A Yank at Eton (1942)

Very Cool!!!

Sorry, this movie sucks

Just perfect...

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

This film is extremely derivative--with most of the story elements of several films of the era being recycled. In many ways, it's a lot like "Boy's Town", "A Yank at Oxford" and "A Yank in the RAF". A brash young American (in this case Mickey Rooney) goes to the UK and enters one of its finest institutions. And, in the process, he makes a total nuisance of himself and expects the Brits to conform to his non-conformist ways. And, naturally, by the end of the film, he's finally learned humility and a true team spirit.The film begins on a bizarre note. Rooney and his sister are in some sort of prep schools while their irresponsible mother is in England being wooed by some Lord or something (Ian Hunter). When she marries, she THEN informs the kids they have a new father and they are to come to live with them! Not surprisingly, the oldest child (Rooney) has difficulty with this transition.His new step-dad and mom decide that the best thing for Mickey is to enroll at Eton--probably the most prestigious prep school on the planet. Unfortunately, the stuffy atmosphere is not to his liking. Some of it is because Rooney is a jerk and some is because he naturally didn't take to the lovely English tradition of the upperclassmen beating and otherwise maltreating the lower class. While I love the UK and have spent some time there, this is a British institution that simply makes no sense (conversely, American football and WWE wrestling are odd and brutal institutions which justifiably baffle most Brits). Not surprisingly, the sadistic system is not to Rooney's liking and he makes no bones about the contempt he feels towards these upperclassmen. Unlike these three other films, in this case you can somewhat understand the upstart American's attitudes...somewhat (especially since I saw the British film "If...." before watching this film). It all ends in a horribly contrived plot line involving a stolen car--but have no fear, Rooney MUST and WILL redeem himself by the end of the movie.So is this all worth seeing? Well, not until you've already seen these other films, as they are better and more original. However, if you are an old movie nut like me, certainly give this a try as well. Just understand that there is little, if anything, that will take you by surprise (other than the way the mother remarried).By the way, pay attention to a couple standouts among the upper class. Peter Lawford is the chief baddie among them and Freddie Bartholomew is distinctly less adorable than he's been in "Captains Courageous" and "Little Lord Fauntleroy". As for Rooney, he once again plays a teenager--even though he was 22 and got married the same year this film debuted. Also, when I saw all the cute boys running about in tophats and dress clothes, it almost looked like someone had created a school full of Charley McCarthy clones!

Although A Yank At Eton is supposed to put you in mind of MGM's classic A Yank At Oxford, in fact this film is a reworking of the plot of Boys Town. Please note that Norman Taurog directed star Mickey Rooney in Boys Town and Men Of Boys Town.After the death of her husband, Marta Linden takes a trip to Europe and returns with a new husband in Ian Hunter to the distress of her children, Rooney and Juanita Quigley. She says they're moving to England and Rooney doesn't like the idea because he wants to play football for Notre Dame.Hunter gets the Mick into his old alma mater Eton and Rooney takes to it much like his character of Whitey Marsh took to Boystown. But the Mick's got a heart of gold which soon comes out. If you have seen Boys Town and remember the plot situations that's roughly what happens here.There were some criticisms of A Yank At Eton one of which was the mistake of showing folks using left hand drive in cars instead of right hand which is what they have in the UK. Most of the time the negative was just reversed like they did for Gary Cooper to show a left handed batting Lou Gehrig in Pride Of The Yankees. In crowd scenes that couldn't be helped and unlike A Yank At Oxford, this film was done on the MGM back lot. However having Rooney as a track star was a bit much. Face it folks, Mickey's size and short legs would never have made him any kind of star in running. And here they have Mickey doing hurdles and doing it in street shoes. Track coaches around the world probably laughed their heads off.Although this was a wartime film with the obligatory reminder to buy bonds at the end of the film, there's not a mention of war or impending war in the film. Just a reminder of how Eton trains some of the future leaders in Great Britain who have never let the country down in peril. They might well have quoted the Duke of Wellington's aphorism of how the Battle Of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton.It's not Boystown, but A Yank At Eton is an entertaining film if one can overlook some flaws. They should have had Mickey stick to football, he would have been interesting playing rugby in the climax.

I always thought Mickey Rooney could do it all and here he is very good as an American who gets uprooted to England. It's pretty funny to see how he contrasts his Americanness (slang etc.) with the stuffy British ways. The the girl who plays the visiting American snob is a little too much though. The best scenes are Rooneys when he is battling the school system though I was annoyed with him when he took the prize horse out of the stable -- you just knew something bad was going to happen. I also like Ian Hunter as his stepfather; His films are always good too. Freddie Batholomew showed why MGM had great child stars. A nice diversion.

By some strange coincidence I caught this movie on the same day that I saw "Lord Jeff"(1938), from M-G-M. I note this because it had some of the same cast (Mickey Rooney, Freddie Bartholomew, Peter Lawford). However, in 1938 Bartholomew was the lead and received top billing. Only four years later, Rooney was the top rated star in Hollywood, and Bartholemew had only a couple of movies left, before M-G-M cut him loose.The stories come from basically the same formula, as well. Both involve boys who are put into a new location, both feel they are better than the others around them, both are shunned by their peers, only to win them over in the final reel. Both are also extremely predictable.This film (the better of the two), will appeal to Rooney fans, and is a decent way to spend an hour and a half. Not a classic.6 out of 10