[go: up one dir, main page]

    Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysSan Diego Comic-ConSummer Watch GuideToronto Int'l Film FestivalSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Small Hotel

  • 1957
  • 59m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
280
YOUR RATING
Small Hotel (1957)
The unusual inmates of a not-too-prosperous hotel are worried when headquarters sends an efficiency expert to visit.
Play trailer2:05
1 Video
5 Photos
Comedy

Waiter Albert manages daily operations at the Jolly Fiddler Hotel. A representative from the hotel chain aims to fire Albert due to his age, causing tensions and conflicts with staff and gue... Read allWaiter Albert manages daily operations at the Jolly Fiddler Hotel. A representative from the hotel chain aims to fire Albert due to his age, causing tensions and conflicts with staff and guests over Albert's potential dismissal.Waiter Albert manages daily operations at the Jolly Fiddler Hotel. A representative from the hotel chain aims to fire Albert due to his age, causing tensions and conflicts with staff and guests over Albert's potential dismissal.

  • Director
    • David MacDonald
  • Writers
    • Wilfred Eades
    • Rex Frost
  • Stars
    • Gordon Harker
    • Marie Lohr
    • John Loder
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.0/10
    280
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • David MacDonald
    • Writers
      • Wilfred Eades
      • Rex Frost
    • Stars
      • Gordon Harker
      • Marie Lohr
      • John Loder
    • 11User reviews
    • 1Critic review
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:05
    Trailer

    Photos4

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster

    Top cast15

    Edit
    Gordon Harker
    Gordon Harker
    • Albert
    Marie Lohr
    Marie Lohr
    • Mrs. Samson-Fox
    John Loder
    John Loder
    • Mr. Finch
    Irene Handl
    Irene Handl
    • Mrs. Gammon
    Janet Munro
    Janet Munro
    • Effie Wriggler
    Billie Whitelaw
    Billie Whitelaw
    • Caroline Mallet
    Ruth Trouncer
    • Sheila Pryor
    Francis Matthews
    Francis Matthews
    • Alan Pryor
    Frederick Schiller
    • Foreign Diner
    Derek Blomfield
    Derek Blomfield
    • Roland
    Dorothy Bromiley
    Dora Bryan
    Dora Bryan
    George Hilsdon
    George Hilsdon
    • American Airforce Officer
    • (uncredited)
    Murray Kash
    • American Airforce Officer
    • (uncredited)
    Dan Lester
    • Charlie - Barman
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • David MacDonald
    • Writers
      • Wilfred Eades
      • Rex Frost
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews11

    7.0280
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    Snow Leopard

    Good Light Comedy

    With a pretty good cast, a good assortment of characters, and an amusing story, this light comedy works quite well. Gordon Harker, a good character actor, gets the chance to be in the leading role as the scheming waiter Albert. Janet Munro is energetic and sympathetic as a young waitress, and Marie Lohr is mostly believable as a bad-tempered justice of the peace. They get help from a supporting cast that includes John Loder and a young Billie Whitelaw. There are no big laughs, but a fair number of smiles, and a story that moves quickly and easily holds your interest.

    The story starts when Loder, as a representative of the chain that owns the hotel where Harker and Munro work, decides to meddle with their way of doing things. Soon there is a rather involved battle of wills and wits among all of the characters. There might not be much depth to any of it, but it is entertaining, and unlike a lot of similar films, they don't push things farther than the premise justifies. You won't see too many B-comedies better than this, and it is definitely recommended if you enjoy low-budget comedies from the 40's and 50's.
    8ftm68_99

    a gem

    I pretty much agree with the comments made by the first reviewer here.

    I watched this movie mainly because I'm a Janet Munro fan (this was her first movie). It was clear from the first few minutes, however, that being a Munro fan was not the sole reason for watching, as it's a well-observed, well thought-out little gem, filled with fun and completely unpretentious.

    As to Miss Munro, she did not disappoint, more than holding her own with seasoned actors such as Gordon Harker and Marie Lohr, themselves absolutely delightful in their roles.

    This one should be made more widely available in the U.S.

    No need to read this last line; I'm just adding it, since IMDb now insists that our reviews contain at least ten lines. Sheesh.
    5kevanjohnpeters

    Wonderful little Gem

    Had a day off work today, and often have a quick look at Talking Pictures.... well what can I say about this film Throughly entertaining that's what!... what a little Gem of a film , every part was acted perfectly, led by the superb Gordon Harker, ably supported by the lovely Janet Munro..... and the complete scene stealer the legend that was Irene Handl.

