- Andrew Crocker-Harris (Michael Redgrave), a classics teacher at an English school, is afflicted with a heart ailment and an unfaithful wife (Jean Kent). His interest in his pupils wanes as he looks towards his final days in employment.
- Andrew Crocker-Harris (Michael Redgrave) is a classics teacher at an English boys school. After 18 years of teaching there, today is his last day before moving on to a position at another school. The students speculate on why he is leaving, but don't much care since despite being academically brilliant, he is universally despised as being strict, stern and humorless. They have nicknamed him "The Crock." Even the school administrators treat him poorly, regardless of his long tenure. Millie Crocker-Harris (Jean Kent), his wife, is quite a bit different from her husband: she's younger and vivacious. She no longer loves her husband but rather loves Frank Hunter (Nigel Patrick), another teacher, who, despite having an affair with her, knows that he is not in love with her. On this last day, one student named Taplow (Brian Smith), who doesn't hate Mr. Crocker-Harris but feels sorry for him, provides him with a small going-away gift. The gift brings about a series of actions which make Mr. Crocker-Harris reflect on his past, contemplate his future, and evaluate how he is going to finish his tenure at the school.—Huggo
- In a British school, the conservative and emotionless Latin teacher Andrew Crocker-Harris (Michael Redgrave) has a heart problem and is forced to retire. His unfaithful wife Millie (Jean Kent) is having a love affair with his colleague, the science teacher Frank Hunter (Nigel Patrick), and he is hated and despised by the students and fellows and hates the direction of the school. His pupil Taplow (Brian Smith) is studying with him the tragic Greek poem The Agamemnon, expecting to be promoted at school. On his last days at school, Crocker-Harris is informed by the headmaster that the board refused to pay his pension plan for earlier retirement and he realizes that he is a failure as a teacher and a man.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- On the last day of term at a boy's private school, a new master (Ronald Howard) arrives to familiarize himself. His predecessor, Crocker-Harris (Michael Redgrave) is much hated in the school but his younger wife (Jean Kent) seems more popular, not only with the pupils. Tensions erupt, making this a day nobody in the school will ever forget.—Col Needham <col@imdb.com>
- Andrew Crocker-Harris (Michael Redgrave), a stuffy professor of Classical Greek at an English public school is disliked by his students, being cuckolded by a colleague and denied a deserved pension by the penurious headmaster (Wilfred Hyde-White). Although he began his career 18 years earlier as a brilliant young scholar, he has withdrawn into the stiff rigidity of school rules and regimentation, and has distanced himself from all human emotion. While facing a bleak financial future and a disintegrating marriage, the kindness of one of his students rekindles his humanity.—Gabe Taverney (duke1029@aol.com)
- It is the last day of term at an English public school. During the morning prayers, the Head Master, Mr Frobisher (Wilfrid Hyde-White), announces that two of the schoolmasters will be retiring. One is the popular Mr Fletcher (Bill Travers), who will be departing to play cricket for England. The second is the formidable and much-disliked Classics Master, Mr Andrew Crocker-Harris (Michael Redgrave). He is being forced into an early retirement due to ill health.
After the morning prayers, the boys of the Lower-Fifth have their last Classics lesson with Crocker-Harris. He is as cold and dismissive as ever. At one point, Crocker-Harris makes an arcane Latin joke. None of the boys understand it, but one student, Taplow (Brian Smith), tries to laugh for the sake of politeness. Crocker-Harris humiliates him mercilessly for it.
Later in the day, Taplow has to go to Crocker-Harris's residence for extra coaching in Classics. Crocker-Harris is not at home. While Taplow waits for Crocker-Harris to turn up, the Science Master, Frank Hunter (Nigel Patrick), pays a visit. Frank has been having an affair with Crocker-Harris's wife, Millie (Jean Kent) for the past six months. Hunter and Taplow have a conversation about Crocker-Harris. Taplow reveals that notwithstanding Crocker-Harris's aloofness, Taplow can't help feeling sorry for him. However, Taplow is upset because Crocker-Harris won't tell him in advance if he has been promoted to the Upper-Fifth.
Crocker-Harris comes in and starts the lesson with Taplow. Frank and Millie go outside into the garden. Millie tries to extract a promise from Frank that he will visit her in Bradford once Crocker-Harris has retired. They end up kissing.
