Life at the Top

1965

1h 57m

IMDb RATING

5.8/10

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2 Videos

7 Images

Drama

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

Writers

Mordecai Richler(screenplay by)

John Braine(novel by)

Stars

Laurence Harvey

Jean Simmons

Honor Blackman

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Videos2

Trailer
Watch Life at the Top (1965) Sat-4-Aug at 8pm / Wed-8-Aug at 9pm
Clip
Watch Life at the Top (1965) - Joe fails the job interview

Photos7

Top cast

Joe Lampton

Susan Lampton

Norah Hauxley

Mark

Abe Brown

Tiffield

Sybil

Mrs. Margaret Brown

George Aisgill

Harry

Barbara

Ralph Hethersett

Graffham

Mottram

McLelland

Industrial Psychologist

Denis Quilley

Ben

David Oxley

Tim

Directors

Ted Kotcheff

Writers

Mordecai Richler(screenplay by)

John Braine(novel by)

All cast & crew

Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

User reviews1

Review

Featured review

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.

Geronimo196705 Sep, 2024