No Room at the Inn (1948)

During the early months of World War II, as children are evacuated from British cities, teenage Mary O'Rane (Ann Stephens) is sent to a small town and placed in the care of Mrs. Voray (Freda Jackson). Outwardly pious and charitable, Mrs. Voray is actually a deeply cruel, sadistic woman with a fondness for alcohol. She mistreats her charges, forcing them to endure squalor and near-starvation, while using funds meant for their welfare for her own indulgences. Mary's schoolteacher, Judith Drave (Joy Shelton), grows increasingly concerned about the children's wellbeing. Despite raising her concerns with local councillors and the church, her efforts are ignored. Even when Judith appeals to the community to help, no one steps forward. Mary's father (Niall MacGinnis) visits, but after Mrs. Voray hides all signs of abuse and convinces him the complaints are just the imaginings of an excitable teenager, he leaves Mary behind and goes out with Mrs. Voray. Meanwhile, Mary and fellow evacuee Norma (Joan Dowling) are drawn into petty crime. The situation escalates when Mrs. Voray, enraged after discovering damage to her belongings, locks a child in the coal cellar as punishment. Mary and Norma attempt a rescue, but when Mrs. Voray intervenes, a struggle ensues, leading to her accidental death. Cast: - Freda Jackson as Mrs. Voray - Ann Stephens as Mary O'Rane - Joan Dowling as Norma Bates - Joy Shelton as Judith Drave - Hermione Baddeley as Mrs. Waters - Niall MacGinnis as O'Rane - Harcourt Williams as Rev. Allworth - Frank Pettingell as Burrells - Sydney Tafler as Spiv - Betty Blackler as Lily - Jill Gibbs as Irene - Stanley Conett as Ronnie - Wylie Watson as Councillor Green - James Hayter as Councillor Trouncer - Eliot Makeham as News Editor - Jack Melford as Councillor Wordsworth - Cyril Smith as Store Detective - Marie Ault as Vicar's Maid - Vera Bogetti as Barmaid - Beatrice Varley as Mrs. Jarvis Runtime: 65 minutes.