The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958)

Director: Mark Robson
Starring: Ingrid Bergman, Robert Donat, Curd Jürgens

Synopsis:
A British maid braves a solo trip to China to work as a missionay.

Impressions:
While this movie takes some liberties with the actual life of Gladys Aylward, to include shoehorning a romantic subplot that never existed in reality (though I will admit that it plays well for the screen), it's still a good movie about one woman's indomitable spirit in the face of all manner of challenges. Ingrid Bergman delivers a strong performance and while it's a bit of a shame to see the two primary Chinese characters played by white men, I have to admit that I really liked Robert Donat as the Mandarin (in his final film role) and Curd Jürgens was solid as Lin Nan. I also like Athene Seyler as Jeannie Lawson and Burt Kwouk as Li. It's a bit of a long movie, but entirely worth seeing. Give it a watch.

Rating:
Watch It