    Never seen it before, but obviously made for the stage, but transferred perfectly to the screen, only an long, but catch it while you can.... a real masterclass in acting from all.
    8robert-temple-1

    Delightful small British comedy with superb performances

    This simple British comedy sparkles with wit, gentle satire, and affectionate good humour. The central performance by Gordon Harker, who was near the end of his career as one of Britain's best loved character actors, is a masterful display of full control of both the screen and of the story. The film is based upon a play by Rex Frost entitled SMALL HOTEL, which opened at the St. Martin's Theatre in London's West End on October 12, 1955. Very little information is recorded about Frost. We do know that in 1954, he wrote the script for a TV movie entitled THE JOLLY FIDDLER, and that is also the name of the hotel in this film. Whether the two works are essentially the same, or merely set in the same hotel, we do not know. It seems so difficult to find out even basic information about Frost that there is not much else to say of him. But he certainly was capable of writing some cracking one-liners, which are liberally sprinkled throughout the film and add greatly to its satirical bite. The film is thus not a farce but an intelligent comedy. Harker plays an elderly head waiter in the small establishment, where he has been in charge of the dining room (which he calls 'mine') for 40 years. Suddenly his position is threatened by a boorish and arrogant man from 'head office' (played by John Loder in obnoxious mode), who wants him replaced by an annoying and supercilious young woman waitress who is really his mistress and 'as common as dirt', as the expression used to go, or as one of the characters refers to her, a pumped-up trollop. She is played by the young Billie Whitelaw, who makes her suitably unsympathetic. The other highlight of the film is the splendid performance by Irene Handl as the cook, Mrs. Gammon. She lit up every film she ever appeared in, and this one has its celluloid scorched by her superb Cockney 'talking-back' and the blunt, bold, and grammatically imperfect tongue-lashings which she administers to anyone who messes with her. She can settle any conflict by saying sarcastically: 'Keep your wig on!' Comic support is given also by Janet Munro as the young waitress Effie, whose amusing and endearing hopelessness is the perfect complement and foil to Harker's effortless mastery of every situation. It is such a tragedy that this extremely talented actress died aged only 38, in 1972. She will always be remembered for her lead in role Val Guest's brilliant sci fi classic, THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT FIRE (1961, see my forthcoming review). Marie Lohr does an excellent job of playing a haughty lady with the sharpest of tongues. The film is well directed by David Macdonald, and it is a joy to watch such an intimate gem. It is very short, at only 57 minutes on the DVD (59 minutes according to its IMDb listing), which means that the play must have been cut by at least half an hour, and much of the film must have ended up on the cutting room floor as well. But never mind, whatever was lost is not missed, for the film works perfectly at its present length, and is marvellous. SMALL HOTEL may well have provided inspiration for the long-running TV series FAWLTY TOWERS (1975-1979), which dealt with a small hotel's misadventures as slapstick farce. But I prefer the more subtle approach, and this film certainly has it.
    sublimineyes

    Delightfully formed small charmer

    A wonderfully balanced trio of Gordon Harker, Marie Lohr and Irene Handl are the heart of this utterly charming, warm and lovely gem of a film. They are simply perfect for each other and Harker in particular is a delight.

    Billie Whitelaw provides solid meat, although would have benefited from more nuance/shading.

    Really, the only reason I don't give this a 10/10 is I found the others parts either thinly drawn or acted.

    What an absolutely delightful find and thanks to those who resurrected it.

    More like this

    Jules de Londres
    6.7
    Jules de Londres
    The Railway Children
    7.3
    The Railway Children
    Quarante-huit heures
    7.5
    Quarante-huit heures
    Les liens du passé
    6.7
    Les liens du passé
    Sous la terreur
    7.1
    Sous la terreur
    Scotland Yard appelle F.B.I.
    6.2
    Scotland Yard appelle F.B.I.
    School for Secrets
    6.5
    School for Secrets
    The Ghost Train
    6.1
    The Ghost Train
    Frontière dangereuse
    7.2
    Frontière dangereuse
    Devil's Bait
    6.6
    Devil's Bait
    Conflict of Wings
    6.3
    Conflict of Wings
    Dublin Nightmare
    5.8
    Dublin Nightmare

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Gordon Harker's last starring role in a film.
    • Quotes

      Mrs. Gammon: If I was to leave you might get someone soft, like the last one. Goodness only knows what you made on the fiddle when she was here, poor mutt!

      Albert: She wasn't soft, she was cooperative. And we went 50-50. And she didn't do so badly.

      Mrs. Gammon: Well I'm not colloperatin'!

    • Connections
      Remake of The Jolly Fiddler (1954)

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 1957 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Associated British Elstree Studios, Shenley Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK(Studio)
    • Production company
      • Welwyn Studios
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 59m
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.