The Passing of the Third Floor Back

The Passing On The Third Floor Back was a pretty ancient Edwardian era piece which Gaumont British thought would be a good vehicle for newly arrived Conrad Veidt to their shores. Veidt who had starred in German cinema had to leave because of a part Jewish wife. He hated the Nazis thoroughly, but was so darn good playing them he's best known today for being Major Strosser in Casablanca. Veidt brought a certain amount of continental charm and unworldliness to the part of the mysterious stranger who rents a room from landlady Mary Clare and starts to change the lives of all the people who board at her establishment.

This film really ought to be seen back to back with the modern classic, The Green Mile. To some The Passing Of The Third Floor Back will seem way old fashioned, but see Conrad Veidt's character and contrast it with what Michael Clarke Duncan did in The Green Mile and you'll understand completely what this film is all about.

This is some collection of the British public that Veidt has moved in with. Mary Clare has a maid who was paroled to her whom she treats as a slave who is played by Rene Ray and who Veidt gives some hope to. Another is cynical and hardened spinster Beatrix Loehman who does show she's got more to her with a singular act of heroism. Parents Jack Turnball and Cathleen Nesbit are ready to sell their beautiful daughter Anna Lee over to this fatuous and materialistic property owner Frank Cellier to clear up her father's debts. Lee really loves fellow boarder Ronald Ward, but fears she can't marry him because there's too much she sees in the way.

This film's origins are with a short story by Jerome K. Jerome and an adapted play by the same author that ran a year on Broadway in the 1909- 1910 season. There's one bit of humor that was a political dig at the current British Prime Minister who many thought was self satisfied and fatuous as Cellier's character is in the film. Cellier loudly proclaims as his mantra in life to be 'Safety First' which was the slogan that Stanley Baldwin ran on. There was a lot more to Baldwin than Cellier's character was, but his enemies saw Baldwin smug and self satisfied. Anyone in the British movie-going public seeing this film would have seen the point immediately, but it's lost on today's audience.

Cellier's actually proves to be something more than a fatuous oaf. This guy is so cheap he lives at a boardinghouse because he owns slum property all over the district. Cheap rent and he can keep an eye on things. He also proves to be an adversary for Veidt as he's everything Veidt cannot abide in a human being.

The Passing On The Third Floor Back is probably too old fashioned for some tastes. Still it is a tastefully done antique and if one's seen The Green Mile and liked it, you'll like this one as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film the first time I saw it. I have seen it twice in about the last 10 years on late night TV. It's been a while since my last viewing of the film.

It has a powerful message and has elements of the hero-flick, in the personal presence, and apparent infallibility of Mr Veidt's character.

The sinfulness of our human character, in several of its guises, is on display in this film; lust, greed, folly, etc.

What is compelling is Veidt's character's dealing with such realities of our nature. Rather than blasting all the evildoers away with bullets as one might expect in a "hero-flick", he expresses patience, acceptance of their frailties and love to the unlovable house guests.

The film might prompt you to ask the question, who in history has loved humanity in such a sacrificially way?

This film is about a boarding house in England that rents rooms to a variety of people. One day a tall, older man wishes to rent a room. At first the landlady does not wish to rent the room, but due to his mesmerizing eyes, she allows him to be her tenant. At the beginning, the house he enters is full of selfish, problem-ridden people who are fairly miserable with their lives and can't have any fun. After a few weeks of living and talking individually with this mysterious stranger, they begin to ease up and live their lives more happily. However, a rich, old scrooge (who looks like Hitler minus the moustache) lives in the house, too. He has evil intentions to destroy everything the stranger has mended in the house by tempting the contented tenants with his dirty money.

This movie had good characters. I especially liked Miss Kite and the stranger. Miss Kite looks a lot like a prettier/smarter Tori Spelling and is quite an intriguing and gutsy character. The stranger is so calm and shaman-like, it's very soothing to see him on screen. He almost mesmerizes YOU!

The character Vivian looks a lot like Drew Barrymore. It's funny how female movie stars seem to keep the same basic aesthetics throughout film history - at least in this film.

