Original subtitles

[Music]

it's all right mrs wicked i'm a wig

there you are sir

nice and clean for chapel

thank you

i put the kettle on

should i make the tea hmm

do you like the orange pickle

no no leave it i can do it

i mate if i i'm not decrepid

you know sir

i can still never tell whether you are

asleep or not when i come into the room

i hardly know myself

oh excuse me sir

dreaming

or daydreaming

then what can i do for you young man

good afternoon ma'am please it's mr

chips in

mr chipping lives here

you kind of remember that

mr chipping i'm over so sorry but i was

told to ask for mr chips

i'm so sorry ma'am good afternoon no no

no no not so fast

you might have the laugh on those

practical jokers yet

fingers were made before forks

you'll have to learn polite ways when

you're older but

don't forget your napkin oh listen

when you're a man you'll also learn

about wine

but it's my pleasure to teach you the

mysteries of tea

now remember

we don't want it to stand too long

we want it to brew not stew egg ransom

yes sir

take sugar oh yes sir

it's a bit too brown for my taste but at

least invigorating

now

tell me wasn't there a prank some here

at school some oh it must have been 20

years ago at least yes sir the peter was

here

overweight i remember bring some primers

and bring some secundus my uncle john

was younger than father he was here too

rank some j

oh he was killed in the great war

it was a camp day

1917

and i could never succeed in making him

understand the ablative absolute

huh

i expect mrs wicket told you um

about

about the joke that fellas played on me

about your name oh

well i believe them because

well so the page talks about you ever so

often

but he always calls you mr chips

he probably calls me old chips

do i taught here for 38 years

well before i finally retired that was

over 15 years ago

i remember so much that no one else

remembers

i'll tell you a secret

i am writing a book

well

it's just the odd josting so it doesn't

get forgotten

eat your cake come on yes sir

[Music]

oh

oh there's the prep bear lady take it

with you take it with you never be late

for prep

bye sir thank you fatigue yes now when

you write to your father you'll remember

me to him wouldn't you i will sir take

your cap go on

what is it

well i was trying to do something in my

head uh-huh you said 38 years and 15

years retired

well that makes oh a long time ago

doesn't it yes sir that got along got

along

boys boys

a very long time ago

some years before i had come down from

cambridge to begin my career as a

teacher

i was not a success

host followed post

failure followed failure

sir brookfield school

my nerve was almost broken

and now miraculously my application for

a position at yet another school had

received a favorable answer it seemed i

was to be given one final chance

mr tripping i will be frank with you you

are here because my junior classics

master mr millard sustained a severe

injury while climbing in the swiss alps

and is unable to return to teaching

it is late in the academic year and most

of the promising candidates have found

posts

however

i need help

hence the chance that i'm giving you

well thank you sir and i shall try to

justify my confidence

understand that mr chipping in the

meantime you must consider yourself on

probation

eventually perhaps you will find

yourself more suited to holy orders

acquired country accuracy

well i i'm as christian as the next man

but i do not believe the church to be my

calling

i still believe the teaching is

mr c

i will show you your rooms

this is your study

and uh

ah yes these are your sleeping quarters

your predecessor found them quite

adequate and comfortable

carpet only needs beating

i have a chair sent up

any complaints

nonetheless you'll be taking the lower

third i've set them a latin text

a passage from caesar's garlic wars

good afternoon

is everyone here

yes yes

good

well

now before we start

new to this school

i i say you sir

sir

what's your name please colley sir huh

well you are late colleen yes i'm

awfully sorry sir i was answering a call

of nature

if you've ever been in that embarrassing

position i'll be quiet could you sir sit

down

sir thank you sir

now

i am your new phone master

and my name is tipping please could you

spell it

yes

oh chipping sir i thought you said

shipping chipping as in chips

[Music]

yes sir it was the beginning to look for

the e-neared wasn't it

you know very well the headmaster set

your passage from caesar's gallic wars

oh i am forgetful let me see

dave bella gallico wasn't it i expect

lots of other chaps have got the wrong

books

hey you you instigated that me sir

yes since you're so fond of the in-ear

you will write me the first hundred

lines of book four by tomorrow morning

now carry on quietly all of you

[Music]

i did not go down on my knees to pray as

every zelda young christian man was

expected to do in those days

i had told the headmaster i was as much

a christian as the next man

i should have had it and no more so

but there was a prayer racking every

fiber of me for courage to face

not the future

it's just the next day

[Music]

now i understand in roman history you

have just done the second punic wars

that's um

chapter three in your books

mr colley

i believe you have something for me

afraid not sir

oh

well why not had a frightful headache

sir couldn't even see properly did you

get a matron no sir hercule for

everything is a dose of syrup of figs

and you know what that does i'd be late

for form again you ask the traps i'm

right aren't i it's

[Applause]

you behave like a lot of sheep

[Applause]

hey

[Applause]

mr chips

i'm sorry sir what are you doing behind

there making your bed sir i do the

masters rooms

well why did you close the curtain

well you've been crying no sir

yes sir i'm sorry sir

who you wanted to hide expect so sir why

are you crying

yes you do

what's that first housemate sir just how

smooth she's after me something awful oh

look don't cry and

um use my handkerchief

sit down

perhaps i could help i

i could speak to the headmaster oh no

sir he has nothing to do with the

servants

matron's in charge of us and she'll just

come here something give me a dose of

card yes

yes i know

i was going to run away sir

oh we're too i don't know so are you

home i haven't got one sir i came here

from the orphanage

but then where to dunno sir but that

would be terrible

what's your name daisy daisy

a young girl alone

well

let it suffice that there are far worse

people in this world than our first

housemate yes sir but it is hard on a

girl

well life is hard we have to face all

that

we can't run away all our lives can we

no sir

we have to teach ourselves to face it

yes sir i best get on then sir i've got

three more rooms thank you sir excuse me

giving good advice to others is seldom

difficult

yet in that young girl's problems i saw

a reflection of my own

i saw too that somehow i had to find the

answer

i was no great sportsman

but i had had the good fortune to be up

at cambridge when the varsities were

discovering the cricket was not just a

slam or miss game

even now i pride myself that i took a

few wickets for my college

[Music]

[Applause]

boys

sit down william

what exactly is this some sort of game

no sir roman history sir

i was showing them how hannibal's wore

elephants charged

i see

well that's most place worthy of you

sit down colleen

quickly and quietly

right a book's away now i want you into

your whites and down on the cricket

field in ten minutes and college and you

sir what's your name

wilson i want you to go to the

groundsman and collect the gear one set

of stumps a bat

and plenty of pads

[Music]

would you do me the honor delighted

[Music]

[Applause]

i thought it's good to make a hole in my

bat can i have another ball please next

time

uh

by now i could see that i was beginning

to capture the attention of the boys

i told them of the miracles performed by

dr grace and mr buchanan showed them how

bowling could be cunningly dead

[Music]

cricket was not only an art but of

science

i do require 100 lines before dormitory

battle

[Applause]

come in

oh collie

my lines

oh

well

well sir what's worth doing it's worth

doing well eh even ragging a master

you make a habit of it not exactly sir

just a new master eh well sir if you'll

stand for wrecking he's not much of a

master well that's a profound truth

colin

kindly note i will stand for no further

ragging yes sir good night sir good

night oh sir it'll be all right in class

i'll see you to that no colleen

i will

yes sir good night sir good night

expert

[Music]

