The Passing of the Third Floor Back

Gaumont

Industry	Film production and distribution
Founded	1895
Headquarters	London , United Kingdom

The Passing of the Third Floor Back is a 1935 British drama film directed by Berthold Viertel, featuring performances by Conrad Veidt, Anna Lee, Rene Ray, and Frank Cellier. Adapted from Jerome K. Jerome's 1908 stage play, the narrative explores the transformation of narrow-minded tenants in a London boarding house following the arrival of an enigmatic visitor intent on redeeming them. This story had been previously brought to the screen in a 1918 adaptation directed by Herbert Brenon. Additionally, it is mentioned in Ngaio Marsh's 1941 novel, Death and the Dancing Footman.

Plot

The film is set within a run-down boarding house in London, inhabited by various characters mostly preoccupied with maintaining their precarious social positions. Among them, Mr Wright stands out as a wealthy, self-made man who has achieved success. The property is owned by the avaricious Mrs Sharpe, who mistreats Stasia, a maid and former juvenile offender striving for rehabilitation. The atmosphere throughout the house is one of bitterness and tension, with respect primarily reserved for Mr Wright. Major Tomkin and his wife exert pressure on their daughter Vivian to marry Wright, despite her strong resistance.

The household’s routine is disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious foreign guest—who is secretly an angel—taking up residence on the "third floor back." He quickly earns respect from several residents, notably Stasia. During a dinner celebrating Vivian’s engagement to Wright, Vivian unexpectedly declares her love for another lodger and departs suddenly. The Tomkins are alarmed at the prospect of losing their security if the marriage does not proceed.

Witnessing the pettiness among the residents, the stranger advocates for compassion and encourages them to pursue their aspirations rather than be confined by social anxieties. His influence begins to inspire some tenants toward positive change. On a bank holiday, he surprises everyone by organizing an outing to Margate, inviting even the servants such as Stasia. Although initially uneasy, the excursion builds camaraderie; when Stasia accidentally falls into the River Thames, she is rescued by one of the women, prompting the Tomkins to treat her with newfound warmth and reconsider their insistence on Vivian’s marriage.

Nonetheless, Wright resents these developments and works against the stranger’s efforts. The following day old disputes reemerge as Wright asserts his dominance through financial means. The stranger urges him to seek a more meaningful existence, but Wright refuses, sparking a moral confrontation between opposing forces within the household.

Cast

• Conrad Veidt as The Stranger
• Anna Lee as Vivian
• Rene Ray as Stasia
• Frank Cellier as Wright
• John Turnbull as Major Tomkins
• Cathleen Nesbitt as Mrs. Tomkin
• Ronald Ward as Chris Penny
• Beatrix Lehmann as Miss Kite
• Jack Livesey as Mr. Larkcom
• Sara Allgood as Mrs. de Hooley
• Mary Clare as Mrs. Sharpe
• Barbara Everest as Cook
• Alexander Sarner as The gramophone man
• James Knight as The police inspector

1908 play – London theatre cast:

Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson portrayed The Stranger; Alice Crawford played Vivian; Gertrude Elliott appeared as Stasia; Ian Robertson took on Major Tompkins; Mr.H.Marsh Allen was Christopher Penny; Haidee Wright acted as Miss Kite; Wilfred Foster portrayed Mr. Harry Larcom; Kate Bishop played Mrs. De Hooley; Agnes Thomas was Mrs. Sharp; Edward Sass appeared as John Samuels;

The cast also included Ernest Hendrie and Kate Carlyon.

Production

Austrian filmmaker Berthold Viertel undertook his second British project after departing Germany in the late 1920s. Following the modest reception of Little Friend (1934), Viertel secured a contract for three films with Gaumont. His initial task under this agreement involved adapting Jerome’s The Passing of the Third Floor Back, after abandoning earlier plans for a biographical film about Lord Byron. Viertel sought to delve into the psychological nuances of the characters, despite encountering difficulties in translating the play to the screen. The production lasted approximately six weeks, relying on a limited number of sets and featuring a single exterior sequence shot in Margate. Viertel drew inspiration from the confined setting style used in The Barretts of Wimpole Street to develop the film’s visual approach.

Viertel directed only one additional film, Rhodes of Africa (1936).

Reception

In 1935, critic Graham Greene commended the film for softening the original play’s "pious note," describing it as surprisingly enjoyable, although he remarked on the challenges of convincingly depicting moments of "sweetness and light." The film achieved commercial success, ranking fourth among British productions in 1936.

See also

• List of films about angels

Bibliography

• Richards, Jeffrey (ed.) The Unknown 1930s: An Alternative History of the British Cinema, 1929–1939. I.B. Tauris, 1998.