I liked the English cynicism presented in this film. For example, while two men are arguing, they are offering each other sugar in their tea, or milk, and being ultra polite to each other. More polite than usual. It is funny to see how polite they are to each other while they are discussing how each will screw the other over. It's like the more polite you are to your enemy, the more points you get towards conquering them.

The only downfall to this movie is, as an American, it was rather difficult for me to understand the 1930's British accents. But this has nothing to do with the film and plot itself. Overall is was an quirky and oddly entertaining film that you would probably enjoy!

I commend the previous comments by users and have added to most an accolade showing I found them useful.As the first comment in particular on IMDb.com is so complete regarding the plot, I will not dwell further on it, however I should like to add my personal comment.

The pianist tenant at the boarding house was heard to play Franz Schubert's Impromptu #3 followed by the first movement (adagio sostenuto) of Beethoven's acclaimed "Moonlight Sonata".I was surprised by his "jazzed-up" version of the Schubert piece in front of the good spirit/angel played by Conrad Veidt.I found the plot of the phantom stranger arriving at the boarding house slightly reminiscent of J.B.Priestley's "An Inspector Calls" when the phantom inspector suddenly arrives at the family home.Renee Ray who plays Stasia the put- upon servant girl also played a beauty queen contestant in "Bank Holiday" (1938).Here she enjoys another Bank holiday but through careless exuberance nearly drowns herself during the Thames boat ride.Jerome K Jerome certainly had a love affair with boats!I thought at first Frank Cellier (Mr Wright) was playing the Devil to Conrad Veidt's Stranger as they seemed to instinctively know each others true characters.

There are many well known actors playing support roles in this film, e.g. the Irish Sara Algood who went on to carve out a career in Hollywood.Mary Clare plays the landlady of the boarding house has to interact with all her tenant characters.She played a similar role in "A Girl Must Live"(1939).Anna Lee who played the attractive blond daughter of a couple ready to pawn her to Mr Wright for financial gain, in some lights reminded me of the beautiful Madeleine Carroll.

A film exploring the moral forces of human frailty, greed, hope, forgiveness & redemption and can be viewed in its' entirety on www.youtube.com as it is in the public domain.I awarded this rare film 8/10.

René Ray is wonderful as Stasia, servant girl at a London boarding house occupied by a nasty landlady and a wicked bunch of boarders. Stasia was hired on the cheap from a reformatory and receives nothing but scorn and cruelty from the boarders. She longs for escape, or at least a bit of kindness: "If only there was one decent person…." Pushed to her limit, Stasia heads for the door, where—

Conrad Veidt walks in and immediately the girl senses something different in him. It's a beautiful, surprising scene: She is suddenly smiling.

Veidt is a very polite, extremely soft-spoken and apparently nameless stranger. He leases a tiny third floor apartment in the house and quickly and quietly changes the atmosphere, the relationships, the attitudes of the other boarders.

Among the group, Beatrix Lehmann stands out as Miss Kite, a not-so-old spinster who is bitter that time is passing her by—and in whom the spark of energy and love of life is perhaps re-lit. Anna Lee gives a strong performance as the beautiful young woman who is her impoverished parents' only valuable possession. Must she marry the wealthy Mr. Wright, thus solving their financial problems? It's a heartbreaking dilemma; Lee makes it seem real.

Frank Cellier is the slimy Mr. Wright, a businessman whose success is achieved through laying others low. Alone among the boarders, Mr. Wright is not affected by the stranger's mysterious presence. The action will eventually build toward a showdown of sorts…but not one in any way conventional or expected.

Although most of the action takes place in the boarding house, a joyous sequence in the film's midsection shows the group taking a boat trip down the Thames. The characters loosen up, find enjoyment, begin friendships. The wonder in Stasia's face when the boat goes under the Tower Bridge as it opens for them! It's a glorious moment.

Conrad Veidt is mesmerizing and intense; René Ray is full of fear and joy and excitement. Their scenes together are quite wonderful.

It's an oddball movie, not particularly easy to watch; it looks evil and human weakness pretty directly in the face. But it's also positively moving—it's certainly left me thinking and wondering what it's all about.