and so slowly but surely

i began to grasp the rudiments of my

profession

for a time i even nursed the young

school master's proper ambition of

becoming a headmaster

but as i settle comfortably into the

routine of a school master's life

i began gradually to realize my

limitations

i was a possible sportsman and a

possible but very ordinary teacher

and then now i

i was even a passable disciplinarian

yes i was happy enough

and i took a certain pride in having

become something of an institution of

the school

i was 47 years old

but always very fortunate to have such

fine weather on founders day then the

ladies can delight us with their

exquisite dresses they're so much nicer

than umbrellas

ah

chips

oh old boy's privileged to call you

chips eh

i think you know mrs farrell

and this is my little girl amanda hello

amanda's not a little girl george she

came out last year she was invited to a

bowl at londonderry house wonderfully

exciting sell enough soap you don't need

noble ancestors

mussy meldrum i'll leave you to the

ladies huh

mr chipping how's my boy john

progressing

hold your hand well

quite satisfactorily yeah well then

headmaster isn't about time you told us

why we've been invited up here oh i just

wanted in peace and quiet to see some of

my more distinguished parents the

richest do you mean i know a few of them

i've seen you having the the little word

all around what is it this time

chapel roof

brookfield mission but how do you find

his behavior

his behavior oh

excellent excellent well he's a little

beast at home honestly mr chipping

isn't he really a little beast here as

well

oh your plate's empty perhaps i can get

you something more

more cake perhaps no we won't be tempted

anymore thank you

oh well then if you will forgive me i'm

delighted of metro excuse me

um

starting a new man no stuff welfare he

was absolutely terrified of me mama

i hope he's not so terrified with his

boy's headmaster mr chipping is an

excellent teacher otherwise he would not

be here

bartron has smiled upon me tripping

indeed headmaster

anderson has decided to accept his

family's living which would mean his

early departure from us and this puts me

in the happy position of being able to

offer you the house mastership of school

house

excellent quarters and an increment of

remuneration

i have no desire for advancement sir i'm

perfectly happy as i am you are the

longest serving member of my staff

you have become part of the school to

boys and masters alike i told you many

years ago that you had to win my

confidence

there is no man that i would rather

trust with the welfare of the boys of

school house mr anderson is married all

house masters are married

well aware of the problem and that

you're a bachelor i intend to engage a

first-class matron who will look after

the domestic affairs while you look

after the welfare of the boys now what

you say

i i would be honored to accept the

recognition that

yes

and as to nature if i make a suggestion

it's just a glass to celebrate our

splendid promotion thank you sir

now this is weird

i think please sit down

i think you will run schoolhouses

efficiently as you have the living room

and you'll be a mother to all those boys

thank you sir

of course you being a gentleman not much

older than myself and me being a widow i

shall have to live out my own house

that's only proper but i shall be here

all day and i should sit up all night if

a sick boy needed me

who would have thought today all those

years ago when an extremely nervous

young master met a little maid called

daisy hiding behind the curtains i see

you remembering that

oh you were so kind to me

oh i shall never forget that morning mrs

wicked i hope i'll never forget it

either

you'll have an excellent set of room sir

they do well for a married man

well there's no danger of my becoming

that

and so i became a bachelor house master

it was the following spring that i went

hill walking

enjoying the beauty of the countryside

in happy solitude

i say

are you in trouble have you found one

yes

hello

stay calm

[Music]

ah

[Music]

are you all right

it's my ankle

[Music]

oh twisted it

rotten luck

how do you do chipping

chipping very formal in the

circumstances

i'm kathryn bridges and this is my

friend ethnie moore

how'd you do

how do you do we'll get you home but

it's impossible

and that was how i met my catherine

[Music]

part two is next sunday at the earlier

time 5 35.

[Music]

uh splendid cup of tea as usual

well

nothing to worry about mr chipping he

tires very easily dr maryvale

and last winter he had trouble with his

breathing in the cold weather well keep

him warm i'm glad to see you've got a

good fire and keep him indoors there's a

lot of flu about

good night mr chipping goodnight i'll be

back in a fortnight for another cup of

tea

thank you doctor okay thank you doctor

watch his chest and his tickle is not

too strong

dear old boy

mixing the teeth

bachelor

[Music]

he's on the hub with a nice lady

are you comfortable sir

yes thank you

i'm thankful those two ladies rescued

you but to think what the world is

coming to young women climbing hills on

their own deplorable they're itunes

thankful thankful or not to still say it

was on ladylike i dare say their

specimens of what the newspapers refer

to as the new woman new woman indeed we

women have quite enough to do at home

that's scrambling up mountains and

careering about on those safety bicycle

things

what is this that

oh

look

no would you believe it

and the very words not out of my lips

it's one of those two has brought you

oh yes miss bridges

how nice of her to call on a bicycle

nevertheless we must give her some teeth

oh

yes sir

mrs fuller yes sir

you may care to have tea with us as you

wished her

exquisite

very nice mr chippy

i was just excited to get my first

puzzle

and i thought you were just waving the

hell no i was waving to tell anthony

it was unforgivable of me

to be careless in my footing

i wish you'd stop apologizing mr chicken

it's not as if i were beginner is it

to act on impulse is unforgivable i like

impulsive people

but i can't stand self-reproach

grateful as i am for your visit

i'm sorry to have spoiled yet another

day for you there you go again sorry

sorry

mr chipping it's also superior and

condescending

so

doll's house doll's house

ibsen

oh yes how unread of me

i'm sorry miss bridges

sorry again

you're incurable

wouldn't you have done the same for me

you see miss a gentleman may call upon a

lady but a lady is brazen if she calls

upon a gentleman

since you asked me miss i was brought up

to believe she should not be

unaccompanied

if you'll excuse me

do you know anything about the

i'm still safely chaperoned i see

does it make you feel safer mr chippy

miss bridges i'm an old fogey with with

old-fashioned ways

please don't waste any more of your

holiday on me

what do you see in the man cathy

i simply feel sorry for him

he's stuck indoors all day with no one

for company except mrs fuller

and she drives them dotty with local

gossip

he needs a bit of good talk and so do i

thank you catherine

idiot

i'm in with someone new

he may be old-fashioned

he maddens me sometimes but

he argues keenly and

well honorably

and he's ready to listen

i think it's just as well we're going

home in a couple of days

ethni

that's what i wanted to tell you

i have no job to go back to and

which is lovely up here

would you mind awfully traveling alone

i think i've decided to stay on here

just for another week or so

[Music]

miss bridges the development of english

society has always been an evolutionary

one respect for the family of the church

the state must be maintained it's where

the position of women is concerned this

is those very institutions which holding

them back in so many ways

would you mind if we

[Music]

i'm sorry i've overtired you well not at

all it's

let's just

i must confess miss bridges that your

revolutionary ideas make my head well

women's emancipation is not revolution

it is common sense

you read mr bernard shaw he's a

socialist fear not such horrors i'm

simply a radical radical

your parents approve i have no parents

over there

please forgive the intrusion i hope it

was not painful not at all i live with

my aunt in healing when i'm not earning

my keepers of governors i'm out of

employment at the moment

i haven't bored you with all my chatter

have i bored me

on the contrary this is becoming a most

enjoyable holiday

perhaps it was because i too lost my

parents when young

that the school has become my whole life

you love it don't you yes i do i must

confess

but it has been an enclosed world for so

long

i mean you've made me feel that time has

passed me by

you'll just have to run a bit and catch

up

that's what you've compelled me to do

mind you i disagree with nearly

everything you advocate

after you

you hate the plutocrats who are taking

over england

you hate jingerism and grabbing colonies

and south african gold and this awful

race with germany to build more

battleships and train more soldiers

so do i

you're wonderful

i look to the past do you think

and i to the future

mr fuller and i have had our tea

but i don't mind keeping you company oh

no no that's all right mrs fuller um i'm

sure you've got a lot to do in the

kitchen

indeed i have mr chipping

since you are kind enough to remind me

[Music]

