Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)

An aged teacher and former headmaster of a boarding school recalls his career and his personal life over the decades.

Director:

Sam Wood

Writers:

R.C. Sherriff (screen play), Claudine West (screen play),

Stars:

Robert Donat, Greer Garson, Terry Kilburn

Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Robert Donat	...	Mr. Chips
Greer Garson	...	Katherine
Terry Kilburn	...	John Colley / Peter Colley I / Peter Colley II / Peter Colley III
John Mills	...	Peter Colley - as a Young Man
Paul Henreid	...	Staefel (as Paul Von Hernried)
Judith Furse	...	Flora
Lyn Harding	...	Wetherby
Milton Rosmer	...	Chatteris
Frederick Leister	...	Marsham
Louise Hampton	...	Mrs. Wickett
Austin Trevor	...	Ralston
David Tree	...	Jackson
Edmund Breon	...	Colonel Morgan (as Edmond Breon)
Jill Furse	...	Helen Colley
Scott Sunderland	...	Sir John Colley

Storyline

An old classics teacher looks back over his long career, remembering pupils and colleagues, and above all the idyllic courtship and marriage that transformed his life.

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Plot Keywords:

headmaster | school | teacher | boarding school | love | 

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Taglines:

You Will Love Them in September As You Did in May

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English Latin German

Release Date:

28 July 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

Goodbye Mr. Chips!

Filming Locations:

Denham Studios, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"The Screen Guild Theater" broadcast a 30 minute radio adaptation of the movie on October 26, 1941 with Greer Garson reprising her film role.

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Quotes

[on his first day at Brookfield School, Mr. Chipping is attempting to bring his unruly class under his control]
Mr. Chipping 'Mr. Chips': Silence! Silence! I'll have no more of it!
John Colley: No more silence, sir?

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Connections

Referenced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic (1990)

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Soundtracks

"Wine Women and Song"
(uncredited)
Music by Johann Strauß
Arranged by Richard Addinsell

User Reviews

Children of privilege

The children attending the Brookfield school are no ordinary English boys; they are the the children of the upper classes of society, who for generations have learned from institutions such as the school represented here. They are molded at places like this fictional one to be leaders of their country. Mr. Chipping is a teacher who gives his life to Brookfield, only to be bypassed when promotions are handed out. His love for the profession and his dedication to the formation of these children are his reasons for living. Most of his own life is spent at the school. Only in times of crisis is Mr. Chipps recognized. Mr. Chipps knows happiness only too briefly. He is extremely lucky when he finds Katherine. One can see the rapport in her, although we never see it explicitly on Chipping's face, maybe because a stiff upper lip that doesn't let him express his true feelings to a woman who adored him from their first encounter. Mr. Chipps lives long enough to learn about the death of his beloved students in several world conflicts. As a father figure, his life is full because the love and admiration the young boys feel for him. The film made Robert Donat a favorite of the movie going public. Mr. Donat goes from being a taciturn person into a jolly old man living on his own because Katherine dies young. The film improves tremendously when Greer Garson appears. Her luminous presence changes the tone of the movie because of her incredible charm. Paul Henreid makes a short appearance as Staefel, the fellow teacher who invites Mr. Chipps to accompany on a vacation trip to Austria. Sam Wood direction pays a close look to detail. The film is a classic and will live forever.