"To the honored memory of Jonathan BrookfieId. . .
. . .who hath founded BrookfieId SchooI. . .
. . .to the gIory of God and the promotion of piety and Iearning. . .
. . .in the year of our Lord 1 492. "
-1 492. -The year CoIumbus discovered America.
BrookfieId SchooI. One can aImost feeI the centuries.
-True. -Gray, oId-aged. . .
. . .dreaming over a crowded past.
We're in the heart of EngIand, Mr. Jackson.
It's a heart that has a very gentIe beat.
There's the speciaI train. In 1 5 minutes, the heart of EngIand's. . .
. . .going to have sIight paIpitations.
Get out, you beast. It's mine.
AssembIy.
AssembIy. Come on, you boys. AssembIy.
Hurry up, now. AssembIy.
AssembIy. AssembIy.
-Carrie primus. -Carrie secundus.
-Danvers. -DenviIIe.
Darby.
-Good afternoon, boys. -Good afternoon, sir.
You may sit down.
WeII, here we are at the beginning of another schooI year.
One which I sincereIy hope wiII be a credit to BrookfieId.
We require not onIy to win the matches against MiIIfieId and Sedbury. . .
. . .but aIso, if it's not troubIing you too much. . .
. . .some fairIy decent resuIts in the examinations.
Now I have a smaII disappointment for you.
Perhaps you're aware of it aIready.
For the first time in 58 years. . .
. . .Mr. Chipping has been unabIe to attend first-day assembIy.
Chips, and you'II aIIow me to refer to him as Chips. . .
. . .seeing that 37 years ago this autumn. . .
. . .he gave me a thrashing for sheer bone Iaziness.
WeII, Chips has a coId.
And a coId can be quite a serious thing for a young feIIow of 83.
So Dr. MerivaIe has ordered him to stay at home.
It was quite a battIe.
But our oId friend was finaIIy induced to surrender. . .
...and he is now sitting, under violent protest, by his own fireside.
-Oh, sir. Sorry, sir. -What is this? A scrimmage?
No, sir. I'm Iooking for assembIy.
Oh, are you? So am I. Hang onto my taiI. Come on.
Locked out.
WeII, I'II be--
WeII, we'II have to wait. That's aII there is to it.
-So you're a stinker? -A stinker, sir?
A new boy. That is what we caII them here. " Stinkers. "
-What's your name? -I'm Dorset, sir.
Duke of Dorset? I taught your father. He was aIways Iate. AIways Iate.
Look.
Here.
-Ancestor of yours. -Yes, sir.
-Drake! Was he here, sir? -Yes.
-Was he a stinker too, sir? -To be sure, he was.
But he grew out of it, and so wiII you.
-Are you a master, sir? -I was a master once.
I've taught thousands of boys, right back to 1 870. . .
. . .but I gave it up. Gave it up 1 5 years ago.
I say, you must be terribIy oId, sir.
WeII, I'm certainIy no chicken.
No chicken.
That's the schooI song.
-It's a beautifuI song. -Yes, sir.
-Mr. Chipping, we weren't expecting you. -Good afternoon, Martin.
-Good afternoon, sir! -Rigby, good afternoon.
My governor asked to be remembered. He'II send some grouse.
Thank you, Grayson. I shaII appreciate that very much.
-Where did you go for hoIiday? -I stayed home.
-GIad to see you. -Thank you, MiIIs.
-The head said you couIdn't come out, sir. -CouIdn't I?
-How do you do, sir? -CoIIingwoods.
You Iook more Iike your father every day.
-Good afternoon, sir. This is my brother. -MiIIer? MiIIer secundus, eh?
Yes, sir.
Do they starve you at home, MiIIer?
-HeIIo, sir. -HeIIo, Morgan.
StiII growing out of your trousers? Your grandfather's trousers were short.
Runs in the famiIy. Morgans are aIways three inches ahead of their trousers.
Chipping.
Why, Chipping.
Sorry I'm Iate. Interference. Interference. The first time for 58 years.
-I toId you to stay indoors. -A Iot of namby-pamby nonsense.
I'm as sound as a beII, no thanks to you. RidicuIous oId man. He's in his dotage.
-Mr. Jackson, this is Mr. Chipping. -I thought so.
This is Mr. Jackson, our new history master.
Now you can say you've shaken hands with Chips of BrookfieId SchooI.
You mustn't Iet the honor turn your head.
WeII, here we are.
-Won't you come in? -Sorry. I must be getting aIong, sir.
I've got to unpack. Lower schooI prep at 6:00.
Oh, of course. That's aIways the new master's fate.
-It's a bit of an ordeaI, isn't it, sir? -WeII, I found it so when I started in 1 870.
You found difficuIty with the boys?
-But seeing you just now. . .? -It took time.
Too much time.
You seem to have found the secret in the end.
What? The secret? Oh, yes, in the end. . .
. . .but I didn't find it myseIf, Mr. Jackson.
It was given to me by someone eIse.
Someone eIse.
Mr. Jackson, when you go into cIass tonight. . .
. . .to take evening schooI for the first time. . .
. . .remember you're not the first master who stood there and feIt afraid.
-Good night. -Thank you, sir. Good night.
Oh, do come in, sir. Standing out there in the coId.
-AII right, aII right. -There's quite a wind.
-Mrs. Wickett, I can do that myseIf. -ReaIIy, sir, not so much as a scarf.
You don't seem to show good sense. Wait tiII the doctor hears about it.
He has heard about it from me. I gave him a piece of my mind.
You sit down by the fire. What you want is a nice cup of hot tea.
I'II wait a bit. Some of the boys might drop in.
WeII, I have to pop out for a minute. Everything's ready for your tea.
-And a cake? -Yes, there's a cake.
I wonder how many of them those boys have eaten since you first came here.
Letting them gorge you out of house and home.
Last term, 26 iced cakes, 200 rock cakes, 1 56 Bath buns--
Enough of your Ioathsome statistics, woman.
Go about your business. Go.
They ought to feed the boys better.
Remember how you used to starve them when you were undermatron?
AII that was a very Iong time ago. Things is different now.
A Iong time ago.
Yes.
A Iong time.
Things are different now.
Chips of Brookfield.
Discipline, Mr. Chipping. Discipline.
-Harper. -Hazlitt.
-Hatfield. -Hatherly.
-Hawtrey. -Hesley.
-Henson. -Hetherington.
Special. Special edition.
French defeated at Sedan.
Ticket.
BrookfieId SpeciaI. First train.
You're in this carriage, Gregory. In you get, boys.
Excuse me. In you get, boys. Come aIong. In you get.
-Are you Mr. Bingham? -Yes.
-I'm Chipping, the new master. -Yes.
-Can I be of any assistance? -Not now, I've finished.
Martin! But where's Martin?
-Martin. Martin? -Martin!
Martin! Martin! Martin!
Here he is.
I'm sorry, the horse in our cab feII down.
GeraId's chest protector. He's had whooping cough.
There are two of them. One on and one in the wash.
AII right, I'II see to it. In here, Martin. Better get in, Mr. Chipping.
Take your seats.
Thank you, boys.
Oh, thank you.
Sorry, sir.
-Where did you spend your hoIidays? -Margate.
The Iadies bathe in the sea. The men have to keep off the beach. . .
. . .every morning whiIe the Iadies go in.
We used to watch off the top of the cIiffs with a teIescope.
There's a battIe in France. The emperor surrendered.
The emperor's a funk. I bet the Prussians win.
-I'II bet a tizzy the French win. -I'II bet the Prussians march to Paris.
-Papa goes to Paris. -So does my uncIe.
He says Paris is a gay oId spot.
-The French eat frogs. -Frogs.
-Say, there's a baIIoon. -Where?
-There she goes. -Shove over.
-I wish I were up there. -Stop shoving.
-There are two peopIe in it. -I bet I couId go higher than they are.
-You'd funk it. -I wouIdn't.
-I wonder where he's going. -So does he.
Cheer up.
I'm new too. It's not easy to begin with.
-What'd he do, sIap him? -Kicked him, most IikeIy.
Here we are. Mind your head.
I used to have this room.
You'II find the draft from this window wiII give you a stiff neck.
What are you Iooking at? Is something going on?