last day on the mountains

it's been a good day

my ankle hardly hurts at all i should

think not you're lean and fit you've

kept in condition i'm middle aged

silly word

you're a man of the hills

miss bridges you have my leave to make

fun of me but

i cannot help my age your age

i never dreamed

shall we go on arguing then about

whether women should have the vote

i think not miss british what do you

want to talk about then

i

know

the boat then if you wish

i think not mr chipping

tell me some more about yourself

you know though

little 15 years of brookfield part of

the furniture

bit of a joke

old chips

that's it

i'm blessed if i'm going to keep calling

you mr chipping

your chips

chips

by all means miss bridges and i refuse

from this moment to answer to miss

bridges

it's catherine

catherine

and you have a delightful smile

oh pray them as prisoners no

catherine this is wrong

what is

that i should take up the time and claim

the friendship of

of one as young and beautiful as you

oh chips i'm so glad i met you

but why

that's the wonder of it i don't know

i've never met a man before i couldn't

see through

and the young ones were the most boring

i'm never bored with you you're so

unfathomable

you keep saying things that astonish me

you're steely strong inside

and yet you're gentle and quiet

and warm

i am a cold desiccated schoolmaster

well that's what you try to be

oh i've had hardened myself over the

years

but is that what you're doing now

i've told you why i like you

now

tell me why you like me

you do like me

my sprained ankle has been a blessing

from the gods

i've never met anyone like you chips

i have never met anyone like you

would you excuse me

[Music]

so

uh

[Music]

excuse me

[Music]

well i can't thank you enough for

spending so much time

no need anthony went it was nice having

somebody else

[Music]

well it only remains for me

thank you

[Music]

oh chips this is mad

pencil and paper have you pencil and

paper

yes

[Music]

my address i thought you might like to

have it

[Music]

goodbye

[Music]

good morning sorry post on your desk sir

another letter from london sir

catherine and i corresponded regularly

indeed almost daily

but the time soon came when i realized

that the exchange of letters however

frequent was not enough

please man there's a gentleman in the

hall he asked for miss catherine

sent him in

chips

aunt this is mr chipping chips miss

trent my aunt

how do you do miss trent how do you do

mr chipping

my niece has often spoken of you

do sit down

thank you

very well mason

chips

you did not say you were coming

well it's not always easy to get away on

a sunday but this morning my friend mr

round

you remember i spoke of him agreed to

supervise the house for me have you had

luncheon mr chipping yes i have thank

you mr strength

chips should we go for a walk

i do not think mr chipping wishes to see

the streets of ealing before he has to

catch his train back

you may have equal privacy here

will you excuse me mr chipping

i had to come i wanted you to

i'm sure it's the first time in living

memory you've been away from school

during term almost

aren't you going to tell me why you came

i know

we had to see each other didn't we

i am only a school master

it's the best thing to be in the world

yes but have no connections

small means and no no prospective

promotion

cheers

i'm so

catherine would you do me the honor of

becoming my wife

honor be blowed

you love me

i'm afraid i do

then shall you tell aunt or shall i

that we are engaged

[Music]

it looks very nice sir

she's very young

oh yeah but much wiser than i am

i felt it in my bones sir the moment you

told me about your uncle and those young

ladies and then all those letters from

london

oh i wish you every happiness thank you

mrs thank you

we should be married immediately this

time ends

you and i will have much to do preparing

the rooms yes sir

and now um

i better go and tell the headmaster

i think you'll be surprised

i'm sure he will sir

well hello

well well well

uh oh who'd have thought it shipping

you of all people

i'm delighted

splendid news congratulations

dear man

this calls for a glass of cherry

uh

comes to us all they're chipping

the lucky ones

does it not

well i i am indeed as you say fortunate

surpassingly oh thank you

well uh here's your happiness and to

your bride

now

tell me about the lady

well

she's miss catherine bridges

she lives in london splendid

splendid a mature and practical health

meet of years approaching your own

no doubt the future mrs chipping has

qualities that will impress the parents

favorably or should impress anybody

favorably

and fit into our little school community

that we must hope for when she arrives

we shall marry quietly in london at the

end of this term but you'll bring her

down before then

uh i regret not headmaster

such a must my dear man

mrs meldrum would wish to meet her i

would wish to meet her

ah disappointing dripping

oh upper forth away thomas hayson

incidentally headmaster a miss bridges

age scarcely approaches my own

she's 23 years old

wow

[Music]

catherine and i spent the rest of that

summer living in a woodman's cottage in

bavaria

and walking in the mountains

it was a time of perfection such as i

had never known or been able to imagine

[Music]

i think it's all charming

well we must thank mrs wicket for that

i kept rather playing bachelor quarters

it was she who transformed it for you

maddie

thank you i dare say you'll have your

own ideas for your home mrs chipping oh

no hurry it takes time to make a home

chips

you want to go to the common room mrs

wicked and i will have lots to chat

about oh um

women's business stuff said

i'm very glad for him ma'am

thank you for saying that

please sit down

but

not mom i think it sounds

well subordinate and you are the matron

of school house well that's kind of you

to say that mom but the house master's

wife is generally in charge oh i do mean

to pull my weight i should like to help

you whenever i can well that would be

appreciated

and i hope you will help me

i'm only a new girl

i've much to learn you can rely on me

ma'am

to tell you the truth i am much relieved

by this talk

i was uh concerned about my position

well now we know where we both stand

let us be friends on that matron thank

you

and you have lived with your family and

the two mrs chipping with my auntie

kneeling healing

uh well it was trying to make you

welcome here

mrs meldrum will wish to invite you to

dinner or

some such gathering but we must give you

a chance to settle in first aid chipping

indeed headmasters

and were you educated to the latest

college or did you have a governess have

a governor's

i was a governess after my aunt had made

great sacrifices to send me to a small

private school governor's a very worthy

occupation where should we be without

them

and now that we have the care not of one

family's children but of 60 boys do not

find the prospect daunting not in the

least headmaster i have my husband's

example to inspire me ah yes and a debt

of gratitude to discharge to you

to me mr b my husband loves this school

he came here very young

you gave him his chance

well i pride myself on knowing a good

man when i see one hey tripping

that's kind of you today

i love brookfield already just for its

age and traditions

i can see those boys in the time of

queen elizabeth in their dovelets and

hoes and shining morning

faces and all the thousands of boys

since

our history they lived it

i expect there was a school holiday to

celebrate waterloo

that is what you and the school are

carrying on

and i should like to be a humble part of

it i couldn't have put it more

eloquently myself

i must uh speak to mrs meldrum a dinner

party

certainly a dinner party and before the

week has passed

um

[Music]

morning this is chipping hello mrs

wicket

i miss his chipping is there anything

you want in the village i'm just taking

in the house food order for next week

hottest boys brought my order but thank

you for offering

oh mrs wickett

you know what i said about helping you

you ask me

would you want your clue if i glanced at

your list

i want to learn

you never know when you might be away

i'll never go away

and touch wood i'm never ill either

still

you feed the boys jolly well

i love your roasts and your shepherd's

pie

but the boys do get rather a lot of

stodge

i've read a good deal on food reform

we could teach them to like a little

salad sometimes and fish and fruit

better for their health they get their

fruit in pies

but they don't scrub from orchards boys

being boys

and they don't like fish and they call

salad rabbits food

also i have no more than my allowance to

spend and what you call stodge mrs

tripping

is cheaper

i'm sure

but we might be able to make some

savings would you like me to look

through the account book

you may see my book anytime you wish mrs

trippy

come in

this is wicked

which one would you choose

i brought you my book man

oh

thank you excuse me mum

mrs wicket

please sit down

i was worried yesterday when you told me

you never took a holiday

well

come the school holidays i do my odd

jobs here i tidy up at home and and i

put up my feet when i want to

you should get away see some new places

i could take charge if you went yes i'm

sure you would mrs chipping and mr

chipping and i know some lovely places

in the dale well if you don't mind madam

i would sooner decide such matters for

myself

or do think about it

mrs wickett

i really think

if we substituted cheese for meat at one

meal we might be able to save enough to

buy more fruit and

vegetables oh

this is wicked chips i was talking to

mrs wicket about the boy's food okay i

think you better decide that with mr

chipping man that's not for me to say of

course it is you are matron thank you

am i

mrs wicked i think mrs chipping will

soon be a matron of schoolhouse sir if

you'll excuse me oh no mrs wicket please

[Music]

