Her Twelve Men (1954)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Robert Z. Leonard

Writers:

Louise Baker (story)
William Roberts (writer) ...

Release Date:

11 August 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

Jan Stewart, a new teacher at The Oaks, a boys' boarding school, becomes instructor and mother-figure to a class of twelve...

Plot Keywords:

School | Beautiful Woman | Teaching | Number In Title | Actor Shares First Name With Character

Cast

Greer Garson	...	Jan Stewart
Robert Ryan	...	Joe Hargrave
Barry Sullivan	...	Richard Y. Oliver, Sr.
Richard Haydn	...	Dr. Avord Barrett
Barbara Lawrence	...	Barbara Dunning
James Arness	...	Ralph Munsey
Rex Thompson	...	Homer Curtis
Tim Considine	...	Richard Y. Oliver, Jr.
David Stollery	...	Jeff Carlin
Frances Bergen	...	Sylvia Carlin
Ian Wolfe	...	Roger Frane
Donald MacDonald	...	Bobby Lennox
Dale Hartleben	...	Kevin Ellison Clark III
Ivan Triesault	...	Erik Haldeman
Stuffy Singer	...	James Tracy 'Jimmy' Travers

Also Known As:

Her 12 Men
Miss Baker's Dozen (USA)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Anscocolor) (negative) | Color (Technicolor) (prints)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved (PCA #16758, General Audience)

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Very sentimental and predictable BUT also fun and worth a look

This is a rather easy film to predict and it was pretty schmaltzy--having a very liberal helping of sentimentality thrown into the mix. However, despite this, the acting and script were so much fun that I still encourage you to give the film a look--especially since it's a lovely film that can be enjoyed by the entire family.

Greer Garson (in one of the later roles of her career) plays a new teacher at a boys boarding school. Since all the faculty had been men, people at the school are taken a bit back by her arrival. However, since it is sweet old Greer, it's not surprising that the kids all come to love her and need her. She is like a slightly sterner version of the movie Maria Von Trapp, but without all the singing! About the only story element I disliked was when Greer wrote letters to one lonely boy in which she pretended to be the kid's uncaring mother and father. Lying to the boy seemed cruel and stupid--as one day he's bound to realize his parents were too self-absorbed to even bother writing. Why she didn't just send him letters in her name or arrange for mail to come for him I just didn't understand.

Still, the film is enjoyable and sweet, so I suggest you give it a try. Not among Garson's best, but still a likable little film.