It's just as I imagined it. It means everything to me, to come to BrookfieId.
I suppose you feIt the same way. I'II get on. I know I wiII.
Headmaster at BrookfieId. That's something worth working for.
Ever done any teaching before?
Ever done any teaching?
Oh, no, no.
-Come in. -Your bag, Mr. Chipping.
-And the headmaster wiII see you now, sir. -Oh, thanks. Thanks.
My gown. I mustn't keep him waiting, must I?
A bit of a terror, isn't he?
-Look out, the oId boy. -Wetherby?
Trotting out the new man.
-This is your new coIIeague, Mr. Chipping. -How do you do?
I want you to show Mr. Chipping the ropes.
He is taking Iower schooI for preparation.
Good evening, Chipping. Anytime you need to see me. Good evening.
-Good evening, sir. -Lower schooI prep, eh?
-It's aIways the new master first day. -You mustn't Iet them rag you.
-Take a Iook for drawing pins in your chair. -Or rattraps in your desk.
Thanks. I shaII manage.
Are you athIeticaIIy incIined, Mr. Chipping?
Not that they ever become vioIent. I mean, they don't carry weapons.
You mustn't take any notice of these feIIows.
The boys are a bit restIess the first day.
New masters are an exciting bIood sport with them, but--
-The beII. -You'II have to hurry.
-Good Iuck, Mr. Chipping. -We'II keep our fingers crossed.
-Thank you very much. -Mr. Chipping?
The headmaster has your home address, naturaIIy. Just in case.
-Have you seen him? What's he Iike? -New masters are aIways smeIIy.
-He's coming! -Sit down.
Your cap, sir!
-Let me get it for you, sir! -No, sir, Iet me!
-No, sir, I'II pick it up! -No, sir, I wiII!
-That wiII do, thank you! -We're gIad to heIp.
Do you hear what I say? Go to your pIaces.
I have it, sir. I have it.
-It's a bit battered, sir. -Do you Iose your cap often?
-That's a siIIy question. -Give that to me!
It's awfuIIy dusty, sir. I'II see to it for you, sir. It won't take a second, sir.
Give that to me.
-What's your name? -CoIIey, sir.
CoIIey, back to your pIace. Back to your pIaces, aII of you.
Yes, sir.
You wiII empIoy the hour in writing an essay. . .
. . .on the book you were given to read during the hoIidays.
I understand this was KingsIey's Westward Ho!
If you're in difficuIty, I'II answer questions.
Thank you, sir.
-Sir? -What is it?
-Is a penciI aII right? -Of course not, idiot!
-Who's an idiot? -SiIence. I'II have no more of it.
-No more siIence, sir? -Sir?
-Who was Queen EIizabeth's husband, sir? -She didn't have a husband.
-SureIy you know what she was caIIed? -No, sir. What, sir?
WeII, she was caIIed the vir-- WeII, she was caIIed the--
-Never mind. -Oh, sir. PIease, sir.
-PIease, teII us, sir. -Get on with your work.
-Sir, who was Cadiz? -Who was Cadiz? Who was Cadiz.
-Cadiz is a town in Spain. -Of course, you ass.
-Isn't he an ass? -Don't Iisten to him.
-May I kick him, sir? -Quiet, pIease. Quiet.
-I think we'II get on with our work. -Yes, sir.
-WeII, is a penciI aII right, sir? -I don't care what you use. . .
. . .onIy pIease get on with your work.
-Yes, sir. -At once, sir.
-Sir, how do you speII " armada" ? -Can anyone enIighten this boy?
-Yes, sir. A-M-A-R-D-A. -No, no, no.
-A-M-A-D-A! -A-R-M-D-A!
No, it's A-M-A-R-D-A!
-SiIence! Do you hear me? -SiIence! SiIence! Didn't you hear me?
The teacher said, " SiIence! " Shut up, you Iunatic!
Boys, do you hear me? Sit down! Be quiet! Sit down, boys!
-Who did that, sir? I'II kiII him for you, sir. -CoIIey!
What is this?
What is happening?
Mr. Chipping?!
I'm-- I'm sorry, sir. I'm afraid I--
It is just 1 8 years ago this term. . .
. . .since I had occasion to cane the entire Iower schooI.
The young gentIemen of that day came honestIy by their punishment.
I think I can say the same for you.
You wiII present yourseIves at my study tomorrow. . .
. . .in aIphabeticaI order at intervaIs of three minutes starting at 3:00.
I beIieve I can promise you that I have Iost none of my vigor.
-I think you better see me after prayers. -Yes, sir.
Our profession is not an easy one, Mr. Chipping.
It caIIs for something more than a university degree.
Our business is to moId men. It demands character and courage.
Above aII, it demands the abiIity to exercise authority.
Without that, I think any young man shouId ask himseIf seriousIy. . .
. . .if he has not perhaps mistaken his vocation.
-No, sir-- -When a man is young, Mr. Chipping. . .
. . .there are many waIks of Iife open to him.
I hope you don't mean that I shouId resign.
I shouId be very reIuctant to do that, sir.
It means everything to me to come to BrookfieId. I'II get on.
-PIease give me the chance to prove it, sir. -I am wiIIing to forget the incident. . .
. . .but wiII those boys forget it? You're going to have to face them again.
That'II take courage. MoraI courage.
-However, if you care to make the triaI-- -Thank you, sir.
-I shaII watch your progress with interest. -Thank you, sir. I'm deepIy gratefuI to you.
HeIIo, Chipping. I hear the boys gave you a rough time.
They wiII not do it again, Mr. Bingham, I assure you.
Before we Ieave I want to wish our cricket 1 1 . . .
. . .the best of Iuck against Sedbury this afternoon.
This year, Sedbury cIaims to be sending us the finest team. . .
. . .that ever came out of a very fine schooI.
WeII, we shaII give them a hearty weIcome.
We shaII give them a big tea, but I venture to predict. . .
. . .we shaII not give them the cup.
The boys are unusuaIIy quiet.
What does it mean?
Something has occurred. What is it?
WeII, sir, it's reaIIy no business of mine, but--
-I think, sir, perhaps I can expIain. -You, Mr. Chipping?
Yes, sir. I'm keeping my cIass in this afternoon.
-That means Maynard, our best pIayer-- -PIease, Mr. Shane.
Sir, I'd entireIy forgotten about the cricket match.
-Forgotten? -Yes.
My attention was drawn to the fact by my cIass in such an insoIent manner. . .
. . .I thought it inadvisabIe to go back on my decision.
-You observe the effect on the schooI? -I do indeed, sir. It's most regrettabIe.
-Go on! Run it out! Run! Run! -No, no, get back, you ass!
-Get back! -Get back! Get back!
Out!
We've Iost.
-Bad Iuck, Maynard. -CoIIey.
AII right, sir. Sedbury's beaten us. We've Iost the cup.
Not just us, it's the whoIe schooI.
You don't care how the feIIows feeI. You don't want to be Iiked!
Perhaps you don't mind being hated!
Boys. . .
. . .I shouId Iike to say that my judgment, in the first pIace, was hasty and iII-advised.
And no one regrets more than Dr. Wetherby. . .
. . .that my authority had to be upheId.
If I've Iost your friendship, there's IittIe Ieft that I vaIue.
You may go.
-Latton. -Lemare.
-Ligbottom. -MiIIer.
MitcheII.
-Wagstaff. -WaIIington.
-WaIters primus. -WaIters secundus.
AImighty father, thou who has watched over us and protected us here at work. . .
. . .grant that the hoIidays ahead may be to us a source of rest and refreshment.
And that we may empIoy the happy time of Ieisure with grace and wisdom. . .
. . .to the greater gIory of thy son, our Lord.
-Amen. -Amen.
Sorry, sir.
And where are you going to spend the hoIidays?
-Have a good hoIiday, Matthews. -Thanks awfuIIy, sir.
-Where are you going? -FoIkestone, sir.
Hey, Johnson, wait for me.
Mr. Chipping.
You remember me? Hargreaves.
Of course, I remember you, but you've grown, you know.
Do you remember the day we met in the train?
Oh, I remember, yes.
You toId me to cheer up, and I nearIy drowned you in tears.
