Life at the Top main backdrop
Life at the Top main poster

Life at the Top

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6.2/10 • 14

1965-12-141h 57m

Drama

The more they live it up the more they have to live it down!

Successful businessman Joe Lampton is married to the wealthy Susan, has two children, and lives in the mill town of Warley in northern England. But his career seems to have plateaued, leaving him disillusioned. This feeling is only exacerbated when he discovers his wife's infidelity with local man Mark. So he takes up with attractive TV host Norah and moves with her to London, aiming to reignite the fire that drove him to the top.

Directors
Ted Kotcheff
Editors
Derek York

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Laurence Harvey

    Laurence Harvey

    Joe Lampton

  2. Jean Simmons

    Jean Simmons

    Susan Lampton

  3. Honor Blackman

    Honor Blackman

    Norah Hauxley

  4. Michael Craig

    Michael Craig

    Mark

  5. Donald Wolfit

    Donald Wolfit

    Abe Brown

  6. Robert Morley

    Robert Morley

    Tiffield

  7. Margaret Johnston

    Margaret Johnston

    Sybil

  8. Ambrosine Phillpotts

    Ambrosine Phillpotts

    Mrs. Margaret Brown

  9. Allan Cuthbertson

    Allan Cuthbertson

    George Aisgill

Reviews1

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CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Sep 5, 2024

7/10

As sequels go, this isn't half bad. Aspirational, working-class lad "Joe" (Laurence Harvey) has managed to marry the boss's daughter "Susan" (Jean Simmons), has the semi detached trappings of middle class luxury but his life consists little of substance. His career is going nowhere fast and he is soon being tempted by the visiting television star "Norah" (Honor Blackman) as his wife embarks on an affair de coeur of her own with the rather unfortunately wooden Michael Craig ("Mark"). Has he the fortitude to go it alone; does he even really want to? The story isn't as potent as "Room at the Top" (1959) but both Harvey and Simmons as well as a strong series of cameos from the likes of Sir Donald Wolfit and Robert Morley still work well to convey many of the frustrations of a young man trying to escape the bonds of a class system and of a woman who has never had to want for anything, efficiently. It looks good. The photography is intense, almost intrusive at times, and the score from the accomplished Richard Addinsell adds much to the story and in many ways substitutes for a rather wordy and descriptive narrative. It's a good film, not a great one, and it is good to see Simmons remind us just how adaptable an actress she was.

Media

  • Life at the Top poster
  • Life at the Top poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
adulterybased on novel or booktextile industrybad father-in-lawsequelyorkshirebritish high societykitchen sink realism