sir

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

so i say tarrant come on

come on rising bow and ages ago

fisher told me you were groggy

look you'll have to report to the sand

come on

what's the matter

good morning mrs wicked

ma'am that's the usual call order madam

of course you can alter that if you wish

of course not and that is my linen list

i trust that's in order i'm sure it is

mrs wiki thank you ma'am if you excuse

me

excuse me young man you're not supposed

to use those stairs at private i'm sorry

mrs wicker it's one of the boys in the

dormitory he doesn't look too well who

is it

i just don't know what to do about her

she generally consults me on everything

and when i tell her she is in charge she

says very well mum and marches off

before i can say a word more it's only

anxiety catherine i would remove her

anxiety if she would only listen

yes i should have prepared her more for

your coming

yes

sorry to interrupt you sir i wonder if

you would come with me to the junior

dormitory i'll just bring my breath

young master taran sir

i don't like the look of it at all

oh

it's all right excuse me my dear thank

you

it's sir a cold mixing you've had it for

days it was only a cold until you went

and played soccer in the rain i told you

to get off games

it was my first match in the house

eleven sir a jolly good game you played

i'm sure there's some inflammation sir

like it pneumonia i say jolly lots of

people die if that don't

you oh my lad we'll have you right in no

time in the

so don't send me to sand i want to stay

with wixie

that's true

all right tune up mrs wicked to look

after him we'll have the doctor in to

see you this morning jolly good

keep keep

you mustn't throw your blankets off no

matter how hot you feel

like a drink

seen wixy with this condition before yes

quite right

there's a grave danger of you maria

i've told mrs wicket to take the boy's

temperature every hour why should we

back in the

no afternoon you mrs chipping i have my

boarding rod to finish

ah

you're uh right to keep him where he is

he cannot be moved across to the sand in

this weather

the uh the dormitory is very drafty

however can you

protect the boy with a screen or two of

course

i shall break some warm benson when i

return in the meantime mrs wicked has my

instructions

i must meet you good morning

good morning doctor thank you

this is wicked i don't wish to interfere

but even the doctor was worried about

the drafts in here

you know that snug little spare bedroom

we have downstairs

i could arrange to have a fire lit now

he's your patient mrs wicket

would you not move him there

[Music]

yes i would

i would indeed mrs chipping thank you

just as soon as the room's warmed

through

mr melton has sent a telegram asking the

parents to come

good

he's up to 104 now

i'm worried mrs chippy

at least eat something

it will go cold

i don't like to see you doing a maid's

work mrs chipping

there we are

goodbye

now mrs chipping

as soon as we finish this

i think you should pop off the bed

what about you

oh i'm used to it

oh

oh dear

oh my goodness

how long have i been asleep

never mind you'll feel better for it

it is still 104

i've just taken it

sleeping too heavy

i don't like the sound of his breathing

this is wicked i'm so afraid

[Music]

the doctor said 24

[Music]

this temperature is still rising

is this the crisis

oh mama i lost my own poor boy like this

where are the parents

i would have been here soon but i've

been sending telegrams to colonel

tarantin ireland and that awful slow

train oh here is mr bing ah

mr chipping how is peter

is it pneumonia

well um

according to dr gibson you have come

with a crucial time please take me to my

boy at once

of course

head master

come here

this is peter

so

two

[Music]

peter

peter

oh this is wicked

[Music]

let him sleep

he's turned the corner

and how can you tell me that this

temperature's right down

i've no such cases i know

[Music]

he is sleeping peacefully

mrs chipping how can i thank you

mrs wicked

i am so grateful

[Music]

[Music]

call over bell quite confuses me

it brings back such a cloud of memories

that i don't know which to put down

hid the sack of potatoes in the organ

loft and the sack burst open and they

all rolled out during prayers yes

that was master dunster him that was

drowned at the battle of jetland

that followed a time of such happiness

that after all these years i can hardly

believe it befell me

my catherine became an essential part of

the life of the soul

a vitality

a simple

unaffected good humor made her beloved

by masters and boys alike

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

is

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

ah

the usual french coin

that's young stanfield

the brookfield mission

take a weekly collection from the boys

the parents send their checks

but i never hear a word spoken about the

mission itself

a lot of schools are maintaining these

slum missions

is maintaining what we do

does nobody ever go there

have you been

never occurred to me to nor to anyone

else except the head i think he went

there once to some ceremony it's in uh

poplar in there yes it's in poplar

what are the foul alleys he said he was

most distressed his boots were

unspeakably dirty

chips

do you want to turn out boys like little

meldrums

to whom the slums mean nothing but dirt

on their boots

of course i don't

all right catherine so what do you

propose eh

your sentiments are admirable chipping i

feed your kind heart has uh got the

better of you

it would be stirring up problems that

are better left untouched except by the

church

well our boys should visit them they

should visit us

and i thought a game of football would

be a start to bring east end hooligans

here

well they are as british as any

brookfield boy

we cannot just satisfy our conscience by

sending the money and keeping them at

arm's length

a dangerous experiment

explosive

but you are my senior master chipping

i will not stand in your way

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

um

[Applause]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

is

[Music]

oh

mission ball

[Applause]

[Music]

goodbye

[Music]

[Applause]

hello

[Applause]

[Music]

all right cut along boys

well our little experiment went well i

think tripping extremely well

and we beat them seven five

to think that a gang of little

ragamuffins like that could get five

goals against brookfield still it was a

good clean game and it behaved quite

decoratively at t time

yes i'm glad i gave my approval to the

venture

perilously it was i must congratulate

yourself thank you that's what this

fellow from the county newspaper said

what the recorder yes he called it a

bold generous gesture of social

reconciliation on my path

and once more he's going to use it in

his leading article on friday it's very

pleasing

very pleasing and i must thank you for

your loyal support to the scheme

chipping and the hard work you put in

carrying it out thank you sir

thank you

and all because the man from the local

newspaper turned up though heaven knows

how he came to do so

you

oh you wonderful ingenious unpredictable

girl you

unpredictable

sit down chips

i want to tell you something

what do you hear

i'm going to have a child

are you sure

i saw dr gibson this morning on my way

to the station to meet the mission boys

i've been almost sure for a few weeks

you're not angry with me for not telling

you sooner

i'm angry i can't

i am so grateful sir

so humble

humble

rot

you're immensely happy and so am i

and what's more

i've never been one for praying

but from now on i'm going to pray every

night

that i shall have a boy

catherine you were a gift from god so

will your child be

where is a boy or a girl

you have spent your whole adult life

looking after other people's boys

i want you to have one of your own

so

uh

stand up

stand up boy

paddington

that's not your locker

what's that in your hand show me

is that your money

come here

give to me

there's been an epidemic of stealing

from the dormitories of the culprit

your countenance betrays you

what earth has impelled you to do such a

thing this is theft look at me

barrington

you're the better of an honoured name of

the heir to a great estate

your father sends you generous pocket

money which we apportioned you amply

each week

this is the meanest of crimes it calls

for the severest of punishments father

please don't tell my father sir

he will have to know

this is an expulsion offense

now the headmaster will not be back

until tonight

then you can find your dormitory

your wheels will be sent up return this

money

this is a wretched affair

he's the last boy i would have thought

of he's such a sensitive choir little

chap

what made him do it

is he bullied no

no he seems to shrink from company and

the other boys leave him very much to

himself

and now you're going to expel him the

headmaster probably will yes

when you have told him

which is my duty catherine

chips i met that boy's parents at speech

day

the mother is a social butterfly

it was quite plain to me she has no time

for her son

even in the holidays

and all the father seems to care about

is the hunt and his horses

the child is unloved and lonely but what

is that to do with theft

let me tell you something i once did at

school

not stealing

it had to do with my friends

i think because i was an orphan

i envied them a little

and one day in broad daylight i

deliberately broke the headmistresses

window who knows why i did it

but luckily for me she seemed to

understand and did not expel me

on the contrary she went out of her way

to be kind to me and take an interest

and it made all the difference in the

world

chips

please talk to the boy

barrington

i'm gonna give you another chance

i'm not gonna report this to the

headmaster oh so now do what loving

you will never do this again

nor any other stupid or revengeful act

against your school fellows or the good

name of the school is that understood oh

yes sir right

you haven't touched your meals

we couldn't sir

are you hungry now

yes sir mrs chipping will make you some

tea

thank you sir i think you better wash

your face don't you yes sir cut along

humanity

now that was katherine's gift to me

[Music]