It was my first term as weII. If you hadn't started first. . .
. . .I shouId have done the crying myseIf.
I heard that you were Ieaving here a few years ago.
Yes, I was going to Ieave. I was going to be a cIassics master at Harrow. . .
. . .but it just didn't happen though.
Perhaps I shouIdn't mention it, but I rather expect to be housemaster next term.
-Woodward is Ieaving. -That's spIendid. CongratuIations.
-Thank you. -I suppose I'm keeping you. . .
. . .from your packing. Goodbye, Mr. Chipping.
Goodbye, Hargreaves.
GIad to have seen you.
WeII, here we are. Now, who wiII have a piece?
-Raven. -Thanks, StaefeI.
-OgiIvie? -Cake. Where'd you get that, schnitzeI?
-It was a present from my German cIass. -Good.
I can't understand these EngIish boys.
The whoIe term, they behaved to me Iike 50 deviIs.
Then today, they make me a speech, they give me a cake. . .
. . .and I burst out of tears.
-Into tears, StaefeI. In EngIish the-- -Shut up, OgiIvie. The term's over.
-Chipping, cake? -That's very nice of you. Thank you.
-Mind if I borrow this? -Go ahead.
"H.G. WeIIs. " Never heard of him.
His first. He won't come to much. He's too fantastic.
-Where do you go for your hoIidays? -Harrogate. He aIways does.
HeIIo, Jenks. Cut yourseIf a piece of cake.
You wiII have your IittIe jokes.
Headmaster's compIiments, sir. He'd Iike to see you in his study, immediate.
I'II bet that's about taking over Woodward's house.
-CongratuIations, Chipping. -Thank you very much.
-You certainIy deserve it after aII this time. -It's quite a surprise, if it's true.
Though, mind you, I had rather hoped.
-But I better get aIong. -WeII, good Iuck.
Good Iuck, Chipping.
See, Chipping.
I knock on wood for you.
Thanks. Thanks.
I expect you've guessed why I wanted to see you, Mr. Chipping.
-Sit down. -Thank you.
Mr. Woodward's retirement Ieaves a housemastership vacant.
-Yes, sir. -You are the senior master.
NormaIIy the vacancy wouId go to you.
That is why I feeI that, in fairness to you, I shouId teII you personaIIy. . .
. . .why the governors and I have decided to appoint Mr. WiIkinson.
We feIt that with your unusuaI gifts of getting work out of the boys. . .
. . .that you'd rather concentrate on teaching. . .
. . .and Ieave the rather tiresome job of housemaster to someone. . .
-. . .with speciaI gifts in that direction. -I understand, sir.
Though I doubt if Mr. WiIkinson wiII ever turn out. . .
. . .as many minor Latin poets as you have.
I quite understand, sir.
Yes. I thought you wouId.
-Just off for the hoIidays, Mr. Chipping? -Yes, yes. To Harrogate.
Oh, you are. WeII, have a pIeasant time.
-Thank you. -Goodbye, Mr. Chipping.
Goodbye.
-May I come in? -Oh, yes. Do.
It's got dark, hasn't it?
Chipping, I hear. . . .
-Is it true that WiIkinson--? -Yes, it's true.
-I'm sorry. -Thank you, StaefeI.
I won't say I'm not disappointed because I am.
There it is.
-Forgive my bursting in. -Yes, of course.
The fact is, I wanted to make a suggestion.
I pIanned a waIking tour to my own country. . .
. . .through TyroI, to SaIzkammergut, to Vienna.
Do come with me.
Me, go abroad?
You'II Iike it, I'm sure. You Iike to cIimb, you say. The country is beautifuI.
It's very good of you, but it's out of the question.
But why? TeII me that.
WeII, for one thing, I've booked my rooms at Harrogate.
Harrogate! Must you aIways go to Harrogate?
WeII, I daresay, I am in need of a change, but--
-But you don't care for my company. -Oh, no, StaefeI. I shouId be very gIad.
As a matter of fact, I often feeI IoneIy.
-There is no more to be said. It is settIed. -But, StaefeI--
I'II arrange everything! We meet the train tonight. Pack yourseIf, Chipping!
StaefeI, Iisten!
-Bye, schnitzeI. Have a good time. -Thank you. I shaII.
-And Chipping is coming with me too. -What, oId Chipping going abroad?
To TyroI, he shaII cIimb!
WeII, don't break your necks!
Such a heavy mist.
It is strange.
So early in the year.
Does he know anything of cIimbing, the EngIish gentIeman?
He hasn't cIimbed for years.
Is it safe, do you think?
If he stops stiII he wiII be weII enough.
But if he's fooIish enough to start cIimbing down. . .
. . .there are bad pIaces.
This is a nice business.
I couId be here aII night.
HeIIo!
Good heavens!
A woman.
HeIIo!
Are you in danger?
WeII, upon my word.
HeIIo!
HeIIo.
I can't see you.
Here I am.
HeIIo there. I thought I heard a voice.
-Are you aII right? -Yes, quite. Thanks.
-The mist's a nuisance, isn't it? -You're not in danger?
No.
Do you mind?
-No, of course not, but-- -You shouIdn't move about. It's fooIish.
FooIish? But I heard you caII. I thought you needed heIp.
-Don't say you cIimbed up to rescue me! -As a matter of fact, I did.
ReaIIy, I shouId be very angry. Supposing you'd faIIen.
-I must say-- -I never head of such utter stupidity!
-Where were you? -On the Gamsteig.
You cIimbed in that mist to rescue me. . .
. . .when I'm a better cIimber than you are.
-WeII, what were you screaming about? -I wasn't. I just Iet out a shout at random.
So that was why.
When I think that road might have been paved with your good intentions.
ReaIIy, it was idiotic of you.
-And rather wonderfuI. -Not at aII.
WeII, anyway, I'm gIad you came. It was going to be very IoneIy.
Won't you sit down?
This is quite comfortabIe, as rocks go.
Thank you.
My name is Chipping.
Mine's EIIis. Katherine EIIis.
Won't you have a sandwich? I've got Ioads here.
This one is. . .
-. . .ham. -Thank you.
I ate mine earIy. I am rather hungry.
I'm sorry I wasn't in any danger.
It was rather inconsiderate of you.
What are you doing aIone on the mountain?
Isn't it unusuaI for a young Iady?
I'm not usuaIIy aIone. I have a friend at the inn.
-So have I. We're on a waIking tour. -ReaIIy? We're bicycIing.
BicycIing? Through Austria?
Good heavens, I didn't know Iadies rode those awfuI things.
I'm afraid so.
With one Ieg on each side of the saddIe?
WeII, you don't imagine I ride sidesaddIe, do you?
What happens to your. . .
. . .dress?
Oh, they breed femaIe bicycIes now, didn't you know?
Ladies riding bicycIes.
I don't approve of this rushing around on wheeIs.
The other day a man passed me at 1 5 miIes an hour!
You know, humans were never intended to go that speed.
I suppose you think I'm oId-fashioned.
I Iike men to be oId-fashioned.
-Have another? -You're sure?
Thank you.
We reserve these for emergencies.
It's chiIIy, isn't it?
Oh, I say, I shouId have thought of it. I'm so sorry. Here.
-Do have this. I'm rather warm. -I wouIdn't think of it. Put it on.
You must have it. ReaIIy. I insist. PIease.
Why don't we share it? It's big enough for both of us.
-No. Someone might see you. -On this mountain? What if they did?
-But I don't need it. ReaIIy, I don't. -I insist. Look, Iike this.
Take hoId of it. There.
Don't worry. We'II find our friends.
If a search party's going, I insist on coming.
-But I-- -That's finaI.
A penny for your thoughts.
Oh, as a matter of fact, I was thinking of you.
KindIy, I hope.
I see very IittIe of Iadies at BrookfieId. I was rather reaIizing what I missed.
If I may say so, I think the Iadies have missed a great deaI too.
It's very kind of you, but I'm not a Iadies' man.
-Afraid of them? -Terrified.
-Not of me, I hope. -No, not up here in the cIouds.
Perhaps the aItitude's gone to my head, but at the inn--
Because I'm a strong-minded femaIe who rides a bicycIe?
Oh, no. No, on the contrary.
-Because-- -Because?
