The Passing of the Third Floor Back
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Herbert Brenon
Sir Johnston Forbes-robertson
Augusta Haviland
Alfred Hickman
Germaine Bourville
Ben Graham
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
The unhappy residents of a Bloomsbury Square boardinghouse in London are constantly at odds with one another. One day, a mysterious stranger appears and becomes the occupant of the room at the back of the third floor. While the bickering residents are jealous, resentful and angry, the stranger is kind and sees only the best in everyone. Gradually, the residents begin to change, and when love replaces hatred in the boardinghouse, the stranger disappears as mysteriously as he arrived.
Director
Herbert Brenon
Cast
Sir Johnston Forbes-robertson
Augusta Haviland
Alfred Hickman
Germaine Bourville
Ben Graham
Grace Stephens
Kettey Galanta
Robert Fisher
George Le Guere
Sydney Goldin
Thornton Bastion
Ricca Allen
Dora Mills Adams
Molly Pearson
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
As noted in reviews and news items, The Passing of the Third Floor Back was the only known film of noted British stage actor Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson, who had originated the role of "The stranger" in the original London production of Jerome K. Jerome's play, and appeared in a well-received Broadway production when Forbes-Robertson's troupe presented revivals of several famous plays beginning on September 29, 1913. According to biographical sources, Forbes-Robertson retired from the stage in 1915. While some modern sources indicate that the film was made in Britain, existing contemporary sources confirm that it was shot in the U.S. According to a April 6, 1918 Motion Picture News news item, Robertson-Forbes "made a special trip from England to America for the purpose of making the picture."
Little specific plot information about the 1918 film has been located. However, reviews indicated that the film generally followed the scenario of Jerome's play. Another film based on the play was released in 1935. That British-American co-production was directed by Berthold Viertel and starred Conrad Veidt and Rene Ray (see below).
