The Next Reel Film Podcast Goodbye, Mr. Chips • The Next Reel
"Give a boy a sense of humor and a sense of proportion and he’ll stand up to anything."
Robert Donat defied the odds and beat both Clark Gable and Jimmy Stewart for the Best Actor Oscar in the 1939 Academy Awards with his portrayal of Mr. Chips in Sam Wood’s “Goodbye, Mr. Chips.” It’s a movie that celebrates school heroes everyone had (or should’ve) and connects in its ability to reflect back on the nostalgia of one’s life. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our series on films from 1939 with Wood’s film. We talk about how we felt about the film and, despite any issues we had, still found it affecting. We chat about Robert Donat and Greer Garson, both of whom really give touching and honest performances. We touch on Sam Wood as the director and what he brings to the table. We discuss the story and why stories about teachers can work so well, and why they work on us in particular. And we look at the magnificent work Jack Dawn did with the hair and makeup to bring Mr. Chips to life over the course of his 60+ years, from new hire to headmaster. It’s a touching film that works to connect us with this character and reminds us what we love about the best ‘great teacher’ movies. Check it out!
Film Sundries
- Watch this film: iTunes • Amazon
- Script Transcript
- Original theatrical trailer
- Original poster artwork
- Goodbye, Mr. Chips by James Hilton
- Flickchart
- To You, Mr. Chips, the follow-up book by James Hilton
Trailers of the Week - Andy's Trailer: The Invitation — "I can’t say I’m overly excited about this trailer but it looks like there may be the glimmer of a movie I’d like to see in here. I kinda feel like it may be worth a watch just to see if I was right."
- Pete's Trailer: War Dogs — “Weirdly out of character for me, but I love gun running stories. It seems as though director Todd Phillips is taking on a more serious topic — and a true story — with comedic appeal, thus it has a real Great Big Short vibe to it. Something to watch."
Support The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:
- Become a member for just $5/month or $55/year
- Join our Discord community of movie lovers
The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:
- Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and Movements
- The Film Board
- Movies We Like
- The Next Reel Film Podcast
- Sitting in the Dark
Connect With Us:
- Main Site: Web
- Movie Platforms: Letterboxd | Flickchart
- Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | Pinterest
- Your Hosts: Andy | Pete
Shop & Stream:
- Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & more
- Watch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussed
- Originals: Source material from our episodes
- Special offers: Letterboxd Pro/Patron discount | Audible