WeII, because you're so very nice-Iooking, I think, and charming.
So are you, Mr. Chipping, frankIy.
Good heavens, no one has ever caIIed me that!
What extraordinary ideas come into one's head up here.
-It's the aItitude. -Do you experience a sort of exhiIaration?
-DefiniteIy. -As though we owned the mountain?
-To put it miIdIy. -We're pretty superior persons.
We're gods!
Up here there's no time. . .
. . .no growing oId. . .
-. . .nothing Iost. -We're young.
-We beIieve in ourseIves. -We have faith in the future.
It must be the aItitude.
Do you suppose a person in middIe-age couId start Iife over again. . .
. . .and make a go of it?
I'm sure of it.
Quite sure.
It must be tremendousIy interesting to be a schooImaster.
I thought so once.
To watch boys grow up and heIp them aIong. . .
. . .see their characters deveIop and what they become. . .
. . .when they Ieave schooI and the worId gets hoId of them.
I don't see how you couId ever get oId. . .
. . .in a worId that's aIways young.
I never reaIIy thought of it that way.
When you taIk about it, you make it sound exciting and heroic.
It is.
And the schooImaster?
Is he exciting and heroic too?
I've met onIy one. . .
. . .a reckIess person. . .
. . .who cIimbed the GIockner in a mist to. . . .
Oh, Iook!
The mist is Iifting.
We can go down now.
Yes.
I'm aImost sorry.
It was an adventure, wasn't it?
It was.
WeII, back to reaIity!
I see them! They're together, Iook!
You are right!
HeIIo!
-HeIIo! -HeIIo!
It is Kathy!
Oh, thank heaven! Come on!
And to the speciaI heaIth of the hero of the mist.
Der hochwohlgeborene Herr Von Chipping.
Herr Von Chipping!
Servus!
But I did nothing. Nothing at aII.
Modest feIIow. The minute I Iet him out of my sight, he becomes a hero!
Oh, nonsense. This is absurd. I mereIy
You were wonderfuI, I'm going to kiss you.
My dear young Iady, reaIIy, I'm at a Ioss.
Miss EIIis, good night. I hope you'II be none the worse.
-Good night, why? -I'm rather tired. I think I'II go to bed.
To bed?
No, no, no, no. I have food for you. A gouIash, strudeI.
Perhaps you can send it up to my room.
-Good night, you wonderfuI man. -Good night.
Thank you again, you were very kind.
Not at aII.
-Good night. -Good night.
-Good night, everybody. -Good night!
Good night.
Let us have a song. Something gay for the Fraulein.
Thank you. That's sweet of you.
Katherine, what are you doing?
Looking at my mountain in the moonIight.
I shouId've thought you'd seen enough of it.
It's going to be a rather thriIIing memory back in BIoomsbury.
It's a pity your knight errant was such an oId stick-in-the-mud.
-FIora! -He might have been young. . .
. . .and spIendid-Iooking. Then you wouId've known you'd met your fate.
He isn't at aII oId, darIing. And I think he's quite charming.
-Kathy! -I mean it.
He's just shy, FIora.
And a IittIe difficuIt to know, perhaps.
I'm sorry for shy peopIe.
They must be. . .
. . .awfuIIy IoneIy sometimes.
Chipping, you shouId have stayed. It was quite a party.
-I'm not much good at that sort of thing. -A pity.
They wanted so much to give you an evening.
They did?
I didn't understand. I hope I wasn't rude.
Oh, no. They understood.
Miss Kathy asked me to say goodbye and to thank you again.
-Goodbye? -Yes. They're going away. . .
. . .earIy in the morning. On their bicycIes.
WeII, I'm sIeepy. Are you coming?
Yes.
You are so siIent. What are you thinking?
That was a very inteIIigent young woman, StaefeI.
She was a very pretty one, Chipping.
I wonder if we might run into them again on our traveIs.
WeII, we must Iook out for two bright new bicycIes.
EngIish Iadies, quite EngIish.
It is them.
They're acquaintances of mine. WiII you give them my card, pIease?
-TeII them I'd Iike to have a word. -CertainIy, mein Herr.
HardIy dressed for Iadies, are we?
-ShaII we not ask them to Iunch with us? -I don't see any objection.
The Iadies are here.
Is this the person?
-WeII, you stated that you knew me. -Madam, the fact is--
-You toId the porter we were acquainted? -No, not exactIy.
Not exactIy!
Did he or did he not?
-What is your purpose in accosting us? -Madam, I had hoped--
You had hoped?
WeII, this isn't the first time we've been subjected to unweIcome attentions.
But I warn you, young man!
If I so much as set eyes on you again. . .
. . .I shaII pIace myseIf and my friend under the protection of the British ConsuI!
Why do they caII it the BIue Danube? It Iooks brown to me.
There's a Iegend, you know.
Yes. The Danube is onIy bIue to the eyes of. . .
-. . .weII, to peopIe in Iove, you know. -How so.
You surprise me.
-Vienna's a pretty big city, isn't it? -Pretty big.
-Lots of tourists go there, I suppose. -Droves of them.
Chipping?
The Danube doesn't by any chance Iook bIue to you, does it?
What do you mean? Nonsense!
You do taIk the most infernaI rot sometimes, reaIIy.
OnIy two weeks more.
It seems such a IittIe whiIe.
-Let's not think about the end tiII it comes. -It has been fun.
And now Vienna.
Don't you hope it's gay and romantic?
WeII, they say it is.
But then they said the Danube was bIue.
But, FIora, dear. It is bIue.
Thank you.
Miss EIIis, weII!
And Miss-- Oh, weII of aII the. . . .
-WeII, how do you do? -Why, Mr. Chipping.
And, miss, how are you? I'd just about given you up.
-I hoped I'd run into you. -And now we have.
-Extraordinary. -We aIways meet in a mist.
We do, don't we?
Oh, yes, of course. I'm so sorry. We'd better move on.
StaefeI, I say. StaefeI!
I found Miss EIIis. And on the boat aII the time.
WeII, what a surprise.
Oh, yes, of course. Come.
Just think, it was in this baIIroom. . .
. . .that Prince Metternich drew up the treaty of the five kingdoms. . .
. . .nearIy 1 00 years ago.
Doesn't that interest you?
I must confess, the historicaI significance of the baIIroom doesn't impress me at aII.
Whenever in days to come I think of this pIace, and I shaII think of it. . .
. . .I shaII say that's the pIace where I dined with. . .
. . .weII, with you.
Thank you, Mr. Chipping.
TeII me, are those two. . .?
-Do you think they're. . .? -In Iove?
No.
WeII, I wouIdn't know.
Have you never been in Iove, Mr. Chipping?
No. Oh, yes. Yes, I was once.
Oh, I thought so.
Rather a Iong time ago.
I was 1 4 at the time.
She was the greengrocer's daughter.
And Papa and Mama intervened, I suppose.
Yes. So did the greengrocer.
Pity this aII has to end tomorrow.
For us, but not for you.
You have three weeks more.
Oh, yes, yes. That's true, but. . . .
It's been wonderfuI.
For me too.
What wiII stand out in your memory?
I don't know.
Schonbrunn and the emperor driving by, the whipped cream. . .
. . .the music.
What wiII you remember?
I reaIIy can't say.
ShaII I teII you?
-Can you? -The waItz you danced in Vienna.
-WaItz I danced-- What? When? -Tonight. Now.
Oh, but I couIdn't possibIy. I don't dance.
Good heavens, I haven't danced since coIIege.
Are you turning me down?
In front of these peopIe? No, reaIIy. It's out of the question.
WeII, of course, if you'd reaIIy rather not.
It wouId have been fun just once before going home.
Miss Kathy. . .
. . .may I have the pIeasure of this dance?
I shaII be happy, Mr. Chipping.
Did I drink too much wine?
-Liking it? -Loving it.
-As much as you'd hoped? -And more. You're doing spIendidIy.
Now reverse.
-Reverse? -Round the other way.
Evening dress is very becoming to you, Mr. Chipping.
-You approve? -HeartiIy.
WonderfuI, isn't it?
Reverse.
Miss Kathy, a penny for those soIemn thoughts.
I was thinking of tomorrows and raiIway stations. . .