although my catherine had a tender heart

she was no weak sentimentalist

she had a keen eye for injustice and

oppression

did you see that chips

yes young medic seems most concerned

awfully sorry you're right chad yes sir

are you quite sure you're all right can

sam be blown

he knocked that boy over on purpose

don't be taken in by that innocent look

the boy's a bully

mr medic sir

come here sam

[Music]

what was that behavior i don't know yes

you do

lex

can

you

liar

now this was a law introduced by the

tribune gaius can elias in the year 445

bc

it was part of the effort by the plebs

the commoners to break the social power

of the patricians for it allow

patricians to marry commoners

now if you wish to memorize this law

just recall that if miss plebs wanted mr

patrician to marry her and he said he

couldn't

she'd reply

oh yes you can you liar

can you lie

ah well

and what's delayed you this time

sorry sir porter's boy upset the mailbag

and i helped these are for you sir oh

oh thank you

sit down

now

we mustn't waste any time if we want our

execs for the away match this afternoon

[Music]

catherine i'm sorry

i'm off

bye bye

carry on boys

chips yes have you got your coat on oh

no i didn't think i needed it it's

bitterly cold

i'm not having you go out without it

chips

i wish i could come to the mat oh you

can't i'm taking no chances with you

well enjoy yourself

bye

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

catherine

catherine the school

you see the baby

my dear chipping

catherine

[Music]

it's very sudden

slip on a worn step

premature labor

all at once her heart stopped

the child was stillborn

it was a boy

she did not suffer

dr gibson made heroic efforts

but in vain

what are all those bits of paper sir

it's april fool's day

i don't like to leave you sir

please

[Music]

unhappiness of the middle-aged chips has

been shattered by the death and

childbirth of his young wife catherine

[Music]

oh

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

ah shipping

working late

shipping we've known each other for

many budget

you intimate you'll no longer wish to be

house master of school house

two lives that's all

yes i'm sorry i have nothing more to say

you wrote this too soon my friend

i considered it for many hours

many painful hours which no words are

chipping

we've known each other for over 20 years

this bleak note is not enough

i should not have written so

abruptly

i want you to continue

you've done wonders here

i

have for over 20 years i've been a good

enough teacher efficient and inspired

look better than any other

now i see you'll transform the house

so i know how much we have to mourn

i want you to continue the work

yes i have in the heart

to teach boys is one thing but two

to care for them like a father to

listen to their troubles

i

i'm sorry

i'm sorry too

i cannot accept this resignation

you will become karma

then if you still wanted to stand

you must come and see me

i better leave you to your work

i beg you to reconsider

you can't give up schoolhouse sir i've

signified my intention to do so

schoolhouse is your life sir you will

remain as matron

you must of course i shall stay

those are my boys sir

and yours sir mine yes your boys

oh sir i know what you agree for

we were two young people when we first

started at the school and on that first

day you said no running away mrs whitney

let me finish

if someone we both loved was here no she

was not one for running away so no she

was not

all right

i want all these curtains taken away

all the carpets all the flowers

all the beautiful things that she

brought here

it's the reminders i cannot bear

and in future i'll sleep in the spare

bedroom

[Music]

i was glad i had stayed

gradually the work filled up the

emptiness of mind and heart

[Music]

in 1900

mr meldrum

died

he was almost 70

still in harness signing letters when he

collapsed at his desk

ashes to ashes

dust dust

ensure uncertain hope of the

resurrection to eternal life through our

lord jesus christ

ah sir john

chips at last sorry to keep you waiting

i have got a little business to talk

over with him

chips i am chairman of the school

governors and the general in her

majesty's army i'm accustomed to being

listened to

sorry

so you're uh looking after the uh

paperwork and chairing these staff

meetings and so on well i only proved

him someone has to keep the wheel

standing and i'm senior exactly

acting headmaster simply here local

tenants

sit down

it suits you

the headmaster's chair

chips

when the governors meet next month you

will be appointed the official

headmaster of brookfield school no sir

john

you refusing

have you no ambition man

there is nothing more on earth that i

would wish for except to teach and care

for my boys well as head my head

has no time for such things he's an

administrator an overseer a

diplomat i'm none of these

i don't understand

truly

chips

yeah

double take it out i can't miss that

train

chips

you're harder to break than a ball

commander but we shall wear down there

resistance

and i shall wear down

[Music]

yours all right there's this belt

[Music]

[Music]

[Music]

my supper

ah

good morning mr ken good morning sir i'm

awfully sorry i've only been here three

days

you'll soon learn the ways of school

mastery

you've got creepy haven't you i have

some

but i can cope with him sir i must do it

if i'm to remain here we haven't had a

chance to talk since you arrived

why don't you come and have supper with

me tonight

thank you son

after prep say um

you are older than creevy

you can win a battle of wits against the

land i'll set my wits to work then

sir good

till then i can sir

thank you sir come on

[Music]

i didn't steal the apple sir

i was only scrumping you went into mr

garroway's orchard and helped yourself

without paying and without permission i

took foursome

there were heaps on the trees look i

went scrumping at your age it seems

innocent enough doesn't it but it is

stealing

yes sir you know the ten commandments

don't you it would be a scene even if

the orchard belonged to a millionaire

now gatoway is a poor man he's got a

small farm and a large family

suppose a lot of chaps went scrumping

there he wouldn't have heaps of apples

then would he no sir

i'm awfully sorry sir

yes i think you are

now go to mr gatoway apologize and pay

for the apples and we'll say no more

about it

yes sir

thank you sir all right cut along

next

ah mr creedy what's up stand up straight

so you think you can bully rag your

masters do you

you know what i'm talking about mr kemp

never said anything to me sir mr kemper

said nothing to me

this is a school punishment

no creepy i shall not can you i'm not

going to change my ways for you

instead you will translate one page of

book four of the in-ear every night for

the remainder of this term

and if any page is careless scroll

blotted or cribbed and i do know every

crib in print

it will be done again with the next

nights

you will hand it to me every morning

after chapel and creepy

if there's any recurrence of this

misconduct i shall expel you

is that understood

so

now go

[Music]

chips the governors are waiting for me i

have to start the meeting

i appeal to you once more allow me to

nominate you for the head mastership i'm

once more so john i must decline

grateful though i am

it's heartbreaking you are brookfield

the school wants you

doesn't want some stranger i hear you

found a good man him

oh he called him a second interview i

had to the other applicants weren't what

chapman's

he'll be over there in the waiting room

now

too confident by half amongst all those

empty chairs but until this mr roll

sterner's got a double first a rugged

blue a list of formidable achievements

at his last school

i'm also told he's got an imposing

presence now that sort of thing will

impress the parents

he's your man

[Music]

i know well chips

i don't know what i'm beating

anybody give us 30 minutes to get it all

over and done with

and come over and have a sherry with

your new head master

[Music]

