The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)

A headstrong young teacher in a private school in 1930s Edinburgh ignores the curriculum and influences her impressionable 12 year old charges with her over-romanticized world view.

Director:

Ronald Neame

Writers:

Muriel Spark (adapted from the novel by), Jay Presson Allen (based on the play by)

Stars:

Maggie Smith, Gordon Jackson, Robert Stephens

Won 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Maggie Smith	...	Jean Brodie
Robert Stephens	...	Teddy Lloyd
Pamela Franklin	...	Sandy
Gordon Jackson	...	Gordon Lowther
Celia Johnson	...	Miss Mackay
Diane Grayson	...	Jenny
Jane Carr	...	Mary McGregor
Shirley Steedman	...	Monica
Lavinia Lang	...	Emily Carstairs
Antoinette Biggerstaff	...	Helen McPhee
Margo Cunningham	...	Miss Campbell
Isla Cameron	...	Miss McKenzie
Rona Anderson	...	Miss Lockhart
Ann Way	...	Miss Gaunt
Molly Weir	...	Miss Allison Kerr

Storyline

A liberated young schoolteacher at an Edinburgh girls' school in the period between the two wars, instructs her girls on the ways of life. Ignoring the more mundane subjects, she teaches them of love, politics and art. Her affairs with two male teachers become known and she finds herself fighting to keep her job. She believes that she can always count on the 100% support of her favourite pupils, but one of them does not feel that Miss Jean Brodie is in her "prime" any more. No longer swayed by her teacher's eloquence, she begins to learn about life and love herself.

---

Plot Keywords:

teacher | eccentric | 1930s | girls' school | mussolini | 

---

Taglines:

Out of one Jean Brodie would come a whole generation of Jean Brodies... experimenting with sex, society and everything else.

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance

---

Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English Latin French Italian

Release Date:

25 February 1969 (UK)

Also Known As:

Die besten Jahre der Miss Jean Brodie

Filming Locations:

Barnbougle Castle, Dalmeny, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century-Fox Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to director Ronald Neame, his own grandson posed on the potty as the baby for Teddy's family portrait.

---

Goofs

When Mr. Lloyd spies Ms. Brodie and the girls from his studio window, he is seen wearing dark brown trousers. He rushes from the room and when he emerges on the street, he is wearing light coloured trousers.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Gordon Lowther: Morning girls. Good Morning.
Sandy: There's Miss Brodie!

---

Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: EDINBURGH 1932

---

Connections

Referenced in M*A*S*H: Welcome to Korea (1975)

---

Soundtracks

Hey, Johnnie Cope, Are Ye Waking Yet?
(uncredited)
Scottish Traditional
Lyrics by Adam Skirving
(sung by Mr Lowther and the girls)

User Reviews

One of The Best Performances on Film

See it for Maggie Smith who was much deserving of her Best Actress Oscar in 1969. I'd rank this performance among the best ever preserved on film. Her character is unlike any you've ever seen and ranks up there with Sandy Dennis in "Up the Down Staircase" and Sidney Poitier in "To Sir, With Love" as one of the most memorable teachers on screen.

Ronald Neame does a nice job of moving the film along so the adapted play doesn't seem stagy. The focus is the wonderful adapted screenplay and the great cast.

The triumph of "Jean Brodie" is the final confrontation scene with Smith and young actress Pamela Franklin.

Don't miss it.