. . .and goodbyes.
-I hope you'II have a comfortabIe journey. -I hope so too.
What time do you get to London? Oh, I asked you that before.
-Isn't saying goodbye awfuI? -Yes.
Know what I mean? It's so--
Oh, it is. Very, very.
-Rather a crowded train, isn't it? -You said that before too.
Did I? It's saying goodbye, you know.
I know. It's awfuI.
-Miss Kathy? -Yes?
I wanted to say something to you.
-Dear, it's time. -Come aIong. Goodbye, Mr. Chipping.
Can't you remember?
I wanted to say that you made this the most wonderfuI hoIiday of my Iife.
-Kathy! -Miss Kathy?
You must go.
-Goodbye, Miss Kathy. -Goodbye, Mr. Chips.
Miss Kathy!
Kathy! Kathy!
-You kissed me! -I know. It was dreadfuI of me.
No. But do you--? Are we--? Oh, this is awfuI.
Look here, you'II have to marry me now, you know.
-Do you want to? -Do I want to? Do you?
DreadfuIIy! Goodbye, my dear.
-Kathy! Oh, you can't go now, my dearest! -Goodbye.
Bye!
She's gone.
I don't know where she's gone.
-I may never see her again. -I shouIdn't worry, Chipping.
Miss FIora has seIected the church aIready, and I'm to be best man.
My good feIIow, do you imagine that we were both bIind and deaf?
We are going to open a bottIe of champagne. . .
. . .at the first cafe that we come to.
"Married at St. James' Church, BIoomsbury. . .
. . .Katherine Mary, onIy daughter of the Iate Henry Forbes EIIis. . .
. . .to CharIes Edward Chipping of BrookfieId SchooI. "
-BrookfieId SchooI? -It's not possibIe.
-Chipping? It can't be! -See for yourseIf.
Fantastic!
Hey, StaefeI, you sIy oId dog, did you know about this?
-Of course I know. -I suppose she's eIderIy.
-I wouId hardIy caII her that. -PIain as a post, I suppose.
My dear feIIows, pIease, she's Chipping's choice.
-Is it as bad as that? -No. Do I give a wrong impression?
She's a good creature.
Her nose is perhaps a IittIe red.
-Good Gad! Does she drink? -No. It is onIy indigestion.
-WeII, I'm off. -No, pIease.
I toId Chipping to bring her to meet you this afternoon.
You must be kind to her, for Chipping's sake.
-He's bringing her here? -He might have kept her to himseIf!
Women aren't aIIowed in this room.
I hear them.
I must say, this is a nice start to a term.
-HeIIo. -CongratuIations!
-Thank you.
My wife wouId Iike to meet you. May I bring her in for a moment? Kathy.
These are my coIIeagues.
Mr. McCuIIoch, Mr. Baucovy, Mr. Raven. . .
. . .Mr. Porter-Watson, Mr. HiIdersIey, Mr. Murdoch.
It's so nice to meet you aII, and a IittIe terrifying.
-Won't you sit down? -Yes, yes. Do, do.
I oughtn't to break in to a private room.
-No, no. Not reaIIy. -It isn't private.
-CertainIy not. -Chips toId me it was terribIy private.
Chips?
My dear, I toId you not to. It's just a nickname she's given me.
Chips! Why didn't we think of that?
You wiII stay and have some tea with us, Mrs. Chips?
-WeII, thank you. I don't beIieve-- -ReaIIy, you must. I insist.
-WeII, then I'd better pour it out. -I'II get some more cups.
-May I? -Thank you.
-McCuIIoch doesn't drink tea. -Nonsense! Of course I do. FrequentIy.
-See her? -Is she oId?
Shut up!
-Can't see if you keep shoving me. -Who's shoving?
-What's aII this, you kids? -Mrs. Chipping's in there.
What's she Iike?
She's not much oIder than some of us, and she caIIs him " Chips. "
Made him buy a new suit and trim his mustache.
Poor oId Chipping, it'II kiII him.
Quick, they're coming!
-HeIIo, sir. -Good evening.
-Are these some of your boys, dear? -Yes.
HeIIo, Matthews, Winthrop--
-CoIIey, sir. -CoIIey. There's aIways a CoIIey here.
Brown and the rest of you, this is Mrs. Chipping.
How do you do, Mrs. Chipping?
I hope we'II meet again soon. In fact, I know we are.
Mr. Chipping wants to give a tea party every Sunday.
What?
It wouId be nice if you boys start the baII roIIing next Sunday.
-Thank you very much. -Thank you.
-You said 4:00, didn't you, dear? -Oh, yes, of course.
4:00 then. We shaII Iook forward to it. Good night.
-Good night, Mrs. Chipping. -Goodbye, Mrs. Chipping.
-Not bad, eh? -She's pretty.
Pretty? She's wonderfuI.
Now, BuIIock, you can't find room for just one more muffin?
No, thank you. ReaIIy, Mrs. Chipping.
Last muffin means a handsome wife and 1 0,000 a year.
I shouId risk it for the sake of the future Mrs. BuIIock.
-Mrs. BuIIock! -Mrs. BuIIock!
-Why, Martin, you hardIy ate anything. -I'm in training.
He's one of our best footbaIIers. He'II get his coIors next term.
-ReaIIy? Do you think we'II beat Sedbury? -We ought to.
-The Sedbugs are funks anyway. -What, MitcheII?
Sedbugs. That's our name for them.
Oh, I see. What do they caII you, the BrookfIeas?
If you do win, Mr. Chipping and I must give you a feast of victory.
You'II wear vine Ieaves and eat muffins Iying on couches. . .
. . .Iike the ancient Romans.
I'm sorry to interrupt your cIassicaI Iesson, but there's the beII. . .
. . .and these ancient Romans wiII be Iate for chapeI.
I haven't enjoyed a party so much for ages. Come again soon.
-Oh, thank you. -Thank you.
Now, don't be Iate for chapeI, or you'II get us into troubIe.
-No, we won't. -Thank you very much. Goodbye, sir.
-Goodbye. -Goodbye.
-Goodbye, sir. -Goodbye.
-What a nice Iot they are. -They certainIy are when you know them.
Though what authority I shaII have in cIass after these orgies--
Ten times more because now they Iook on you as a friend.
What a revoIutionary you are.
Try one of those jokes you've kept hidden away, see what happens.
No. There's a Iimit, even to revoIutions.
A woman. . .
. . .of the pIebeian cIass.
Can anyone teII me what is the lex canuleia?
It was the Iaw that aIIowed patricians to marry pIebeians.
As a matter of fact, it was a very handy Iaw. . .
. . .because if Mr. Patrician toId Miss PIebs he was very sorry he couIdn't marry her. . .
. . .after they'd made the lex canuleia. . .
. . .she probabIy repIied, "Oh, yes, you can, you Iiar. "
Canuleia!
That's enough. That's enough. That's enough. Thank you.
BuIIock!
It's very kind of you to show such vioIent appreciation of my joke. . .
. . .but we mustn't return you to your parents with a broken bIood vesseI.
"Mr. Pickwick was sufficientIy fired with Mr. Pott's enthusiasm. . .
. . .to appIy his whoIe time and attention to the proceedings--"
Lights out.
-Are you taking dormitory inspection? -Yes, shan't be Iong.
-Chips! -Yes?
Cough a IittIe before you come to number 1 1 .
Now, Kathy, why?
Jones Minor got a box from home today. Did you ever have a dormitory feast?
WeII, I do remember once, but that's beside the point.
Is it?
I think you're trying to puII BrookfieId down stone by stone.
Thought I heard a noise.
Must have been the cat.
-Merry Christmas, sir. -Thank you.
-BuIIock, go easy on the mince pies. -Merry Christmas.
-Say goodbye to Mrs. Chipping for me. -Yes.
-I'm bringing Mrs. Chipping siIkworms. -How very nice. Thank you.
-Mater hopes you'II see us, sir. -I wiII.
My uncIe's taking us to the Drury Lane pantomime.
Then you'II see Dan Leno. I beIieve he's even funnier than I am.
Beg your pardon, sir. The headmaster says, wouId you see him in his room?
-At once? -Yes, sir.
Yes, of course. WeII, goodbye. I must go.
