrait of pressure, responsibility, and the hope of redemption.
Based on The Small Back Room
Also known as Hour of Glory
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Details
- Years
- 1949
- Release date
- 1949-02-21
- Language
- English
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Critic score
- 78/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.8/10 (77 votes)
About
You may like this if you enjoy thoughtful WWII dramas that balance personal struggle with suspense, especially if The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp or One of Our Aircraft Is Missing appealed to you; Not for you if you want nonstop action.
Pros: tense wartime premise; strong central performances; atmospheric black-and-white look | Cons: uneven tone shifts; fragmented plotting; limited action
Themes
- strong woman
- bomb
- self sacrifice
- england
- self-destruction
- world war ii
- alcoholism
- alcoholic
- roadside bomb
- explosives expert
- military weapons
- booby trap
- +17 more
Cast & crew
David Farrar
as Sammy Rice
Kathleen Byron
as Susan
Jack Hawkins
as R.B. Waring
Leslie Banks
as Col. A. K. Holland
Michael Gough
as Capt. Dick Stuart
Cyril Cusack
as Cpl. Taylor
Milton Rosmer
as Prof. Mair
Walter Fitzgerald
as Brine
Emrys Jones
as Joe
Michael Goodliffe
as Till
Directed by Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger