| Goodbye, Mr. Chips | |
|---|---|
Original film poster |
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| Directed by | Sam Wood |
| Produced by | Victor Saville |
| Written by | R. C. Sherriff Claudine West Eric Maschwitz James Hilton (novel) |
| Starring | Robert Donat Greer Garson Terry Kilburn Paul Henreid John Mills |
| Music by | Richard Addinsell |
| Cinematography | Freddie Young |
| Editing by | Charles Frend |
| Studio | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Denham Studios |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | 15 May 1939 |
| Running time | 114 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,051,000 |
| Box office | $3,252,000 |
Goodbye, Mr. Chips is a 1939 British film based on the novel of the same name by James Hilton. The was directed by Sam Wood for the British division of MGM at Denham Studios, and starred Robert Donat, Greer Garson, Terry Kilburn, John Mills, and Paul Henreid.[1][2] The screenplay was adapted from the novel by R. C. Sherriff, Claudine West and Eric Maschwitz. The film was voted the 72nd greatest British film ever in the BFI Top 100 British films poll.
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In 1933, Mr. Chipping, a retired schoolteacher of 83, is kept home by a cold. Managing to arrive late, despite doctor's orders he finds the assembly hall locked. Back at home he falls asleep (and his school teaching career is related in flashback).
When 22-year-old Charles Edward Chipping first arrives as a Latin teacher to Brookfield Public School in 1870, he becomes a target of many practical jokes. He reacts by imposing strict discipline in his classroom, making him respected, but disliked. Realising he is not good at his profession, he glumly ponders his future. However, the German teacher, Max Staefel, saves him from despair by taking him on holiday to his native Austria. While mountain climbing, Chipping "rescues" Kathy Ellis (even though she did not actually need to be saved). Kathy is a feisty English suffragette on a cycling holiday. They meet again in Vienna and dance to the Blue Danube Waltz. This piece of music is used as a leitmotif, symbolising Chipping's love for her. Max points out that the Danube River appears blue, but only to those who are in love. As Chipping looks at the river, he notices that it is blue. Even though Kathy is considerably younger and livelier than Chipping, she loves and marries him. They return to England, where Kathy takes up residence at the school, conquering everyone with her personal warmth.
During their tragically short marriage (she dies in childbirth, along with their baby), she brings 'Mr. Chips' out of his shell and shows him how to be a better teacher. He acquires a flair for Latin puns. As the years pass, Chips becomes a much-loved school institution, developing a rapport with generations of students; he teaches the sons and grandsons of many of his earlier pupils.
In 1909, when put under pressure to retire from a more 'modern' headmaster, the board of directors of the school take his side of the argument and tell him he can stay until he is 100.
Chips finally retires in 1913 at age 65, but is summoned back to serve as interim headmaster, because of the shortage of teachers resulting from World War I. He remembers Kathy had predicted he would become headmaster one day. During a bombing attack by a German zeppelin, Chips insists that the boys keep on construing their Latin - choosing the story of Julius Caesar's battles against Germanic tribes, which describes the latter's belligerent nature, much to the amusement of his pupils. As the Great War drags on, Chips reads aloud into the school's Roll of Honour every Sunday the names of the many former boys and teachers who have died in battle. Upon finding out that Max Staefel has died fighting on the German side, Chips also reads out his name in chapel.
He retires permanently in 1918: he awakes in 1933. He is on his deathbed when he overhears his friends talking about him. He responds, "I thought you said it was a pity... pity I never had children. But you're wrong. I have thousands of them ... thousands of them ... and all boys."
The exteriors of the buildings of the fictional Brookfield School were shot at Repton School,[3][4] an independent school (at the time of filming, for boys only), located in the village of Repton, in Derbyshire, in the Midlands area of England, whilst the interiors, school courtyards and annexes, including the supposedly exterior shots of the Austrian Tyrol Mountains, were filmed at Denham Film Studios[5] near the village of Denham in Buckinghamshire. Around 200 boys from Repton School stayed on during the school holidays so that they could appear in the film.[6]
The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards for Outstanding Production, Best Director, Actor, Actress, Best Writing, Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Sound.[7] It was up against Gone with the Wind in all seven categories; Robert Donat won for Best Actor, beating out Clark Gable, but Goodbye, Mr. Chips lost to Gone With the Wind in five of the six remaining categories. (Best Sound went to the otherwise undistinguished When Tomorrow Comes).
Goodbye, Mr. Chips was remade as a musical in 1969, starring Peter O'Toole and Petula Clark.
| Award | Result | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| Outstanding Production | Nominated | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (Victor Saville, producer) Winner was Gone with the Wind (Selznick International Pictures (David O. Selznick, producer)) |
| Best Director | Nominated | Sam Wood Winner was Victor Fleming – Gone with the Wind |
| Best Actor | Won | Robert Donat |
| Best Actress | Nominated | Greer Garson Winner was Vivien Leigh – Gone with the Wind |
| Best Writing, Screenplay | Nominated | R. C. Sherriff, Claudine West, Eric Maschwitz Winner was Sidney Howard – Gone with the Wind |
| Best Film Editing | Nominated | Charles Frend Winner was Hal C. Kern and James E. Mewcom – Gone with the Wind |
| Best Sound, Recording | Nominated | A. W. Watkins Winner was Bernard B. Brown – When Tomorrow Comes |
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