it's good to see you chips

you are looking well

and allow me to say you administer the

school nobly in this past month thank

you one could not have wished for better

oh that's what i said

mr olson allowed me to introduce mr

chipping who has been our acting

headmaster

how'd you do mr rolster how to do it

sure gentlemen

thank you thank you

thank you mr chippen has seen the

generations come and go are my two sons

included

is the living repository of our history

and we'll be your fountain of

information mr olsen can counter me and

all my colleagues i'm sure

congratulations sir

i should spend a month making my

assessment of the school at the end of

it i shall lay before the governor's a

list of such changes and improvements as

i propose the changes will not be too

drastic i hope brookfield's been here

for 400 years i am aware of its age mr

chipping and i shall cherish its

traditions but progress comes first

progress yes

you must be getting on yourself mr

chipping since you are so long at the

school

well i i'm 52

52 indeed

well that is not the end is it not by a

few years my law will you join me i have

a question i wish to ask about oxford

which i think yes of course

i must confess that i found it hard to

believe that mr ralston was the right

man to be a headmaster of brookfield

however during the few weeks before he

arrived i

well i decided that i ought to give him

the benefit of the doubt

after all the proof of the pudding

ah you're uh

uh chipping headmaster

you underestimate me mr chippy

i do not forget names oh

i was just packing up

right don't hurry

i must have become accustomed to this

room i prefer my own it must be just a

little earth to leave it not in the

least headmaster i have no regrets man

has his ambitions has he not

mine are long fulfilled

i'm sorry to hear that

in my experience lack of ambition leads

inexorably to lack of effort

my inaugural reception was a pleasant

affair was it not

most enjoyable

the bishop you know is very influential

among the higher clergy and lord

ogsted's weekend parties are famous i

imagine my predecessor gave him a lot of

his time mr mildred met them with

governor's meetings yes

ended then

a democracy on easy bonham but not a man

of enterprise i fear

and just think what a field of

recruitment is open for the school if

such friends are cultivated and properly

uh

um

you

well i should change all that along with

much else i do not doubt it headmaster

but

not too quickly i guess you're the

traditionalist to you not

well times change

and schools must change with them

thank you mr chipping i should see when

i address the staff

[Music]

come on marston

finish your cold streams

and you phillips james

must give us the puns and be waiting

i say sir

caesar had a short way with some of

these gothic tribes just chop them up in

small pieces yeah caesar would have

called it the march of progress we'd

soon finish off the boar war if we did a

bit of that it should serve the rotters

right

why do you think the boars are such

rotters they won't come out and fight us

sir they shoot from behind hills and

then gallop away what do you think that

kind of warfare is called guerrilla

warfare yes

and considering the boers are only

farmers isn't that the best method they

could adopt

cesar

you're not a pro-law are you or against

the empire oh i haven't forbid we've

given a quarter of the earth

civilization more advanced and

infinitely more humane than that of

ancient rome

and i'm very proud of the fact that many

of our former pupils

are in the service of the empire well

then the boers are rotters for getting

in our way

you've heard of characters if you know

the ancient britain sir the chief who

fought against the romans well he got in

the way of a great empire in its great

army rather brave i would say wouldn't

you

and what about harry with the way the

saxon certainly

you mean that was guerrilla warfare too

sir yes against a mighty norman army and

it's quite impressive civilization but

that's hardly the same thing sir oh i

don't know the poor old saxons only

wanted to keep their own land and live

in their own way well then maybe there

isn't a difference between them and the

boars

i can't really mean that sir i might

decide amongst yourselves

right come along

mr jibbing please sit down

thank you headmaster

i received the most disturbing letter

huh it is from the father of one of our

fifth phone boys who wrote home that you

were spreading ideas that favored our

enemies

oh oh yes i have no need to read it i

remember the occasion

mr chipping i cannot tolerate the one

and my master should hold and let alone

propagate anti-patriotic views i'd

either hold nor propagate such views

evidently the boy wrote a pragmentary

angry and misleading account as not only

boys do then i have your assurance at

the pirate untruthfully i imagine not

let's prepare to him

i suggested that there were two sides to

every case not when one is at war a

headmaster

you are a science man but i'm sure you

recall the verb educate

what it means to lead or draw out from

people their full capacities

that is education what about a reply to

this i suggest you pass on what i've

just said to you

is there anything else

no

mr chipping you will in future confine

yourself to the ancient world and leave

the modern world to those who are of it

of course

but you know we teach ancient history

that modern morals may be drawn

an age ended when the old queen died

and in the years of king edward that

followed we became used to strikes

to unemployed marches aristocratic

scandals

and a small army of women fighting like

wildcats for the vote

why catherine would have approved

al brookfield

where life continued peacefully

[Music]

on the surface

mr rollston was a live wire

he made the school more widely known and

there was a waiting list

i hope i served him loyally but our

outlooks did conflict and we both knew

it

he had rid himself of other masters but

i felt myself protected by my age and

seniority

now come along boys step forward for

call over

in her life please

what have you written to your mother

[Music]

badly

it was only for a joke your musical turn

would be much better if you put this on

there

i'm with a motley

and these

i need hardly remind you that your prep

should be neat as well as accurate

to work what's up

oh violin hot water again

have master you wish to see me yes

mr chipping i see that you have now

attained your 60th year indeed mr forbes

was kind enough to give me a sherry

party i'm sorry you weren't able to come

i had a prior engagement oh mr chipping

have you ever thought you might like to

retire

um no i can't say a hand then i suggest

that you do

but i don't see why i don't want to

retire in which case things are going to

be a little difficult difficult why

since you forced me to use plain words

mr chipping you shall have them

for some time past you have not been

pulling your weight here your methods of

teaching are slack and old-fashioned

your personal habits are slovenly and

you ignore my instructions to the point

of insubordination lovely

insubordination look at your wretched

gun

only this morning i saw quite

unintentionally a group of your boys ate

you laughing at you while you stood by

idle nay betting them when am i being

subordinated i told you years ago that i

wanted the new style of latin

pronunciation used throughout the school

other masters have obeyed me you have

ignored me and the result is absolute

chaos i do not agree with the new

pronunciation but just imagine instead

of saying by with the new version

is weak is him

last year a number of your boys even

fail to pass the lower certificate

innovation teachers are not wanted here

and i make no exceptions inefficient

some of my boys did not get through

within what school do they all pass for

japanese what does it matter these

examinations and certificates this

efficiency and up-to-dateness

hey master you are turning this school

into a snob factory for the sons of

moneybags who can't get into ignora

brookfield is not here to sell knowledge

like bags of sugar it is to bring up

boys to become thinking honorable useful

men who heed the word of god and the

voice of conscience

if you really care say very much for

brookfield

then the sooner you remove yourself from

its vicinity the better

sir you can't resign

well i don't know what to do

perhaps i went too far no you were right

sir

he's a bane in the school that roster

he's their master there first look

so whatever should i do without you and

the boys

it would take the heart right out of the

school really it was not his talk of my

resigning that hit me hardest

well it was his statement that i should

remove myself from brookfield remove

myself this is my home it's my life

i've made a noise like that since

[Applause]

sir come here come here quickly

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Applause]

that's what we ought to do

[Applause]

you must do the same

i will not have the school disgraced

i told ralston this was signed by every

master in the school

i nearly added that he ought to clear up

the filthy slave driver

chips i'm awfully sorry

the head wouldn't even accept our

petition

but you must stand firm

must do it

should i

i'd rather sacrifice anything than

perpetuate discord

look field

[Music]

sir john

yeah

on the way to order shots for a field

exercise i have to break my journey to

put down a mutiny at brookfield well i'm

sorry about this chips i have been

inundated with letters parents

boys themselves oh boys got to hear

about it the masters have sent me their

petition

i've been in touch with every single one

of the governors

and i've come to tell you they are

behind you to a man

well i i had thought for the school's

sake i ought to resign ships the

governors don't want you to resign

raphael wouldn't the same without you

you can stay here till you're a hundred

if you like

and we hope you will

i'll leave you now often

i shall go and have a

diplomatic little talk with ralston

you'll have no more trouble after that

but i may come back for some tea man i

oh of course of course you see chips

we all love you

rogers

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

carry on carry on

[Music]

