There is no doubt about it that when an upstart like Mr. Traill (David Farrar) shows up as the new teacher at a public boy's school that some of the older staff will instantly resent him, and if it isn't the by-the-books dean (Raymond Huntley), it's the aging Mr. Perrin (Marius Goring), a veteran teacher who is, to put it bluntly, socially backwards and set in his ways. If it isn't Mr. Traill's winning over fellow young teacher Greta Gynt, it is Traill stepping in to pull a disciplined student out of detention to play football, coming in late through a window since Goring has locked the front door to the flat they share, and defending himself physically when Goring attacks him for humiliating him publicly.
Surprisingly, the other aging teachers have differing views of who is right and who is wrong, and for the sensitive Edward Chapman (a fellow teacher), he finds Perrin a pompous bore and Traill a refreshing change. Traill makes it clear that he finds the old formats of education to be a barrier to students wanting to learn even though he does discipline his students when they cross the line.
This engaging drama is brilliant from the start and exceptionally acted. You are not getting Robert Donat (or later Peter O'Toole) as Mr. Chips, or the lovable teachers played in various decades by Anne Shirley, Claudette Colbert, Martha Scott and Jennifer Jones. These teachers have their proud demeanors that are a threat to their professionalism, their weaknesses and insecurities as human beings, and the sudden burst of violence from Goring is truly a shocking moment.
Even as pompous as Goring is as Mr. Perrin, his motives are completely understandable, and with the few scenes with his aging mother (Mary Jerrold), it is easy to see why he is such a mess as a human being in his dealings with others. In many ways, this is better than "Mr. Chips" because it absolutely lacks any sentimentality of "our dear old school", and reminds the viewer of their nightmare teachers who probably stayed far too long at the blackboard.
Surprisingly, the other aging teachers have differing views of who is right and who is wrong, and for the sensitive Edward Chapman (a fellow teacher), he finds Perrin a pompous bore and Traill a refreshing change. Traill makes it clear that he finds the old formats of education to be a barrier to students wanting to learn even though he does discipline his students when they cross the line.
This engaging drama is brilliant from the start and exceptionally acted. You are not getting Robert Donat (or later Peter O'Toole) as Mr. Chips, or the lovable teachers played in various decades by Anne Shirley, Claudette Colbert, Martha Scott and Jennifer Jones. These teachers have their proud demeanors that are a threat to their professionalism, their weaknesses and insecurities as human beings, and the sudden burst of violence from Goring is truly a shocking moment.
Even as pompous as Goring is as Mr. Perrin, his motives are completely understandable, and with the few scenes with his aging mother (Mary Jerrold), it is easy to see why he is such a mess as a human being in his dealings with others. In many ways, this is better than "Mr. Chips" because it absolutely lacks any sentimentality of "our dear old school", and reminds the viewer of their nightmare teachers who probably stayed far too long at the blackboard.