Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969)

VHS CASE/ SIDE

Length of film: 155 Minutes

Rated: PG

Genre: Drama, Musical, Romance

Director: Herbert Ross

Starring: Peter O’Toole, Petula Clark, Michael Redgrave, George Baker, Siân Phillips, Michael Bryant

IMDB Rank: 6.8 /10

Part 1 Time:  79 Minutes

Part 2 Time:  76 Minutes

Where does the first part end? Arthur “Chips” Chipping (Peter O’Toole) chases after his newly wed wife Katherine Bridges (Petula Clark), who has abruptly left Brookfield School.

Final line of dialogue on the first part: Mr. Chipping jumps onto a street car and shouts; “Well I’m not going to let it happen Max! Apollo has willed it!”

First line of dialogue on the second part: “Today is mine. What shall I do with it?” Katherine sings as she walks down the street.

How jarring is it when the first part ends? Jarring, after overhearing Lord Sutterwick’s (George Baker) plan to deprive Brookfield of a planned financial endowment because of Katherine’s background, Katherine suddenly leaves Brookfield. Arthur pursues Katherine not knowing why she is running away. Does this spell the end of Arthur’s marriage to Katherine?

Which part is better? The underlining theme of the film is the development of Arthur’s relationship with the students of Brookfield. He is first seen as a bitter school teacher amongst the students, but this changes as he begins a relationship with Katherine. The first half of the film brings a ton of warmth and humanity to Arthur. The scenes of Arthur and Katherine getting to know each other (i.e., the trip to Pompeii, and playful banter) are the emotional heart of the film making it the strongest part of the film.

Academy Awards:1970; Best Leading Actor (Nominated- Peter O’Toole), Best Music Score of a Musical Picture (Nominated)

Other Awards: 1970 Golden Globes; Best Comedy or Musical Actor (Winner– Peter O’Toole), Best Supporting Actress (Nominated- Siân Phillips), Best Original Score (Nominated)