Goodbye, Mr. Chips (originally Good-bye, Mr. Chips) is a novel by James Hilton, first published in 1934. The story was first published in the British Weekly, an evangelical newspaper, in 1933 but came to prominence when it was reprinted as the lead piece of the April 1934 issue of The Atlantic. Afterwards, Hilton became a bestselling author,^[1] numerous adaptations were made including two Academy Award-winning films and various stage adaptations. James Hilton (September 9, 1900 - December 20, 1954) was a popular English novelist of the first half of the 20th century. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ...

Plot summary

The novel tells the story of a much-beloved schoolteacher through the long years of his tenure at Brookfield, the fictional boys' public boarding school where he taught. Arthur Chipping conquers his inability to connect with the boys at the school as well as his initial shyness when he marries Katherine, a young woman he meets on holiday who provides him with his nickname. "Chips", despite his own mediocre academic record, goes on to have an illustrious career as an inspiring educator at Brookfield. In education, teachers are those who teach students or pupils, often a course of study or a practical skill. ... A boarding school is a usually fee-charging school where some or all pupils not only study, but also live during term time, with their fellow students and possibly teachers. ...

Although the book is unabashedly sentimental, it also depicts the sweeping changes that Chips experiences throughout his life: he begins his tenure at Brookfield in 1870, as the Franco-Prussian War is breaking out, and lies on his deathbed shortly after Hitler's rise to power. At times, the book is rather ethnocentric. On numerous occasions, Chips ruminates on his faith in "English blood," and at one point makes a mildly anti-Semitic joke about a "boy named Isaacstein." (Later editions of the book eliminated the Jewish reference and simply said that Chips "made fun of a boy's name.") He is seen as an individual who is able to connect to anyone on a human level beyond what he (by proxy of his former wife) views as petty politics, such as the strikers, the Boers, and a German friend. Combatants Second French Empire North German Confederation allied with South German states (later German Empire) Commanders Napoleon III François Achille Bazaine Patrice de Mac-Mahon, duc de Magenta Otto von Bismarck Helmuth von Moltke the Elder Strength 400,000 at wars beginning 1,200,000 Casualties 150,000... Look up deathbed in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Hitler redirects here. ...

Clearly discernible is a nostalgia for the Victorian order that had faded rapidly after Queen Victoria's death in 1901 and whose remnants were fully destroyed by the First World War. Indeed, a recurring leitmotif throughout is the devastating impact of the war on British society. When the war breaks out, Chips, who had retired the year before at age sixty-five, agrees to come out of retirement to fill in for the various masters who have entered military service. Despite being taken for a doddering fossil, it is Chips who keeps his wits about him during an air raid, averting mass panic and sustaining morale. Countless old boys and masters die on the battlefield, and much of the story involves Chips's response to the horrors unleashed by the war. At one point, Chips reads aloud a long roster of the school's fallen alumni, and, defying the modern world he sees as soulless and lacking transcendent values of honour and friendship, dares to include the name of a former Austrian master who died fighting on the opposite side. The Victorian era of the United Kingdom marked the height of the British Industrial Revolution and the apex of the British Empire. ... Victoria Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria) (24 May 1819–22 January 1901) was a Queen of the United Kingdom, reigning from 20 June 1837 until her death. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... A leitmotif (pronounced ) (also leitmotiv; lit. ...

Inspiration

The setting for Goodbye Mr. Chips is believed to have been based on The Leys School, Cambridge, where James Hilton was a pupil (1915-1918). Hilton is reported to have said that the inspiration for the protagonist, Chips, came from many sources, including his father, who was the headmaster of Chapel End School. However, Chips is also likely to have been based on W.H. Balgarnie, one of the masters at The Leys (1900-1930), who was in charge of the Leys Fortnightly (where Hilton's first short stories and essays were published). Over the years old boys have written to Geoffery Houghton, a master of the Leys for a number of years and a historian of the school, confirming the links between Chipping and Balgarnie. As with Mr. Chips, Balgarnie died at the school, at the age of 82, having been linked with the school for 51 years and living his last years in modest lodgings opposite the school. Again, like Mr. Chips, Balgarnie was a strict disciplinarian, but would also invite boys to visit him for tea and biscuits. The Leys School Stamp Building (formerly East House) (right) and Headmasters house(left) with the school chapel behind The Leys School is a co-educational British public school (privately funded and independent) - it is a boarding and day school for over 520 pupils aged between 11 and 18 years. ...

Hilton wrote upon Balgarnie's death that "Balgarnie was, I suppose, the chief model for my story. When I read so many other stories about public school life, I am struck by the fact that I suffered no such purgatory as their authors apparently did, and much of this miracle was due to Balgarnie." ^[2] Furthermore, the "mutton chop" facial hair of one of the masters at The Leys earned him the nickname "Chops", a likely inspiration for Mr Chips's name.

Stage Adaptations

The stage production was written predominantly by Leslie Bricusse with help from Michael Sadler, Robert Meadmore, and performed by the Chichester Festival Cast. Leslie Bricusse (born 29 January 1931) is a British lyricist. ...