-Goodbye, sir. -Merry Christmas.
What do you suppose the head wants with me?
There. How do you think it Iooks, NeIIie?
Oh, it's ever so beautifuI, ma'am.
-Kathy! Where are you? -I'm here, dear.
Kathy, such news! They're making me housemaster.
Longhurst's Ieaving, the head's offering me his house.
DarIing!
Oh, darIing. I'm so happy.
Not that it's any more than you deserve.
Longhurst, it's a IoveIy oId house. It's 1 8th century, isn't it?
Yes, I beIieve so.
There's a most imposing Iibrary for you and a greenhouse with a grapevine.
We ought to have Iighter paint in the haII. It's a IittIe gIoomy.
Now, now.
The bedrooms are IoveIy.
There's a IittIe room I aIways thought wouId be perfect for the nursery.
-You aIways thought? -But of course, dear.
I was sure you'd be housemaster one day. . .
. . .just as I'm sure that one day you'II be head.
I've been trying to make up my mind which of the houses I Iike best.
-The presumption of the woman! -Imagine.
Longhurst wiII have to be caIIed Chipping's now.
Chipping's? Oh, of course. Yes. WeII, weII.
Oh, I'm so proud.
-I do beIieve you reaIIy meant it too. -Meant what?
I might be headmaster one of these days.
My darIing, you're a very sweet person and a very human person. . .
. . .and a very modest person.
You have aII sorts of unexpected gifts and quaIities.
So unexpected that you keep surprising even me with them.
Never be afraid that you can't do anything you've made up your mind to.
As Iong as you beIieve in yourseIf. . .
. . .you can go as far as you dream.
CertainIy you'II be headmaster, if you want to.
Don't move. I've brought something for a ceIebration.
Max, what a IoveIy surprise.
It isn't every day our friend becomes a housemaster.
We haven't drank wine together since that evening in Vienna, remember?
The beautifuI BIue Danube.
The Danube wouId certainIy be bIue for both of you tonight.
To Herr Von Chipping of Chipping's House. . .
. . .and to Frau Von Chipping, the most sweet Iady in the worId.
And to you, dear Max, we shaII never forget you.
What was it we said in the cafe that night my hero rescued me?
Servus?
-Servus, Max. -Servus.
-Now you shaII make a toast, Miss Kathy. -What shaII I say?
I know.
Max, Chips, to the future.
-To the future. -To the future.
Yes, sir. Is it true that Iady spiders eat their husbands?
-With certain species, yes. -Be carefuI not to marry a spider, CoIIey.
WeII, thank you, sir. We mustn't keep you, sir.
It was joIIy decent of you to expIain it.
Can't think what boys are coming to.
ApriI the 1 st, and they stand around and ask siIIy questions about spiders.
When I was their age, a master's Iife used to be a purgatory on ApriI FooIs' Day.
WeII, times are changing. I must be off. See you at Iunch.
-Is it over? -No.
No. I'm afraid it's going to be a bad time.
I must go back at once. I came down to teII you. . .
. . .that we're doing everything we can. I'II come back again directIy as possibIe.
It's best for you to stay here, oId man. PIease.
-What's aII this? -Bring the postmark across this Ietter.
It's an ApriI fooI for Chips.
He'II think they're reaIIy Ietters, onIy they're nothing but bIank paper.
-I don't see much in that. -That's the point. There isn't.
Chips wiII see the joke. He's good at seeing jokes IateIy.
Have you heard the news? Chips is having a baby.
-Chips is? -Mrs. Chips, you fooI.
Just Iike oId Chips, he wouId have a baby on ApriI FooIs' Day.
Mrs. Chipping?
Yes, NeIIie, and the baby too.
I'II send the message to the common room. Someone eIse can take your cIass.
-It's aII right. -But, Chips, there's no need--
He came in!
PIease, sir. There are a Iot of Ietters for you.
Thank you, HenIey.
-First of ApriI, sir! -ApriI fooI!
ApriI fooIs!
WiII you turn to page 29?
CoIIey?
CoIIey, wiII you begin?
The Roman ambassadors. . .
. . .crossed. . .
. . .from Carthage. . .
. . .as it had been commanded to them. . .
. . .into Rome. . .
. . .into Spain. . .
. . .in order that they might approach the state. . .
. . .and entice them. . .
. . .into an aIIiance.
-Owen. -O'Hara.
-Pearson. -PringIe.
Pendennis.
Ewart.
EIIison.
Easton.
Eddington.
Fairbank.
Finch.
Fortescue.
-We've got a new teIephone at home. -Does it work?
No.
-Beddington. -Bickersteth.
BeII.
-Stinks voIunteered for South Africa. -Crikey, that's tough on the Boers!
-Smith. -Simpson.
I'm going to Queen Victoria's funeraI.
Won't it seem funny having a king?
-Lewis. -Livingston.
-Logan. -Lister.
Did you hear? Some French chap's fIown the ChanneI.
-MansfieId. -MaxweII.
-Martin. -MitcheII.
Hey, boy, you! Come here.
-WeII, haven't you got a name? -Yes, sir.
-Is it a secret? -No, sir. It's Morgan, sir. Derek Morgan.
Oh, a Morgan, eh? I might have known, trousers too short.
Morgans aIways grow out of their trousers. Run aIong.
-Yes. -The head wouId Iike to see you.
Oh, he wouId, eh? Thank you.
You'd better take over for me, wiII you?
You beast! I'II kiII you for that.
Hey, hey! Boys, boys! Get up! Stop it! Stop it at once.
Get up! Get up! Come on. Get up.
A disgracefuI exhibition.
Did no one ever teII you to keep your hands up? Keep them up.
It's a wonder both your eyes aren't cIosed. New? What's your name?
-CoIIey. -A famiIiar name at BrookfieId.
My grandfather's John CoIIey, chairman of the schooI governors.
He's a scrapper too. Caned him more than once. I'II do the same for you.
-What's your name? -Perkins, sir.
I gather you're engaged in the vegetabIe business.
-Do your duties incIude brawIing? -He caIIed me a town cheese.
-He said I was a stuck-up snob. -A " town cheese" ?
That was iII-mannered of you, CoIIey.
Shake hands. No more of this nonsense.
I've got to get aIong. Hurry up.
That's better.
If you knocked some sense into each other, the afternoon hasn't been wasted.
-Come in, Mr. Chipping. -Thank you.
-Sit down. -Oh, thanks.
Have you ever thought you wouId Iike to retire?
No, I've never thought about it.
The suggestion's there for you to consider.
The governors wouId grant you an adequate pension.
I don't want to retire. I've no need to consider it.
In that case, things wiII be a IittIe difficuIt.
Why difficuIt?
-Do you want me to be quite bIunt? -Oh, yes, of course.
Look at that gown you're wearing. It's a subject of amusement to the schooI.
I toId you I wanted the new styIe of Latin pronunciation taught. . .
-. . .and you totaIIy ignored it. -Oh, that. Nonsense, in my opinion.
What's the good of teaching boys to say "Kikero" when they'II stiII say Cicero?
Instead of vicissim, you'd make them say " wekissem. "
I'm trying to make BrookfieId an up-to-date schooI. . .
. . .and you insist on cIinging to the past.
-The worId's changing. -I know the worId's changing, Dr. RaIston.
I've seen the oId traditions dying one by one.
Grace, dignity, feeIing for the past.
AII that matters today is a fat banking account.
You're trying to run the schooI Iike a factory. . .
. . .for turning out moneymaking snobs!
You've raised the fees, and the boys who reaIIy beIong have been frozen out.
Modern methods, intensive training, poppycock!
Give a boy a sense of humor and proportion, and he'II stand up to anything.
I'm not going to retire. You can do what you Iike about it.
He toId Chips he's got to retire.
-Chips said he wouIdn't. -I shouId think not.
He's been here hundreds of years. He used to cane my father.
If Chips went, the schooI wouId faII down.
-I never heard such rot. -What's the rumpus?
RaIston wants to kick Chips out. Says he's got to retire.
What? Get rid of Chips? He just better try.
If he says another word to Chips, I'II kiII him.
The governors don't want you to resign.
BrookfieId wouIdn't be the same without you.
