History Film / GoodbyeMrChips

* {{Adorkable}}: Chipping is fairly awkward when he first becomes a teacher, and has to grow into the job. Also, his clumsy courtship of Kathie is very endearing.

''Goodbye, Mr. Chips'' is a 1939 Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer film directed by Sam Wood and starring Creator/RobertDonat as a much-loved Classical master at an English public school near the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. Based on a popular 1933 novel by James Hilton (the author of ''Literature/LostHorizon'', source of another hit film), the film won Donat the Best Actor [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]] in Hollywood's ''[[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood annus mirabilis]]'' of 1939 against such competitors as Creator/ClarkGable in ''Film/GoneWithTheWind'', Creator/LaurenceOlivier in ''Literature/WutheringHeights'', and Creator/JimmyStewart in ''Film/MrSmithGoesToWashington''.

''Chips'' was the pet project of MGM producer Irving Thalberg, who resolved to give the film first-class treatment -- hence, the engagement of an all-British cast (except, of course, for Paul von Hernried (shortly to reinvent himself as "Paul Henreid" of ''Film/{{Casablanca}}'' fame) as Max Staeffel), including the well-regarded English theatre actor Robert Donat and an up-and-coming young actress named Creator/GreerGarson, propelled to stardom by this film. Brookfield School was filmed on location at Repton School. Respected English composer Richard Addinsell was engaged to write the film-score, and the screenplay was prepared by Eric Maschwitz, R. C. Sherriff, and Claudine West under the supervision of James Hilton himself. Unfortunately, Thalberg died at the relatively young age of 37 before the release of the film; he is commemorated in the film's main title sequence.

* MistakenIdentity: Chipping and Staeffel, hearing of two English ladies hiking through the Alps, assume they must be Kathie and Flora; they turn out to be bloomer-clad battleaxes who accuse the masters of making indecent advances on them.
* PoirotSpeak: Staeffel very occasionally lapses into this, as when he says he "bursts out of [[ManlyTears tears]]."

* MayDecemberRomance: Chips is about twice Kathie's age when they fall in love. (Which makes the movie poster shown above, with Robert Donat looking as young as Greer Garson, a bit odd.)

* FiredTeacher: Averted in that Mr. Chipping, though ordered to retire for refusing to adopt modern methods (such as adopting the [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment New]] [[UsefuNotes/LatinPronunciationGuide Pronunciation]] of Latin and placing emphasis on high marks rather than on character development), ''is'' reinstated by the protests of his students and their parents.

In 1969, the novel was filmed as a rather dreary {{Musical}} with Creator/PeterOToole as Mr. Chipping and Petula Clark as Kathie. Two LiveActionTelevision adaptations were made, in 1984 with Roy Marsden and Jill Meager, and in 2002 with Martin Clunes and Victoria Hamilton.

In 1969, the novel was filmed as a rather dreary {{Musical}} with Peter O'Toole as Mr. Chipping and Petula Clark as Kathie. Two LiveActionTelevision adaptations were made, in 1984 with Roy Marsden and Jill Meager, and in 2002 with Martin Clunes and Victoria Hamilton.

* GenerationXerox: The boys of the Colley family.

The film was nominated for seven [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Academy Awards]] for Outstanding Production, Best Director, Actor, Actress, Best Writing, Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Sound, winning, as noted above, in the Best Actor category. ''Goodbye, Mr. Chips'' has been voted the 72nd greatest British film ever in the Creator/BritishFilmInstitute's [[BFILists/BFITop100BritishFilms Top 100 British films]] poll.



In 1969 the novel was filmed as a rather dreary {{Musical}} with Peter O'Toole as Mr. Chipping and Petula Clark as Kathie. Two LiveActionTelevision adaptations were made, in 1984 with Roy Marsden and Jill Meager, and in 2002 with Martin Clunes and Victoria Hamilton.

* FiredTeacher: Averted in that Mr. Chipping, though ordered to retire for refusing to adopt modern methods (such as adopting the [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment New]] [[LatinPronunciationGuide Pronunciation]] of Latin and placing emphasis on high marks rather than on character development), ''is'' reinstated by the protests of his students and their parents.

* LatinPronunciationGuide: Is kickeroed right in the ''culum''.

The film was nominated for seven [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Academy Awards]] for Outstanding Production, Best Director, Actor, Actress, Best Writing, Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Sound, winning, as noted above, in the Best Actor category. ''Goodbye, Mr. Chips'' has been voted the 72nd greatest British film ever in the British Film Institute's Top 100 British films poll.

* VictorianBritain: The bulk of the film takes place in TheGayNineties; after Kathie's death it proceeds through TheEdwardianEra through UsefulNotes/WorldWarI to the 1930s.

