Reviews & Ratings for
A Yank at Eton More at IMDbPro »

22 out of 23 people found the following review useful:
Rooney Rampant, 3 October 2005

Author: Ron Oliver (revilorest@juno.com) from Forest Ranch, CA

The old prep school is set on its ear when A YANK AT ETON tries to defy the established rules & regulations.

Mickey Rooney, MGM's human dynamo, is in all his glory in this pleasant film obviously fashioned to his particular talents. Although a mite old to be playing a high school boy (he turned 22 in 1942), Rooney pulls out all the stops, and shows considerable athletic ability, as an American kid who's angry about having to attend Eton, rather than his beloved Notre Dame. It's hard to fault all of his behavior today, as some of the conventions he rebels against, especially the physical brutality inflicted upon the lower boys at Eton, needed to be changed.

However, the film's purpose is not to deliver a social message. It's aim was to provide a money maker for MGM, as well as a salute to our British allies. The Second World War and our common enemies are never mentioned, but the affectionate comradeship between our two nations is certainly underlined.

Mickey is given excellent support from a fine cast of costars. Puckish Edmund Gwenn plays Rooney's house master, his whimsicality marred somewhat by his casual allowance of the older boys beating of the younger. Earnest Ian Hunter gives a thoughtful performance as Mickey's new English stepfather. Gangling Freddie Bartholomew plays Hunter's well-bred son; this tall, skinny youth bares scant resemblance to the small boy who charmed audiences in David COPPERFIELD and CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS back in the 1930's.

Marta Linden & Juanita Quigley appear as Mickey's supportive Mom and badly behaved younger sister. Little Raymond Severn plays a tiny earl who becomes Rooney's best pal at school. Peter Lawford is convincingly nasty as a bullying upper boy. Genial Alan Mowbray enlivens his brief appearance as a befuddled old Etonian trying to remember a particular steeplechase race from decades past.

Movie mavens will recognize several uncredited performers: Minna Phillips as a slightly silly Eton school matron; Billy Bevan as a tour guide; former child star Terry Kilburn as one of Bartholomew's student friends; cheery Aubrey Mather as a butler who learns an important bit of American vernacular; and Alan Napier as a restaurant club owner with a profound dislike for Eton boys in his establishment.

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The song sung over the opening credits is the first verse of the famous Eton Boating Song (1863, William Johnson & Capt. Algernon Drummond); the second verse is heard later on in the film. The words are as follows:

Jolly boating weather, And a hay harvest breeze, Blade on the feather, Shade off the trees, Let us swing, swing together, With your bodies between your knees, Swing, swing together, With your bodies between your knees.

Skirting past the rushes, Ruffling o'er the weeds, Where the lock stream gushes, Where the cygnet feeds, Let us see how the wine-glass flushes At Supper on Boveney meads, Let us see how the wine-glass flushes At Supper on Boveney meads.

Interestingly, those are American, not British, voices singing. And the film never shows Rooney or the other boys doing any boating whatsoever.

Eton College, the largest of England's great public (independent secondary) schools, was founded by Henry VI in 1440-1441, and is located across the River Thames from Windsor Castle. Its student body is made up of over a thousand Oppidans, generally drawn from Britain's wealthiest or aristocratic families and who live in boardinghouses under the care of house masters; and the King's Scholars, of which 70 are named each year by means of a special examination, who dwell in elite quarters. Generally, lads attend Eton from age 13 until they are ready to enter university.

13 out of 17 people found the following review useful:
Strictly for fans of Mickey Rooney, 16 February 2005

Author: Stephen Alfieri (stevealfie@verizon.net) from Blauvelt, NY

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

3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
The Mick Goes Abroad, 9 December 2010

Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York

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.

3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Yankee Rooney Dandy, 21 March 2010

Author: wes-connors from Earth

Kept back in high school, to possibly improve his football prowess, exuberant Mickey Rooney (as Timothy "Tim" Dennis) is shocked by the appearance of little sister Juanita Quigley (as Jane, "The Runt") in the boys locker room. The adolescent "Baby Jane" has some not-so-swell news - single mom Marta Linden (as Winifred) has just married wealthy British Ian Hunter (as Roger Carlton), and the family is relocating to England. Needless to say, Mr. Rooney is excited, but not about the move; he was hoping to play football at Notre Dame, but finds himself, instead, "A Yank at Eton".

Teenage brother-by-marriage Freddie Bartholomew (as Peter Carlton) shows Rooney the ropes at jolly old Eton, and later becomes involved in the obligatory disciplinary misunderstanding. Bullying young Peter Lawford (as Ronnie Kenvil) provides conflict. Gruff Edmund Gwenn (as Justin) is the headmaster. Adorable little Raymond Severn (as "Inky" Weeld) sends the cute quotient off the charts, especially when paired with Ms. Quigley. This film seems to be a follow-up to "A Yank at Oxford" (1938), with Bartholomew swiped from RKO's "Tom Brown's School Days" (1940).

Terry Kilburn has a bigger part than King Baggot.

There are a few heart-tugging scenes, and an unmistakable wartime message. One of the comedy highlights occurs when most of the featured players eat a cake Rooney makes with glue - it's either awkward, stupid, or funny, depending on your level of appreciation for Mickey Rooney off the MGM production-line. "A Yank at Eton" had all the ingredients needed to keep box offices busy, which it did. Rooney was sitting comfortably at #4 in the Quigley "Top Ten" stars list; he gets a strong supporting cast, top flight crew, and proved formula. Producer John Considine's kid stayed in the picture.

***** A Yank at Eton (10/8/42) Norman Taurog ~ Mickey Rooney, Freddie Bartholomew, Juanita Quigley, Peter Lawford

5 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Good Rooney Film, 24 April 2006

Author: robtday from United States

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.

1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Generally well made but talk about déjà vu!, 1 January 2011

Author: planktonrules from Bradenton, Florida

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

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!

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