Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)

Director:

Sam Wood

Writers:

R.C. Sherriff (screenplay) and
Claudine West (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

28 July 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

At The Top Of The Year's "Ten Best" - The picture that earns for 1939 a proud place in motion-picture history!

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

School Life | Male Female Relationship | Dedicated Teacher | Husband Wife Relationship | Melodrama

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 7 nominations

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Leonard Boucher	...	(uncredited)
David Croft	...	Greengrocer's boy (uncredited)
Martita Hunt	...	British Tourist on Bicycle (uncredited)
Simon Lack	...	Wainwright (uncredited)
Jack Lambert	...	(uncredited)
John Longden	...	(uncredited)
Patrick Ludlow	...	(uncredited)
Guy Middleton	...	McCulloch (uncredited)
Phyllis Morris	...	(uncredited)
Cyril Raymond	...	(uncredited)
Michael Shepley	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Nigel Stock	...	John Forrester (uncredited)
Ronald Ward	...	(uncredited)
Caven Watson	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Sam Wood

Writing credits
R.C. Sherriff		(screenplay) and
Claudine West		(screenplay) and
Eric Maschwitz		(screenplay)
James Hilton		(book "Goodbye, Mr. Chips!")

Produced by
Victor Saville	....	producer

Cinematography by
Freddie Young		(photographed by) (as F.A. Young)

Film Editing by
Charles Frend

Art Direction by
Alfred Junge

Production Management
Harold Boxall	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
E.M. Smedley-Aston	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
C.C. Stevens	....	sound recordist
A.W. Watkins	....	sound recordist
John W. Mitchell	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Gerry Massy-Collier	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Music Department
Richard Addinsell	....	composer: special music
Louis Levy	....	musical director

Thanks
Sidney Franklin	....	grateful acknowledgment
Irving Thalberg	....	acknowledgment

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1939) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1939) (UK) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Goodbye Mr. Chips! (USA)

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Canada:G (video rating) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:Approved (certificate #5086) | Australia:G | Finland:S | Germany:o.Al.

Filming Locations:

Denham Studios, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios

Trivia:

Greer Garson was initially offered a contract for MGM in 1937, but refused all the minor parts she was offered until she got the role of Kathy Ellis in this film.

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?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Hill Street Blues: Goodbye, Mr. Scripps (#4.7)" (1983)

One of the Best Movies of Its Kind

Amongst those movies that aim to use straightforward human drama alone to tell a thoughtful story, "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" is one of the finest. Robert Donat's performance gives you not just one character to remember, but several, as he convincingly portrays Chipping's different personas at different stages of his life.

Greer Garson is also excellent in her role, and Paul Henreid gets some good scenes as well. These relationships and others throughout the movie make for a believable and memorable portrayal of the title character, and also of the world in which he lived. The story is well-written, and it includes a very good variety of material, showing the characters dealing with everything from eager anticipation to grave concern, from blissful joy to great sorrow, and much in between.

The panorama from generation to generation also works well, showing both change and stability as time passes. While only a handful of scenes contain weighty material, all of it is thoughtful, and much of it memorable. It keeps everything balanced and believable, and it's been a good while since any movie of its kind has worked so well.