Philby-3 Robert Donat won an Oscar for best actor in the 1939 film version of this story and set a hard mark to beat in his gentle portrayal of a dedicated English public (meaning private) school teacher. There was an unsuccessful musical version with Peter O'Toole in 1969 and a TV miniseries with Roy Marsden in 1984 which disappeared without trace. But James Hilton's novella (of only 17,000 words) tells a good story and Martin Clunes, a remarkably versatile actor, with the aid of some great make-up rises to the challenge of portraying the same character convincingly over 50 years or so.The early scenes have an idyllic feel to them, reflecting Hilton's nostalgia for the Victorian age. Things become nastier at the onset of the First World War with a new headmaster (played by the excellent Patrick Malahide) who wants to teach "practical" subjects and attract the nouveau riche, while cutting out scholarships for the poor. Chips, the shy but strong-minded Latin master, with the aid of the board of governors (most of whom he has taught), has little trouble in ousting this upstart, and, though in his sixties, he becomes the headmaster. But his triumph is blighted in two respects; his much loved wife (Victoria Hamilton) is not around to share it, having died in childbirth many years previously, and the steadily rising toll from the battlefields of France cuts a swath through the school's younger alumni. In fact it is a pretty sombre story, but Chips consoles himself with the thought that he has been a father to hundreds of boys.All of us have been to school (with the exception of Mrs Chips who was "privately educated") and most of us can remember at least one teacher who had a positive effect, even in a harsh environment. Perhaps we feel if we were taught by someone with Mr Chip's values we might have been better people. His is a story with a powerful resonance not confined to the draughty corridors of English boys' schools Apart from Martin Clunes, there are a number of other good performances including that of Conleth Hill as Max Staefel, the avuncular German master, John Wood as the old headmaster, and from several of the pupils. Victoria Hamilton lights up the screen for the short time she is on it and Patrick Malahide as the new headmaster gets us to dislike him from his opening lines.The bullying and fagging are exposed of course, and the superiority of Chip's more gentle disciplinary methods demonstrated. Hilton, whose own father was a headmaster, was not anti-public school but clearly thought the system could do with some reform. As if to show their support, both Harrow and Winchester College provided shooting locations for the film.

Peter Schaumann When I first saw the movie, I really didn't had any expectations about it, but i proved terribly wrong. This movie is probably THE best Mr. Chipping movie thats ever been made! (I know some people sticks to the first version, but frankly, it was a bit too sentimental for my taste). The 2002 edition was also made for the sentimental crowd, but it also had some harsh realities, like when the German teacher gets killed in war, and the students didn't care, 'cause he wasn't English. And I couldn't help myself not to shed a tear, when Chips dies in the end of the movie.9 out of 10

orsonwelles-1941 When I saw the ad for this, I naturally assumed this remake of the 1939 classic would be a sentimental period piece with a soundtrack replete with Elgar and choirboys. Instead I experienced one of the harshest exposes of hazing in the British public school system since If. Nothing is left to the imagination, making this movie unsuitable for anyone under 13. However, unlike the exploitative Oliver Twist miniseries that Masterpiece Theater did a few years ago, the writers did not go overboard trying to create a realistic atmosphere. This allowed a fine cast to turn in some superb performances without being overwhelmed by the plot and that's what makes this the BBC's best effort since the 1983 version of "Jane Eyre".

axsmashcrushallthree I have now viewed three of the four versions of this James Hilton story. It's a wonderful story, and two superb actors (Robert Donat and Peter O'Toole) have previously played the role of Mr. Chipping (whose first name is again not mentioned this version).Martin Clunes' effort in the role does not quite match the towering performances of the other two actors, but he's very good, and the other aspects of the production work as well as the '39 version and definitely better than the particularly flawed '69 film. Here, the logic and coherence of the story flow extremely well within less than two hours. The makeup accurately reflects the changing time period of the story exceptionally well. There is a greater emphasis on the progressive aspects of education than in the other two versions, but this emphasis contributes appropriately to the story line. The cast is uniformly excellent. Overall, a bit less sentimental than the '39 version, which I appreciated. A worthwhile remake, and definitely worth your time - whether you've seen the other versions or not. I'd give it about 8.5 out of 10.