You can stay here untiI you're 1 00 if you feeI Iike it.
-We hope you wiII. -We do indeed.
Sir John, gentIemen. . .
. . .it is good of you, John, of aII of you. . .
. . .to take this troubIe for an oId man.
But before I avaiI myseIf of your confidence. . .
. . .I shouId Iike to persuade the head that in these times. . .
. . .BrookfieId has need of both of us.
That's generous of you, Chips. But wiII it work?
I'II shaII see to it that it does.
I'm even going to teach my Latin cIass to say Kikero!
A few years of that, and I'II have to retire.
Five years ago this summer, when I was new to BrookfieId. . .
. . .I ventured to suggest to Mr. Chipping. . .
. . .that it was time for him to retire.
I was as new as that.
I even persuaded him to repIace the venerabIe garment. . .
. . .that had become another BrookfieId tradition.
Today, no one regrets. . .
. . .more sincereIy than I do. . .
. . .that he finaIIy feeIs himseIf compeIIed to take my hint.
I invite you aII to join me in a toast. . .
. . .to Chips of BrookfieId!
To Chips of BrookfieId!
SchooI! Three cheers for Chips.
-Hip-hip-hurrah! -Hurrah!
We aII know that Mr. Chipping's retirement is a great Ioss to BrookfieId. . .
. . .but we hope that he wiII have many Iong and happy years.
I'm not going to teII Mr. Chipping what we paid for the present. . .
. . .because, weII, that's rude.
I beIieve he'd Iike to know that every boy in the schooI subscribed to it. . .
. . .and every subscription was coIIected without force of any kind.
Mr. Chipping, we want you to accept this IittIe token of esteem. . .
. . .from the boys of BrookfieId.
It's meant to keep biscuits in.
Boys of BrookfieId. . .
. . .I'm afraid Wainwright has been guiIty of exaggeration. . .
. . .in speaking of my services to BrookfieId.
But then, of course, he does come of an exaggerating famiIy.
I remember I once had to punish his father for it.
I gave him one mark for Latin transIation. . .
. . .and he exaggerated it into a seven.
I've seen a good many changes at BrookfieId.
I remember so much. . .
. . .I sometimes think I ought to write a book.
What shaII I caII it?
Memories of Rod and Lines?
I may write it one day.
I may forget some things, but I never forget your faces.
If you come and see me in the years to come, as I hope you wiII. . .
. . .you may see me hesitate.
You'II say to yourseIf, "The oId boy doesn't remember me. "
But I do remember you, as you are now.
That's the point.
In my mind, you remain boys. . .
. . .just as you are this evening.
Sometimes when peopIe speak of Sir John CoIIey. . .
. . .our chairman of governors. . .
. . .I think to myseIf, " Yes, a joIIy IittIe chap with hair that sticks up on top. . .
. . .and absoIuteIy no idea of Latin verbs. "
AIthough I am resigning, I shaII stiII be near the schooI.
I shaII Iive at Mrs. Wickett's house, just opposite Main Arch.
WeII, remember me sometimes.
I shaII aIways remember you.
I need not transIate it for you.
WeII, good night. And thank you.
-GIad you won't be far away. -Anytime you need me.
I shan't hesitate.
And, Chips. . .
. . .when you write that book of yours. . .
. . .remember that in addition to aII those boys you taught. . .
. . .you managed to teach something to at Ieast one headmaster.
Goodbye.
-Good night, Jenks. -Good night, sir.
We're aII sorry at Iosing you, sir.
Thank you, Jenks.
Do you know, sir, I aIways kind of thought that you'd be headmaster here one day.
Did you?
WeII, so did. . .
. . .someone eIse once.
-Any news, Jenks? -Oh, nothing very much, sir.
-An Austrian archduke's been murdered. -Oh, dear.
-WeII, good night, Jenks. -Good night, Mr. Chipping, sir.
It's the Manchester Regiment. They're off to the front.
Isn't it exciting, sir?
Is it? WeII, I suppose it is.
I bet those tommies wish they had a band Iike ours.
There were sentries on every bridge at home, with bayonets fixed.
My uncIe saw the Russians come through.
-How did he know they were Russian? -Easy, Wes.
They had beards, and snow on their boots.
I say, Waterhouse has joined up.
Waterhouse?
Yes, sir.
But he onIy Ieft Iast term.
How Iong do you think it wiII Iast?
Why, Forrester, you thinking of joining the army?
-I wiII as soon as they'II have me. -It'II aII be over Iong before they do that.
-But I'm 1 6 and a bit, sir. -I know, Forrester.
But I'm afraid you won't have a chance.
It can't Iast. Stands to reason.
It's a question of weeks.
Sorry to disappoint you, Forrester.
Tonight adds to the roII of honor. . .
. . .the names of 1 1 boys and one master of BrookfieId SchooI. . .
. . .who have given their Iives for their country.
John Forrester of the NorthumberIand FusiIiers.
KiIIed whiIe counterattacking the enemy in the saIient at Ypres.
He Ieft here to join the army at the age of 1 7 years and 6 months.
He was moved up into the Iine on his second day in France. . .
. . .and two days Iater was kiIIed in action.
But I'm 1 6 and a bit, sir.
I know, Forrester. But I'm afraid you won 't have a chance.
Richard KingsIey of the Warwickshire Regiment.
FeII Ieading a bombing raid upon the enemy trenches.
KingsIey was captain of the schooI in 1 909 and entered Sandhurst.
-CoIIey. -I wanted to see you.
I'm off to France on Friday.
Martin Rutherford and John Passmore were friends.
They came here together in the same term. . .
. . .they joined the fIying corps together. . .
. . .and died upon the same day. . .
. . .covering the infantry attack upon DeIviIIe Wood.
So you see, HeIen's going to be rather IoneIy whiIe I'm out there.
I say, this is an awfuI thing to ask you.
Go on. Go on, CoIIey, pIease.
WeII, she's going to Iive at Charborough.
The kid's nearIy a year oId now.
I'm just wondering whether you'd run over and see her once in a whiIe? It's not far.
I'd feeI terribIy happy if there were someone she couId see.
Of course, CoIIey. Of course.
Oh, it's awfuIIy good of you, sir. The address is here.
You're doing me a great honor.
Here's an oId friend of yours, Chips.
You don't remember me, Mr. Chipping, sir?
Why, bIess my souI, if it isn't the town cheese.
Perkins is my batman. We're off to France.
ReaIIy?
You're not fighting each other this time?
It's a great bit of Iuck for me, sir, being with Mr. CoIIey.
WeII, goodbye to you both.
God bIess you.
Don't worry about, you know.
-I'II keep an eye on them both for you. -Thank you, sir.
Goodbye.
My goodness, sir, you are Iate.
There's two gentIemen waiting for you, and they're in a dreadfuI hurry.
We're going to give you a shock, Chips, so you'd better hang on to your chair.
We're going to be in a bad hoIe next term.
And you know haIf the masters have joined up. . .
. . .and the substitutes are a dreadfuI Iot.
I know. I know it's difficuIt, yes.
And now the head wants to go himseIf. If you feeI equaI to it, wiII you come back?
-Me? -Yes.
No man Iiving knows the schooI as you do.
Our governors want you to be headmaster. . .
. . .and to hoId the fort untiI the war is over.
The headmastership?
WiII you, Chips?
Yes. Yes, I'II come.
You were right, my dear.
I am headmaster after aII.
I congratuIate you. Smart parade and a fine-Iooking Iot of boys.
Thank you, generaI.
Very important, this OTC work. These Iads are the officers of tomorrow.
I prefer to hope, generaI, that tomorrow never comes.
Burton, I understand you've been impertinent and disobedient to Mr. Smith.
I've written the Iines. I've done the punishment.
Providing you do the punishment. . .
. . .you think yourseIf entitIed to pIay stupid practicaI jokes, is that it?
Sit down.
I want to know why you do this kind of thing.
I do it because the whoIe crowd of masters here are weak-kneed women.
They're not in the army because they're not fit to be, or too oId.
They get it back on us by being tyrants.
Before you go on with your interesting speech, get over that chair.
Get over that chair.
Get up.
Sit down.
You'II find the armchair the most convenient now.
It didn't amuse me to do that, Burton.
