Asquith’s penultimate film, with frequent collaborator Terence Rattigan scripting, channels Grand Hotel and predates Airport. Weather delays ground London flights, so a star-studded cast cools their heels in the titular lounge as personal dramas intensify. Taylor plays a wife leaving husband Richard Burton (in his second film with her); Maggie Smith (in a breakout turn) is secretary to businessman Rod Taylor; and Margaret Rutherford, as a fuddled duchess, won an Oscar.

Print courtesy of the British Film Institute