Tom Brown's School Days (1940 film)
| Tom Brown's School Days | |
|---|---|
.jpg) DVD cover art (2004) | |
| Directed by | Robert Stevenson |
| Produced by |
C. Graham Baker Gene Towne |
| Written by |
Thomas Hughes (novel) Walter Ferris Frank Cavett Gene Towne C. Graham Baker Robert Stevenson (add. dialogue) |
| Starring |
Sir Cedric Hardwicke Freddie Bartholomew Jimmy Lydon |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 86 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Tom Brown's School Days is a 1940 coming-of-age drama film about a teenage boy's experiences at Rugby School, Warwickshire in the early 19th century under the reforming headmastership of Thomas Arnold. It stars Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Freddie Bartholomew and Jimmy Lydon in the title role. The film was based on the 1857 novel Tom Brown's School Days by Thomas Hughes.
In this version, emphasis is placed on the development of Headmaster Thomas Arnold and his reformist ideas concerning the English public school.[1] It was well received by critics, with Variety praising it in a January 1940 review as "sympathetically and skillfully made, with many touching moments and an excellent cast". Hardwicke's performance as Arnold was called "one of the best he has ever given," as the veteran actor convincingly tempered the headmaster's strict demeanor with "the underlying sympathy, tolerance, quiet humour and steadfast courage" for which Arnold was acclaimed.[1] Jimmy Lydon as the title character was called "believable and moving in the early portions, but too young for the final moments".[1]
The June 27, 1940, debut of the film version at New York City's Radio City Music Hall was chronicled in a photo spread by The New York Times, "showing some of the pastimes, curricular and otherwise", as the fight scene between Tom Brown and Flashman was captioned.[2]
DVD version
The 1940 film version was released on DVD in 2004, with a cover illustration of Dr. Arnold with Tom Brown and Flashman, as the famed educator admonishes the two after their fight.
Cast
- Cedric Hardwicke as Dr. Thomas Arnold
- Freddie Bartholomew as East
- Jimmy Lydon as Tom Brown
- Josephine Hutchinson as Mrs. Mary Arnold
- Billy Halop as Flashman
- Polly Moran as Sally Harowell
- Hughie Green as Walker Brooke
- Ernest Cossart as Squire Brown
- Alec Craig as Old Thomas
- Gale Storm as Effie
Reception
The film recorded a loss of $110,000.[3]
References
- 1 2 3 "Tom Brown's School Days; Adventures at Rugby". Variety. January 1, 1940. Retrieved December 6, 2008.
- ↑ "Reflections of passing events in the screen world" (PDF). The New York Times. June 23, 1940. Retrieved 2009-01-23.
- ↑ Richard B. Jewell, RKO Radio Pictures: A Titan Is Born, University of California Press, 2012 p 203
External links
- Tom Brown's School Days at the Internet Movie Database
- Tom Brown's School Days is available for free download at the Internet Archive
- Tom Brown's School Days at the TCM Movie Database
- Tom Brown's School Days at AllMovie