Starring Peter O'Toole, Petula Clark, Sian Philips, and Michael Redgrave
Directed by Herbert Ross
Music and Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse
MGM kicked around the idea of doing a musical remake of their hit 1939 film since at least 1951. They pulled it out again after the success of My Fair Lady around 1964 for Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison, but that version also fell through. Even after pre-production finally began in 1968, they ran through directors and leads before finally settling on Clark, O'Toole, and in his first film, Ross. They couldn't have picked a worse time to release the movie, too. It came out just as epic traditional musicals were quickly becoming albatrosses on both sides of the Atlantic. Does it still deserve to be shunned today? Let's begin with Mr. Chipping (O'Toole) as he greets the boys at Brookfield School just outside of London and find out...
The Story: Arthur Chipping teaches Latin, but he can't seem to get across to his pupils, who find him dull. He's married to his work, until he meets music hall star Kathrine Bridges (Clark) in the dining room at the Savoy Hotel in London. They encounter each other again at Pompeii during his summer vacation. She's on a cruise to escape her most recent lover and a life that no longer satisfies her. He's mystified by her; she's delighted with him and asks him to see her show in London. Even though he thinks they have nothing in common, he still returns to Brookfield with a lovely new wife on his arm.
His students think Mrs. Chips is gorgeous and are all happy to see that she manages to soften his rougher edges, making them both far more popular among the student body. Katherine is not popular with the straight-laced faculty, however. Lord Sutterwick (George Baker) threatens to withhold a large donation to the school because of Kathrine's background. Katherine is shocked and runs off, but she and Chipping end up getting help from her friend Ursula Mossback (Phillips) who knew Sutterwick years before.
Chipping and Katherine are married for 20 happy years after that. By 1939, war is on the horizon, but his mind is mainly on becoming headmaster. Unfortunately, in retaliation for him insisting on remaining married to Katherine, they choose conservative William Baxter (Jack Hedley) instead. Chipping does finally get the longed-for promotion...but Katherine doesn't live to see it. Mr. Chips still has his students, his "hundreds of boys" who now adore him, and he lives out his life taking care of them and with his happy memories.
The Song and Dance: Considering current reviews tend to compare it unfavorably it to the classic 1939 film, I actually found this to be very sweet and touching. I figured O'Toole would be miscast, but he surprisingly makes a wonderful Chipping, alternately cold, awkward, and charming. He completely deserved his Oscar nomination. Clark simply glows as the stage star who loves Chipping so much, she's willing to give up her posh life to be a schoolmaster's wife. Phillips (Peter O'Toole's real-life wife at the time) is hilarious in her brief but memorable role as Ursula, who is always on, even when she's a little off. The cinematography is incredible, especially those long shots of the two in Pompeii and London. Authentic locations in Italy, London, and an actual public school go a long way towards enhancing the performances.
Favorite Number: "Fill the World With Love" is the school's song and the movie's theme. This stirring chorus number is heard many times over the course of the film, notably after the boys arrive at school in the opening and when Katherine bursts into a solo during the faculty introduction after Chipping comes to Brookfield with her. Katherine's big number in the music hall show is the rousing "London Is London." This is the film's sole large production number, with her leading the chorus through every conceivable British stereotype, from buskers in studded costumes to English beauties in gossamer pink.
Katherine gets a series of ballads reflecting her tumultuous thoughts in Pompeii as Arthur shows her the town, including "And the Sky Smiled" during a montage of their stroll and her brief prayer to "Apollo." His solos are "Where Did My Childhood Go?" as he wonders how to connect with his students, and "What a Lot of Flowers" after he marries her and starts to see color in his gray academic world. The boys reflect on what wonderful things they'll do "When I Am Older" after their school vacation ends and join Mrs. Chips for the rousing "Schooldays" at an assembly saluting the retiring schoolmaster (Redgrave). She sings the touching "You and I" as they discuss their 20-year union and his near-resignation.
Trivia: Director Herbert Ross' first film.
MGM cut the movie to two hours after its initial road show run didn't go over well, including many musical numbers that explained the characters' inner thoughts. Thankfully, all current streaming, cable, and DVD prints are of the full 2 1/2 hour film.
After Julie Andrews proved unavailable, MGM wanted to reunite Rex Harrison and Samantha Eggar from Doctor Doolittle. Harrison wouldn't do it, so they went with Richard Burton. They replaced Eggar with Lee Remick, then replaced Remick with Petula Clark. Remick sued for damages. Burton wouldn't work with a music star and dropped out, to be replaced by O'Toole. At one point, Elizabeth Taylor campaigned for the female lead, likely to work with her husband again. Others considered for Chipping included Albert Finney, Peter Sellars, Christopher Plummer, Richard Harris, and Paul Scofield.
Bricusse wrote "London Is London" for a Sherlock Holmes stage musical. The show finally debuted in 1989 with the song intact.
An English stage version in 1982 restored the original plot and several songs cut from the film.
What I Don't Like: Note that "restored the original plot." This makes a lot of changes from the 1933 James Hilton novella and 1939 MGM non-musical film. For one thing, the book and the film begin in the 1870's, with Chipping's first day at school, not when he's already an established faculty member. Katherine is in barely a half-hour of the film. She's a suffragette, not a singer. She and Chipping are only married five years before she dies in childbirth, not twenty. The book also has a lot more focus on Chipping and how he winds the boys over.
In fact, this is one of the few times I wish one of these epic road show musicals could have been even longer! They skip over so much. I would have liked to have seen how that meeting with the governor about Lord Sutterwick's withdrawn donations went and at least a montage of how Arthur and Katherine weathered the Depression. (Maybe that's why two later versions made for the BBC in 1984 and 2002 were mini-series.)
The Big Finale: It may not be equal to the 1939 movie, but it still has many of its own charms, including two intense leading performances and stunning cinematography. I'm glad this underrated romance is finally getting its due. Highly recommended for fans of the two stars or the extra-long musicals of the 60's and 70's.
Home Media: Both 1939 and 1969 versions of Chips are easily found on DVD and streaming.
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