Maybe sentimental and with a Hollywood twist but just take in the actual story of a marvellous women and an amazing trek.Also in reply to one reviewer who got it sadly wrong about the song.The origins of this song are obscure. The earliest extant record is a version noted in Anne Gilchrist's Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society (1937), learnt from her Welsh nurse in the 1870s under the title "Jack Jintle" with the lyrics:[1]My name is Jack Jintle, the eldest but one,And I can play nick-nack upon my own thumb.With my nick-nack and click-clack and sing a fine song,And all the fine ladies come dancing along.My name is Jack Jintle, the eldest but two,And I can play nick-nack upon my own shoe.With my nick-nack and click-clack and sing a fine song,And all the fine ladies come dancing along.My name is Jack Jintle, the eldest but three,And I can play nick-nack upon my own knee.With my nick-nack and click-clack and sing a fine song,And all the fine ladies come dancing along.

Fairly good transfer from book to screen. Ms. Bergman brings vitality to the portrayal, if not a bit showier than I would expect Ms. Aylward to have been. I suppose there's more interest in that posture than accomplishing in a more self-effacing manner. While Ms. Aylward developed strength and leadership ability, I can't see her being so much the center of attention. One of her gifts was the ability to promote others and involve them in her vision. There needn't be a disturbance about a close bond forming with a man. That does not translate to an affair. The usual film embellishment is likely responsible for the angst and denial. However, the fact is true to the book. Yet, Ms. Aylward was able to have a close relationship with a man without moral compromise. Her dedication to her life calling was kept in priority when the circumstances of the time made a personal alliance impractical. I understand from reports that Ms. Aylward was embarrassed by the handling of the "love interest." This is an overall honoring account of a missionary figure. A true giver and lover of people is never a boring subject. Besides, it is inherent that missionaries have adventures. David Livingston is one case in point. There is a treasure trove of other fascinating stories out there, should they be mined and shared.I don't share the idolization of the actress over the substantial person who is the subject of the film. That would be choosing shadow over substance. No comparison. Bergman had an acting gift; Ms. Aylward had a gift of life, which she generously bestowed.

In the 30's, the working-class Englishwoman Gladys Aylward (Ingrid Bergman) leaves Liverpool and arrives in London, trying to join the China Missionary Society expecting to be sent to China. However, having only ordinary schooling, her request is turned down due to her lack of qualification to the position. Gladys works hard as a maid and uses all her savings and salaries to buy a train ticket to Tientsin. Then she travels by mule to the remote province of Wangcheng, where she works with the Englishwoman Jeannie Lawson (Athene Seyler) and the Chinese cook Yang (Peter Chong) in the Inn of the Sixth Happiness. When Ms. Lawson has an accident and dies, Gladys has no money to run the establishment and accepts the position of "foot inspector" offered by the Mandarin Hsien Chang (Robert Donat). She is assigned to visit the countryside to promote and enforce the government's law against foot binding Chinese girls. She is successful, changes her nationality to Chinese and her name to Jen-ai (meaning "the one who loves people"), surprising the skeptical bi-racial Captain Lin Nan (Curt Jurgens). When Wangcheng is invaded by the Japanese, Jen-ai travels through the mountains with one hundred children to save them from death."The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" is a wonderful and engaging epic based on the true story of the enlightened Gladys Aylward. Her biography romanticized by Hollywood is awesome, and the movie is fantastic. Ingrid Bergman is stunning in the role of a servant in a period of class struggle in London determined to go to China where she believes she belongs and has a mission from God to be accomplished. The colors and the landscapes are impressive, but the cast of Ingrid Bergman as a woman not gorgeous; Curt Jurgens as a Chinese-Caucasian; and Robert Donat as a Chinese is weird, but they have perfect performances and I believe that is what matters in a film. My vote is nine.Title (Brazil): "A Morada da Sexta Felicidade" ("The Inn of the Sixth Happiness")

Once more, in this film as she had in her earlier films, Ingrid Bergman proves she was "A PERFECT ACTRESS!" In this film, "Inn of the Sixth Happiness," she plays Englishwoman Gladys Aylward who knew that China was the place where she belonged. Not qualified to be sent there as a missionary she worked and saved her money until she had enough to go on her own. Once there, she meets up with people who manage to help her through her first days. Then, she is nearly all alone and must make it or leave China. She stays. Eventually, just as WW2 is breaking out, she rescues over 100 children and takes them to freedom.Again, I repeat, it clearly shows Ingrid Bergman as a perfect actress. She shows her talent and charm all through this film and it is one everyone in the family can watch and appreciate. I highly recommend it.