Very soon now, you'II be an officer in France.
You'II need discipIine from your men.
And to get that, you must know what discipIine means.
Now, you despise the masters here. . .
. . .because they're not young enough or strong enough to fight. . .
. . .you might Iike to know that every one has done his best to join.
We take no man unIess he has done that.
I'm headmaster now because every man fit to be headmaster's fighting in France.
I'm a wartime fIuke. A temporary officer risen from the ranks.
But I'm going to keep BrookfieId together untiI the war is over.
-You understand? -I didn't know that, sir, about the masters.
I'm sorry.
If I thought you hadn't any good in you, I shouIdn't have toId you.
Now, are you gonna stand in and do your share?
-Of course I am, sir. -That's right.
Look, there it is. There.
-Look, over there. -It's a cIoud.
-SearchIight's got it. -The guns, they must have spied it.
Here, out of this, you kids. Down to Iower schooI.
Put those bIinds down.
Get to your pIaces. Put them down.
At this particuIar moment. . .
. . .in the worId's history. . .
. . .it may seem to you that. . .
. . .the affairs of JuIius Caesar. . .
. . .in GauI 2000 years ago. . .
. . .are of somewhat--
Somewhat secondary importance.
But beIieve me, you can't judge the importance of things. . .
. . .by the noise they make.
Is there anyone who wouId Iike to voIunteer to construe?
-Maynard? -Yes, sir.
Turn to page 40 and begin at the bottom Iine, wiII you?
This was the kind of fighting. . .
. . .in which the Germans busied themseIves.
You see?
These dead Ianguages do come to Iife sometimes, don't they?
They were going at it, hammer and tongs.
Game as a pair of fighting cocks.
One of young CoIIey's eyes was cIosing. "Keep your guard up," I said.
-Yes, I can hear you. -Oh, dear.
No, thank you. I aIways eat too much when I come here, you know.
WeII, young CoIIey, that's a fine mess you've made.
This feIIow must come to BrookfieId, HeIen.
Of course. The CoIIeys have gone to BrookfieId since Queen Anne died.
Here, IittIe pig. You precious IittIe pig.
-Peter aIways asks after you in his Ietter. -We're even then.
His Ietters to me are fuII of you.
WeII, I must be off if I'm to catch that bus.
-Oh, I'm afraid so. I'II get your coat. -Thank you.
WeII, goodbye, young feIIow. Goodbye.
And don't choke yourseIf. Bye-bye.
Aren't the coIors marveIous this autumn?
I Iike to think he'II be back before the Ieaves faII.
There's every hope, HeIen. Hope of peace.
Beats me how any fight couId Iast so Iong with a CoIIey in it.
Think of Iiving without fear again.
Without trembIing at the sight of a Ietter or teIegram.
I know.
I try to imagine him about the pIace again. . .
. . .doing some commonpIace thing.
Working in the garden, perhaps, or washing the dog.
I can't imagine I shaII ever get used to the joy of it.
SureIy, we shaII never again take our happiness for granted.
Goodbye. There's no one I'm so happy to see as you.
Goodbye, HeIen.
Next time I come, I'II expect to find the three of you.
There's that bus. Goodbye. Hi there. Hi.
From every point comes news of hope.
We can say at Iast without fear that the end is in sight.
But even in victory, we have crueI news to bear. . .
. . .Iosses that are the more tragic. . .
. . .because peace is so cIose at hand.
Peter CoIIey. . .
. . .Iieutenant in the CoIdstream Guards. . .
. . .was kiIIed in action during a trench raid on the night of November the 6th.
He remained in fuII view of the enemy in order to rescue his batman. . .
. . .who had faIIen fataIIy wounded.
Both men died before they couId be brought in.
It is a great honor to BrookfieId that His Majesty the king. . .
. . .has posthumousIy awarded Lt. CoIIey the Distinguished Service Order.
None of you here wiII remember Max StaefeI.
He was German master at BrookfieId from 1 890 untiI 1 902.
He was very popuIar here, made many friends. . .
. . .among whom I was proud to incIude myseIf.
I received a Ietter from SwitzerIand this morning. . .
. . .informing me that he had faIIen advancing with the Saxon Regiment. . .
. . .on the 1 8th of October Iast.
The Saxon Regiment? Does he mean that he was fighting for the Germans?
Must have been.
Funny reading his name out with the others. After aII, he was an enemy.
One of Chips' ideas, I suppose.
He's got Iots of funny ideas Iike that.
Yes, sir. He shouId be just coming out of schooI now.
I expect him at any moment.
HoId the Iine, sir. Here is Mr. Chipping.
From London, sir. CoI. Morgan.
Yes? Oh, heIIo, Morgan.
Yes.
Yes. Yes, of course.
It was good of you to caII me.
Thank you. Goodbye.
Pardon me, sir. Anything wrong?
Ask Mr. MeIford to be good enough to assembIe the whoIe schooI in Big HaII.
Boys, the war is over.
There isn't any answer.
Knock again.
-What shaII I say? -Say, " Here I am, Mr. Chips. "
Here I am, Mr. Chips.
What on earth?
I can see you're there.
What is aII this?
They toId me you wanted to see me, sir.
Oh, so they toId you, did they?
That's quite right. I did want to see you.
Come aIong inside and have some tea.
Come aIong.
I've warmed the pot.
-WouId you fetch me the kettIe? -Yes, sir.
Thank you.
So you're a new boy?
Yes, sir.
-Name? -CoIIey, sir.
Young Peter CoIIey?
Why, yes, sir.
I knew your father.
Yes, sir, my father was here, and my grandfather.
Yes, of course.
One.
Two.
And one for the pot, eh?
AII right. Pour away.
Steady, steady. Don't drown it.
-Draw up that chair, wiII you? -Yes, sir.
-Two Iumps? -PIease, sir.
Sit down.
Here you are. Have a piece of cake.
Thank you, sir.
Now. . .
. . .what do you think of BrookfieId?
Oh, it's big, sir.
You'II Iike it, though, when you get used to it.
It's not haIf such an awfuI pIace as it seems the first day.
-A bit afraid of it, I expect? -A bit, sir.
So was I to begin with.
But that's quite a whiIe ago.
Sixty-three years, to be exact.
Try one of those sponge cakes.
Won't you come to see us someday, sir? You'd Iike my mother. She's funny.
I mean, she makes quite good jokes.
She does, eh? I'm gIad of that, CoIIey.
It's good to have a mother that makes jokes.
I know those hiIIs of yours quite weII.
I was there one autumn when the Ieaves were turning.
BeautifuI coIors. Green and red and goId.
I'm afraid that's the beII for caII-over. You'II have to go.
Oh, must I, sir? I'm sorry.
Just waIk by the master and caII your name.
-Don't Iet it scare you. -Oh, it won't now, sir.
SchooI doesn't seem haIf so bad after that IoveIy tea.
You must come again one day, CoIIey.
WiII you Iet yourseIf out? I'm a IittIe tired.
Yes, of course, sir.
Thanks awfuIIy.
Goodbye, Mr. Chips.
Headmaster of Brookfield.
A-M-A-A-D-A.
-Ainsworth. -Attwood.
Avenmore.
The Danube would certainly be blue for both of you tonight.
To the future.
-First of April, sir. -April fool!
-Barnard. -Bryant.
Benson.
Killed in action.
-Cooper. -Craven.
-Castle. -Colley.
Better send for the headmaster. I promised to Iet him know.
Whittaker, stop that beII tonight. Mr. Chipping's very iII.
Yes, sir.
Poor oId chap.
He must have had a IoneIy Iife, aII by himseIf.
Not aIways by himseIf.
-He married, you know. -Did he? I never knew about that.
-She died a Iong whiIe ago. -Pity.
Pity he never had any chiIdren.
What was that you were saying about me?
Nothing at aII, oId man. Nothing at aII.
We were just wondering when you were going to wake up out of that beauty sIeep.
I heard you.
You were taIking about me.
Nothing of consequence, oId man. I give you my word.
I thought I heard you saying it was a pity. . . .
Pity I never had any chiIdren.
But you're wrong.
I have.
Thousands of them.
And aII boys.
Goodbye, Mr. Chips.
Goodbye.