you must be our new german master

stephen

max stingfin

tipping

of course you must be the famous mr

chips

you will excuse the familiarity

hello chips

hello i don't know you oh well this is

hesh staple our new german master now

this is harry kemp hansonville and young

marlon how do you do that how do you do

it

don't approve of this craze for teaching

modern language latin greek and a lick

of french were good enough and i was a

boy let us hope that by learning each

other's languages we may become better

friends let us hope that kaiser is as

keen to be friends as hashtaeful oh come

the kaiser's grandmother's queen

victoria almost one of our royal family

yes they say there's a rogue in every

family

i beg your pardon here staple hope i

don't offend you no

i am one of many many germans who are

dismayed by the policies to which the

kaiser is being persuaded by his general

staff hmm not enough you to stop him it

seems building battleships to outnumber

our navy biggest army in europe speeches

about blood and ah

expect that now from the kaiser

gentleman i have just had an interview

with the headmaster and i'm permitted to

tell you

that he was shortly believing us

oh ralston leave me that is good news

where's he going chips oh i won't name

the school but it has been described as

a large and expensive snob factory

ralston will be in his element chips

this is wonderful they must make your

head master now

oh no no

new man's already been appointed easy

down 34 with a brilliant natural science

tripos i shall meet the rest of the

staff today mr chipping but i wish first

to come and pay my respects to you well

that's most kind of you mr chatters and

most thoughtful i hope you like cherry

cake sir

all my other young gentlemen do

my house matron is a jewelry on twice

first day

yes i must say i do feel a bit like a

new boy

you can count on me headmaster

thank you mr chippy

i believe i have a great deal to learn

from you

oh

i'm a classicist your own province that

of science total mystery to me science

or classics it is the blend that matters

as with tea i'm sure

one must still teach good manners good

sense kindness i rejoice to hear you say

so this new century's been a nightmare

to me i cling to the past you see yes i

agree the new century is vulgar and mad

and unforeseeable but brookfield has 400

years of good to pass on to its pupils

yes the new headmaster liked my tea

and i liked him

he was right about the new century

though

people began to use the word headlines

and sinister headlines they often were

negative business looks bad

german grand fleet is said to be making

ready for sea

now our ships are assembling too

stable

what all your peace-loving germans doing

about it

listening to schubert no doubt and

heaving sentimental size while their

battleships steam out to bully europe

there are bullies in every land

there'll be a compromise it'll blow over

as usual

for the time being

what is the matter with the british

workman this railway strike's been going

on for three weeks no sign of a break oh

it really is disgraceful there's been

stone throwing at the soldiers driving

the trains

in many places volunteers are patrolling

the lines to prevent this violence

i say you know that's what our boys

ought to be doing

a very good idea

if the head agrees we can put it to the

boy as a

but our little branch line boy so

peaceful nothing worse than a stray car

will ever disrupt the trains

it would teach the boys to be good

citizens your pet principal i've always

understood chips

a bit of fresh air i suppose will do

them no harm

[Music]

what are those boys

[Music]

what should we do if we meet any would

you like me to strike him

i don't know sarah

you can meet one

mr jones here he's a striker

if your lads would like a nice cup of

tea after finishing playing about down

there

come and see the messes

when mr jones is on duty he's in charge

of the signal box at the station

you put your life in his hands many a

time but sir we're all the same flesh

and blood quickly

now all british

have faith in your country and your

country money

now

if i were you

i'd go and try for a cup of tea

come on lads

thank you

[Music]

young max staple and i became film

friends

he was a great admirer of english

countryside

so that summer i took him on a walking

tour in the hills where i first met my

catherine

oh

so long ago

you say that is better than a heidelberg

that is not something i rejoice in

man does not need wings

why

in the future they will span the world

and bring nation closer to

nation well the future's for you young

fellas

i'd go back to the stagecoach if i could

you're buying the team

thank you

what

the balkan war crisis is still given a

lot of space

oh well both sides have accepted the

british proposal for a peace conference

and name

an international force is to be sent by

the european powers to police the

disputed area

good good

so it will be from now on

you have taught me that tea is a

beverage of infinite variety

chips

you must do something about that cough

oh

there's nothing i can do about an o

dominar

i'm 65 years old my friend

it's a retirement age

you speak of retirement ah i had hope to

carry on

being fairness to the school

i must think about my declining health

you will never retire

i was much moved by the boy's

presentation

it was obviously a genuine expression of

their feelings chips

must have been a very long day for you

on a splendid day

nevertheless i should just like to say

that

although we mark your retirement with an

evening of jovial fellowship we are all

nonetheless

sad at heart to lose your children yes

to wake up without chips in our midst

will be like waking up with chapel or

big hall no longer with us

and we wish you many years of health

rest and recreation

and

may this token

a gift from your affectionate colleagues

tell only happy hours for you

god bless you chips

chips cheers

[Applause]

headmaster um colleagues friends

i i must move by the splendid gift

but if you think you're going to wake up

without chips in your midst

you're very much mistaken i'm only

moving just outside the gate to the

house of the good mrs wicket

and from there i shall not only be able

to keep an eye on you but continue to

play what part i can in the life of the

school

magnificent

tuna

i was thinking only the other day i have

been here for over 40 years it has been

my life

and as i as i said this afternoon to the

boys i

i remember so many changes

but i shan't bore you with them

perhaps i should write them down in a

book now now what should i call it

memories of rod and line

i remember so many things

so many faces

i i i can't forget them

faces of

thousands of boys

i all in them and he say you are bits

do you know headmaster

if i haunt you when i'm gone

just think of me as a friendly ghost

but until then i intend to remain active

amongst you

and act if i was

i dine with the head

sometimes with the masters

i attended every school activity i

became editor of the brookfield

directory

i was elected president of the old boys

club and went to dinners in london

i wrote articles for the school magazine

and i read my times every morning very

thoroughly

i was always a welcome guest in the

common room

and my hard-fought chess games with max

staple became a regular event

it was at this time that i introduced

another custom the one that i have kept

up to this day of inviting all the new

boys to tea

might as well finish up the beer before

the holidays

damn cleaners through the lot of you

leave it

cheery everyone have a good summer

hollow love you where are you after fame

friends and dead

must be the best dubai we've had in

years i mean to get in a devil of a lot

of swimming bye all right bye chips bye

richard

are you off to stable

back to the fatherland

to my mother

in wiesbaden

i shall be back on the 1st of september

before term starts

trips has invited me to stay to continue

our tournament

nearly everyone's off already miss most

of the goodbyes not this one chips

until september

i'll look after your chess set

very well max

mr panson

this is bad man partner

delightful time

let's go there again one day

[Music]

mr kevin

[Music]

goodbye all

right bye max

chip's old man don't be too sure of your

chairs

i'm off to territorial camp next week

and after that who knows

i have a friend at the warehouse

he says it's touch and go

[Music]

i was convinced almost until the last

moment that common sense and humanity

would prevail

and that conflict would be averted

[Music]

but i was wrong

in 1914 the great powers muddled and

drifted their way into war

[Music]