Screen adaptations

1939 film

Main article: Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939 film)

This is the best known screen version, starring Robert Donat, Greer Garson, Terry Kilburn, John Mills and Paul Henreid. Donat won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in the lead role, beating Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart, and Laurence Olivier. Goodbye, Mr. ... Friedrich Robert Donath (March 18, 1905 – June 9, 1958), better known by his stage name Robert Donat, was a distinguished English film and stage actor of English, Polish and German descent. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Terry Kilburn (born November 25, 1926) is a British-born former child actor. ... John Mills as Professor Bernard Quatermass in the Thames Television science-fiction serial Quatermass (1979). ... Henreid in Casablanca Paul Georg Julius Hernreid Ritter von Wassel-Waldingau, (January 10, 1908 - March 29, 1992), known professionally as Paul Henreid, was an actor and film director probably best known for his roles in Casablanca and Now, Voyager. ... Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. ... William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901 – November 16, 1960) was an Academy Award-winning American film actor. ... For other persons named James Stewart, see James Stewart (disambiguation). ... Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM, (IPA: ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and four-time Emmy winning English actor, director, and producer. ...

While some of the incidents depicted in the various screen adaptations do not appear in the book, this film is generally faithful to the original story.

1969 film

Main article: Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969 film)

In 1969, a relatively unsuccessful musical film version appeared, starring Peter O'Toole and Petula Clark. While most critics deemed the songs unnecessary, both O'Toole and Clark were universally praised for their performances and the obvious chemistry between them; O'Toole was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor and won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical. Goodbye, Mr. ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... The musical film is a film genre in which several songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative. ... Peter Seamus OToole (born August 2, 1932, uncertain but presumed correct date[1]) is an eight-time Academy Award-nominated Irish actor. ... Petula Clark, CBE (born 15 November 1932), is an English singer, actress and composer best known for her upbeat popular international hits of the 1960s. ... Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. ... The Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and television programs, given out each year during a formal dinner. ... 1951 - Fred Astaire, Three Little Words 1952 - Danny Kaye, On the Riviera 1953 - Donald OConnor, Singin in the Rain 1954 - David Niven, The Moon is Blue 1955 - James Mason, A Star Is Born 1956 - Tom Ewell, Seven Year Itch 1957 - Cantinflas, Around the World in Eighty Days 1958 - Frank...

The film featured music and lyrics composed by Leslie Bricusse with original underscore by John Williams. The project had been in development for several years, originally with a song score by Andre Previn and his then-wife Dory Previn. The Previns' score was ultimately not used when Previn began his classical conducting career during the time the film was in development. Leslie Bricusse (born 29 January 1931) is a British lyricist. ... For other persons named John Williams, see John Williams (disambiguation). ... Andr Previn (born April 6, 1929) is a prominent pianist, orchestral conductor, and composer. ... Dory Previn née Langdon (born 22 October 1925) is an American singer-songwriter and poet, and was a lyricist for motion picture theme songs during the 1960s and early 1970s, including the soundtrack to the Valley of the Dolls. ...

Many of the scenes were filmed at Repton School, particularly the famous Arch, and at Bedford School.

1984 TV mini-series

In 1984, it was adapted as a television miniseries for the BBC. It starred Roy Marsden and Jill Meagher and ran for six half-hour episodes. Many scenes were filmed at Repton School in an effort to remain faithful to the original film. This article is about the year. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Roy Marsden as Neil Burnside in The Sandbaggers Roy Marsden (born on June 25, 1941 in Stepney, London) is a British actor. ...

2002 TV movie

Another television adaptation, a television movie, was produced by SMG Productions in 2002. It aired on the ITV Network in Britain and on PBS's Masterpiece Theatre in the United States. It starred Martin Clunes and Victoria Hamilton. Henry Cavill, William Moseley, Oliver Rokison and Harry Lloyd were also in the 2002 film. “Telefilm” redirects here. ... SMG Productions is the network television production arm of the Scottish media group SMG plc, and incorporates Ginger Productions. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... For other uses, see ITV (disambiguation). ... PBS redirects here. ... Masterpiece Theatre is a long-running anthology television series produced by WGBH which premiered on PBS on January 10, 1971. ... Dr. Martin Clunes (born 28 November 1961 in Wimbledon, South London) is an English actor. ... Victoria Hamilton (born 5 April 1971) is a British actress. ... Henry Cavill (born 5 May 1983) is a British actor. ... William Peter Moseley (born 27 April 1987) is an English actor. ... Not to be confused with Harold Lloyd. ...

See also

• To Serve Them All My Days, a 1972 novel of R. F. Delderfield, shows many similar plot elements to Goodbye, Mr. Chips.

To Serve Them All My Days is a novel by British author R. F. Delderfield. ... Ronald Frederick Delderfield (February 12, 1912 - June 24, 1972) was a popular British novelist and dramatist, many of whose works have been adapted for television and are still widely read. ...

References

1. ^ Atlantic on education
2. ^ "Who was the real Mr Chips?" Telegraph Arts 9/12/2002