* BritishAccent: An interesting variation is actually a plot-point; new headmaster Ralston insists that Chipping teach using the "[[LatinPronunciationGuide New Pronunciation]]" of Latin (a scholarly re-construction of the 1st century B.C. pronunciation -- ''e. g.'', "Cicero" pronounced "Kickero" [actually more like "Keekayro"]), whereas Chips prefers using the traditional English pronunciation ("Cicero" pronounced "Sisserro").

''Goodbye, Mr. Chips'' is a 1939 Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer film directed by Sam Wood and starring Robert Donat as a much-loved Classical master at an English public school near the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. Based on a popular 1933 novel by James Hilton (the author of ''Literature/LostHorizon'', source of another hit film), the film won Donat the Best Actor [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]] in Hollywood's ''[[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood annus mirabilis]]'' of 1939 against such competitors as Creator/ClarkGable in ''Film/GoneWithTheWind'', Creator/LaurenceOlivier in ''Literature/WutheringHeights'', and Creator/JimmyStewart in ''Film/MrSmithGoesToWashington''.

* ItWillNeverCatchOn: One of the masters is reading a novel and replies to another who asks about the author: "It's his first. He'll never come to anything. He's too fantastic." The novel is ''TheTimeMachine'' and the author is Creator/HGWells.

--> '''Kathie''': You kissed me!
--> '''Chipping''': I know. It was dreadful of me.
--> '''Kathie''': No. But do you? Are we? Oh, this is awful.
--> '''Chipping''': Look here, you'll have to marry me now, you know.

''Goodbye, Mr. Chips'' is a 1939 Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer film directed by Sam Wood and starring Robert Donat as a much-loved Classical master at an English public school near the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. Based on a popular 1933 novel by James Hilton (the author of ''Literature/LostHorizon'', source of another hit film), the film won Donat the Best Actor [[AcademyAward Oscar]] in Hollywood's ''[[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood annus mirabilis]]'' of 1939 against such competitors as Creator/ClarkGable in ''Film/GoneWithTheWind'', Creator/LaurenceOlivier in ''Literature/WutheringHeights'', and Creator/JimmyStewart in ''Film/MrSmithGoesToWashington''.

The film was nominated for seven [[AcademyAward Academy Awards]] for Outstanding Production, Best Director, Actor, Actress, Best Writing, Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Sound, winning, as noted above, in the Best Actor category. ''Goodbye, Mr. Chips'' has been voted the 72nd greatest British film ever in the British Film Institute's Top 100 British films poll.

''Goodbye, Mr. Chips'' is a 1939 Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer film directed by Sam Wood and starring Robert Donat as a much-loved Classical master at an English public school near the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. Based on a popular 1933 novel by James Hilton (the author of ''Literature/LostHorizon'', source of another hit film), the film won Donat the Best Actor [[AcademyAward Oscar]] in Hollywood's ''[[GoldenAgeOfHollywood annus mirabilis]]'' of 1939 against such competitors as Creator/ClarkGable in ''Film/GoneWithTheWind'', Creator/LaurenceOlivier in ''Literature/WutheringHeights'', and Creator/JimmyStewart in ''Film/MrSmithGoesToWashington''.

* VictorianBritain: The bulk of the film takes place in TheGayNineties; after Kathie's death it proceeds through TheEdwardianEra through WorldWarI to the 1930s.

* ItWillNeverCatchOn: One of the masters is reading a novel and replies to another who asks about the author: "It's his first. He'll never come to anything. He's too fantastic." The novel is ''TheTimeMachine'' and the author is [[HGWells H.G. Wells]].

* FiredTeacher: Averted in that Mr. Chipping, though ordered to retire for refusing to adopt modern methods (such as adopting the [[RedundancyDepartmentOfRedundancy New]] [[LatinPronunciationGuide Pronunciation]] of Latin and placing emphasis on high marks rather than on character development), ''is'' reinstated by the protests of his students and their parents.

* RegionalRiff: Chipping and Kathie's sojourn in Vienna is accompanied on the soundtrack by a series of Strauß waltzes.

* DiedInChildbirth: Kathie, along with the baby.

* IUhYouKnow:

* MayDecemberRomance: Chips is about twice Kathie's age when they fall in love.

''Chips'' was the pet project of MGM producer Irving Thalberg, who resolved to give the film first-class treatment -- hence, the engagement of an all-British cast (except, of course, for Paul von Hernried (shortly to reinvent himself as "Paul Henreid" of ''Film/{{Casablanca}}'' fame) as Max Staeffel), including the well-regarded English theatre actor Robert Donat and an up-and-coming young actress named GreerGarson, propelled to stardom by this film. Brookfield School was filmed on location at Repton School. Respected English composer Richard Addinsell was engaged to write the film-score, and the screenplay was prepared by Eric Maschwitz, R. C. Sherriff, and Claudine West under the supervision of James Hilton himself. Unfortunately, Thalberg died at the relatively young age of 37 before the release of the film; he is commemorated in the film's main title sequence.

[[quoteright:270:[[GoodbyeMrChips http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/GoodbyeMrChips.jpg]]]]