Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)

Great Film overall

Excellent but underrated film

Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

This is the original Chips movie (It stars Robert Donat; Peter O'Toole would later reprise the role). It is about a teacher who comes to an exclusive boy's school for his first experience. That experience proves disheartening as the boys make fun of him and manipulate him. He loses his idealism and turns 180 degrees. He becomes an authoritarian taskmaster who becomes anathema to his students and his colleagues. He gets production from his charges but they don't have the fun of learning. He even holds forth when a very athletic student can't play in a game because of his lack of effort and success in the classroom. He is amazingly consistent and bullheaded. Then along comes Greer Garson, who is the love of his life. For the first time he realizes that there is more to life than discipline. He is devoted to her, but tragedy shows its face and he must rethink his world. The last part of the film is absolutely gut wrenching and emotional. It will take a hard person not to react.

If you are reading these reviews because you wonder if you should bother watching this movie, read no further. Instead, treat yourself to it, and you will experience a wonderful, warm glow that only the greatest works of art can offer.But please understand: this is by no means what they now call a "feel good movie," filled with facile sentiment and easy tears. Not at all. It is a brilliantly written, masterfully acted and directed movie that contains truly joyous moments, yes, but also deeply painful ones.During the course of its two hours, you will have the great pleasure of watching a great actor, Robert Donat, develop a thoroughly three-dimensional character, Mr. Chips. Because Donat was a great actor, and because this movie has a great script, his Chips is not a lovable curmudgeon, or a silly old man, or any of the other facile, two-dimensional caricatures that could so easily have been offered. No, Donat's Chips is a very understandable, very real human being, an ideal to which many would love to be able to live up.Supporting him in her first movie role is the here truly luminous Greer Garson. Her kindness to Chips, her understanding of his shyness, is one of the many wonderful things in this movie.But enough of my words. None of them, try as I might, will even begin to give you an idea of how wonderful this movie will make you feel. Watch it when you can devote yourself to it completely, because it is worth your complete attention and will reward it a thousandfold.-------------------------I saw this movie again tonight. I don't know how many times I have seen it over the years, but that doesn't really matter. It is never boring, never too familiar. It is always just right. This is a flawless movie.

This looked like a nice, simple and charming black-and-white film, it is critical acclaimed, and Clark Gable in Gone with the Wind lost out the Academy Award for Best Actor to this film's leading star, I had to see it, from Oscar nominated director Sam Wood (A Night at the Opera, The Pride of the Yankees, For Whom the Bell Tolls). Basically Charles Edward Chipping, fondly referred to as Mr. Chips (Oscar winning Robert Donat), in 1933 is a retired schoolteacher and former headmaster at the traditional Brookfield Boarding School, one of the oldest and most respected boys schools in England, the film goes into flashback as he recalls his life and teaching career. Chipping first arrived at Brookfield aged 25 as a Latin teacher in 1870, he becomes the target for many practical jokes, he reacts by imposing strict discipline, he is respected but disliked, as time passes however his relationship with his pupil improves, and he becomes senior master. Chipping is disappointed not to receive an appointment as the house master, but his despair is lifted when the German teacher Max Staefel (Paul Henreid) invites him for a walking holiday to his native Austria, while mountain climbing he encounters feisty English suffragette Kathy Ellis (Oscar nominated Greer Garson). Charles and Kathy meet again in Vienna and dance a waltz, he uses the music to declare his love for her, Kathy is considerably younger and livelier than Charles, but she shares affection for him and they get married, they return to England, Kathy finds a home in the school and charms everyone with her warmth. The marriage is tragically short however as Kathy dies during childbirth, along with the baby, but she brings Mr. Chips out of his shell and shows him how to be a better teacher, as the years pass Chips has become a much-loved institution to the school, developing a rapport with generations of pupils, teaching the sons and grandsons of many of his earlier pupils. In 1909 Chips is pressured to retire for a more "modern" headmaster, the boys and the board of governors take his side and want him to stay until he is 100, he does finally retire in 1914 at age 69, only to be summoned back as an interim headmaster during the time of the First World War, due to a shortage of teachers, he insists the boys continue translating Latin, even during a bombing attack occurring. Many names of former boys and teachers that have died are read aloud in the school's Roll of Honour every Sunday as the war continues, Chips finds out Max Staefel has died fighting on the German side, he also reads out his name in the chapel. Mr. Chips permanently retires in 1918, he is on his deathbed in 1933 and overhears his friends remarking that he never had children, Chips responds "But you're wrong. I have! Thousands of them, thousands of them – and all boys". Also starring Terry Kilburn as John Colley / Peter Colley I / Peter Colley II / Peter Colley III, John Mills as Peter Colley as a young man, Judith Furse as Flora, Lyn Harding as Dr. Wetherby, Milton Rosmer as Chatteris, Frederick Leister as Marsham and Louise Hampton as Mrs. Wickett. Donat, who I mainly knew for The 39 Steps, gives a superb performance as the kind-hearted Latin teacher and headmaster with a subtle and worldly-wise manner, and a large moustache, and Garson makes a great introductory performance as his beautiful love interest, there is a well-cast musical remake with Peter O'Toole, but this is indeed the definitive version, it is so simple, but so wonderfully moving, it proves that any nice man can be a great hero, a brilliant period drama. It was nominated the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Writing, Screenplay, Best Sound and Best Film Editing. Arthur Chipping was number 40 on 100 Years, 100 Heroes & Villains, and the film was number 46 on 100 Greatest Tearjerkers. Very good!

There is the Peter O'Toole musical remake which I need to re-watch again despite not thinking much of it, and the Martin Clunes TV adaptation which was excellent, but I consider this 1939 Goodbye Mr Chips the definitive version. The film gives you a warm and cosy feeling just looking at it, and there is a sparkling score. The script has moments where it is droll, but mostly it is touching and very warm-hearted and human. The story still moves and charms me to this day, with the ending especially making me cry, the underrated Sam Wood's(director also of the brilliant A Night at the Opera) direction is immaculate and the characters are all compelling particularly the titular character. The acting helps to bring everything to life, as lovely as Greer Garson is, and a pleasure it was to spot Casablanca's Paul Henreid, Great Expectations' Martita Hunt(in an uncredited cameo) and a young John Mills, it is Robert Donat's film as he is a revelation in a very subtle and sincere performance. All in all, a beautiful film and the best Goodbye Mr Chips. 10/10 Bethany Cox