Inside, Crocker-Harris is making Taplow translate the Agamemnon as literally as possible. At one point, Taplow blurts out that none of the boys in his form think of the Agamemnon as a great play because of the dull way in which they have to translate it. Instead of getting angry, Crocker-Harris becomes pensive. He tells Taplow that years ago, when he was a young student, he translated the Agamemnon into English in verse because he wanted to do justice to the emotion that the play roused within him. But he has misplaced the copy of his translation and it remains unfinished.
Frank and Millie re-enter the house. Crocker-Harris lets Taplow off. A brief conversation between Frank, Millie and Crocker-Harris reveals that Millie treats her husband with downright contempt but Crocker-Harris pretends not to notice.
Later in the afternoon, Millie and Crocker-Harris go to a school cricket match. There, the Head Master, Mr Frobisher, gives Crocker-Harris some bad news: the school's governing body will not be paying him a pension due to his early retirement. What's more, the Head Master wants Crocker-Harris to forego the privilege of being the last of the two retiring masters to address the students - a traditional mark of respect for the more senior of the masters. Instead, Frobisher wants Fletcher to speak last due to the more fervent applause that he is likely to receive. Crocker-Harris does not protest at either of these news but inwardly, he is distressed.
Crocker-Harris slips away from the cricket match to be in his classroom. While clearing out his desk, he is able to find the long-lost copy of his translation of the Agamemnon. He is thrilled. Just then, the new Classics Master who will replace him, Mr Gilbert (Ronald Howard), walks into the classroom for a reconnaissance. The two strike up a conversation, during which Gilbert inadvertently reveals that the boys call Crocker-Harris "the Himmler of the Lower-Fifth". Crocker-Harris is devastated at this bit of information. He tells Gilbert that he once enjoyed teaching the boys but is aware that he has failed utterly at being a schoolmaster.
Crocker-Harris returns to his residence, feeling unwell. Unexpectedly, Taplow drops in with a parting gift for Crocker-Harris: Robert Browning's translation of the Agamemnon. He has inscribed a Greek phrase inside the book: "God looks graciously upon a gentle master." Touched, an overwrought Crocker-Harris bursts into tears in front of Taplow. After recovering his composure, he tells Taplow that he greatly appreciates the gift.
Later in the evening, Frank, Millie and Crocker-Harris are supposed to go to a farewell dinner in Crocker-Harris's honour at the Frobishers' residence. Crocker-Harris is noticeably cheerful. While they are getting ready, he tells Millie of Taplow's gift. Millie bluntly says that Taplow must have been trying to bribe Crocker-Harris to get his promotion. This shatters Crocker-Harris. He takes his medicines and goes upstairs to his room.
Frank is aghast at Millie's cruelty. He breaks up with her right then. Upstairs, Frank tries to comfort Crocker-Harris but finds that the latter has once again withdrawn into his cold shell. What is worse, Crocker-Harris calmly reveals that he has known bout Frank's affair with Millie all along.
After dinner at the Frobishers', Frank and Crocker-Harris find themselves alone at the dining table. Frank tells Crocker-Harris that he must leave Millie to salvage whatever happiness that he can. Crocker-Harris refuses. He says that he wronged Millie once by having married her without being capable of satisfying her sexual needs. He does not wish to wrong her again by leaving her. However, Frank insists that Crocker-Harris should leave Millie. He also pledges to visit once Crocker-Harris takes up his position at the new school, hinting at the start of a new friendship. The two men shake hands.
In the terrace at the Frobishers', the dinner guests watch a fireworks display. Crocker-Harris quietly tells Millie that they will no longer be living together.
The next day, Taplow drops in at the Crocker-Harris residence with a message for Millie from Frank. Frank has returned a cigarette case that Millie once presented him. Millie leaves the Crocker-Harris residence alone, having been rejected by both, Frank and Crocker-Harris. Taplow sees the copy of Crocker-Harris's translation of the Agamemnon on his desk and takes it away with him to read.
It is the last assembly of the term. Crocker-Harris tells Frobisher that he has changed his mind about letting Fletcher speak last: he will address the assembly after Fletcher, as is his prerogative as a senior. When it is Crocker-Harris's turn to speak, the students are at first ready for a dry speech filled with Latinisms. However, Crocker-Harris departs from his prepared speech and frankly tells the students that he has failed as a teacher. He apologises for his shortcomings. The students are at first taken aback and then burst into spontaneous applause.
After the assembly, Taplow comes up to meet Crocker-Harris for a final time. He gives him back the copy of the Agamemnon that he had taken from Crocker-Harris's desk and says that it is a brilliant translation. Crocker-Harris is heartened by his appreciation. Before Taplow leaves, Crocker-Harris obliquely lets him know that he has been promoted to the Upper-Fifth.
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