i'm sorry to lose you milo

stabbings and hail have already gone i

can ill spare you chaps

but the country needs soldiers the job

has got to be done headmaster indeed it

has come

ah chips thanks for coming in our steps

look who i found captain kemp

hi good luck to him stand easy welcome

hello

it's mazda what brings you back to

brookfield i got the day off well tell

me the truth and in confidence we're off

to france any day oh that's splendid

news with a lot of other gay battalions

reinforce the bef we'll have the hands

licked by christmas doesn't give me much

chance first come first served i hope

you get over in time for the fun thanks

bye chips oh god bless you richard come

and see me when you got to leave eh of

course i will goodbye and good luck

marlo thank you headmaster

well off i go then yes i'll come down to

the common room with you see who's about

i'll see you later i say headmaster

if you're going to join up well you

heard kemp you'd better hurry

evidently young marlow thinks i'm a

shark oh no no no he's not the first to

drop a hint i am a military age

i learned some time ago that i have a

heart condition and i could never get

into the army

but i don't see why i should pin a

doctor's certificate on my door

however that's not what i wanted to

speak to you about chips

i need you

you need me you see how it is all the

young masters are joining up every

school in the country is competing for

the best of the older men

i'm interviewing duds and crocs

and i may be forced to take them

headmaster you want me to come back

don't you it won't be a lot of hard work

just

taking classes when you can

that is if you feel up to it oh if i

feel up to it

will tomorrow be too soon

lex

can you lie

this was a law introduced by the tribune

giants can you lies in the year

445 bc

and it was part of the effort by the

plebs the commoners to break the social

power of the patricians but permitted

patricians to marry commoners

now

if you wish to memorize this law just

recall that if miss pleb wanted mr

patrician to marry her and he said he

couldn't she replied

oh yes you can you liar

foreign

ah

it's the official manual for the short

magazine lee enfield service rifle

now that's very praiseworthy but it's

nothing to do with alex can you liar

sorry sir

you think you're offering your services

to the crown

you are rather diminutive you know

i'm doing exercises sir

i need to go when i'm old enough i see

the war will be over by then i must warn

you that captain kemp who's in france

now told me before he left that'll be

able by christmas

hurry

hurry

my dear fellow good to be back james

even if i am a bit late didn't i say

something about the war being over by

last christmas

well 1915 hasn't been a particularly

good year i'm sorry about your arm or

chips

i'm one of the lucky ones

won't stop me teaching it

yeah

a chatroos he'll be pleased to see you

back we're short of good teachers yes i

passed a couple of aged imbeciles on my

way oh will you see them all in chapel

you are coming over aren't you

oh yes

yes a few thanks to offer

it is now once again my painful duty to

announce to you the names of former

pupils of this school

which appear in the casualty list of

fallen officers

richard james captain

royal artillery

killed in action

a pupil of this school from 1898 to 1903

henry matheus lieutenant

king's own royal regiment

died of wounds

peter terrace

second lieutenant irish guards

killed in action

peter was with us from 1909 to 1914

and took a commission on the outbreak of

war

we all offer our sympathy to his younger

brother robert of the fifth form who is

with us at our prayers tonight

to you and to your family robert we can

only say in your sorrow

dulcay ed decorum est pro patriar mori

we shall now rise and sing hymn number

403

you know i knew every one of those boys

[Music]

hey

[Music]

robert

sir i um

well i'm sorry to hear about your

brother

my dad's out there with a regiment sir

he's going to get me a commission when i

leave next year

we'll be there

oh

my great boy

come in

excuse me sir it's a message from the

headmaster he's unwell again please

would you take chapel for him this

evening

of course thank you mrs wicked thank you

sir

and thomas hollinger royal navy

lost at sea

thomas was in my house

until 1909 he was proud of the navy

his family had been represented in it

for five generations

he was an only son

and

now before we sing to him

i've got one more announcement to make

to you

after much delay a letter has reached me

from germany it

comes from the mother of lieutenant max

staple

who was killed earlier this year while

serving in the eep sector

those of you who were here before the

war will remember max staple

he was not only an excellent teacher

but it was an example to pupil and

colleague alike

of kindness humanity

and culture

i'm moaning as a true

and irreplaceable friend there was an

outrage chipping an outrage

you abused the privileged position

concerned on you by your age you abused

the trust the headmaster placed in you

and you insulted our own dead by

polluting the air with the name of an

enemy

aha a filthy hun

yes camp you're the one to tell his wife

that's enough punsenby

i fought against fritz he's a pretty

good champ

max steve was a pretty good

the only good germans are dead german

they're better sportsman than the new

armchair heroes

i should know i lost my arm up at wipers

same place staple went west

perhaps he was in the lot opposite us

standing like us up to the knees in

freezing water and getting shelter glory

and singing carols to us in between oh

yes and we sang carol's back

kemp

i fear you must be shell-shocked

shell's shocked

i've killed germans and i'd kill a few

more if i had my arm back but i'd as

soon do for some of the gas bags i have

to listen to at home

come on chips

i can't take poor old staples places yes

i'll give you a game of drafts

[Music]

i said next man on god god

senior cadet squad sir extra bayonet

practice they lack ferocity they need

ferocity sir

you mean

i don't blame them it does seem a very

vulgar way of

killing someone sir yes roland yeah

headmaster's compliment sir would you

kindly join him in his study oh yes yes

yes thank you

now

he won't have to meet no one and to end

but you will

next man on god

i'm sorry to have thrust this problem

upon you so suddenly sir john

i quite understand

but after my last attack there's simply

no way that i could continue

come

all right

thanks for coming oh

said john i i'm so proud to see you a

major general it's long overdue longer

with you

thank you

at the end of term

i'm going into a nursing home

well you have been looking a little

tired i'm not coming back chips i'm

retiring

doctor's orders oh oh

i'm sorry

governors want you to take over chips to

take over i would like you just to carry

on

for the duration

what uh just a question of doing my bit

for the duration well yes of course

splendid

i'm so relieved

i'll go and arrange for some tea

so john would

he's a dying man

he and i knew that but it's come sooner

than we thought

poor chatrous

that means this minute chips

i am ready

great war is at its height not only have

many of chip's former pupils been killed

but also his best friend the german

master

[Music]

chancellor

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

so i was to be the headmaster of

brookfield after all

but only as long as the war should last

after nearly two years of deadlock

our generals planned a great summer

offensive

to break through the enemy lines into

the open country beyond

july the 1st 1916

the battle of the somme

masters boys of the school

even as i speak the greatest battle the

world has ever known is taking place

the war office has published the first

list

of officers killed in the offensive

that it includes the names of 23 former

boys of this school

anderson mr

lieutenant

royal scots

michael anderson went up to oxford in

1912

and then

there he won the the um the the new like

a prize for poetry

do you know he he used to send me his

verses

he was an outstanding poet

destroyed in the flower of his youth

balzagetti ega major royal corps of

signals he was in schoolhouse from 1899

to 1904

he was a most ingenious inventor even as

a boy

and became an expert in telephone

communications

he was so gentle

browning f lieutenant sherwood foresters

frederick browning was at the school

from 1910 to 1915.

old men are like that he was

commissioned earlier this year

and came to see me on his embarkation

four weeks ago

you know he's tested lieutenant

honestly this is ridiculous

we'll be officers in a fortnight's time

officers and gentlemen

you're right

old pants and making whistle for his

greek cancer spirit

what do you think is the matter with bob

i don't know

he's been strange since he went to the

hospital hmm

his father must have been pretty badly

wounded

oh hello bob

you're doing that thucydides for old

pants and b

no

nor are we

look here bob

i hate to butt in

is your dad

i mean

this is life in danger

i wish it were

what on earth do you mean

look old chap where this light shut up i

was only trying to cheer you why

be quiet

is there anything we can do

just leave me alone

we really ought to go and see your dad

no

now leave me alone

right

going for a walk

sorry bob

awfully sorry

come in

hey sorry chips going to chuck a problem

into your lap rather than ask you what

i'm afraid

inside you

there is

you're looking at the best platoon

commander in the otc all of a sudden he

went parade he won't put on a uniform

why not

it's wrong sir

what's wrong

the war is wrong sir

you're going in the guards in a few

weeks i'm not sir you are man you've

been interviewed you've had your medical

you've signed your enlistment papers

hell's bells you're in the army as soon

as it wants you i shan't go

i've written to the war officer

you went to see your father in hospital

the other day didn't you now who has he

got anything to do with that

harry

yeah

you can tell me

we can't say

let's sit down

you've suffered some terrible shock

haven't you

you can trust me

i couldn't talk to anyone sir

i couldn't

sir

i went with mother to the hospital

the doctor told us it was very bad

before we went into the room

sir

my dad has no arms or legs

or face

he can't see

speak or hear

the doctor says he will live

oh god have mercy on us

mother just sat in a chair

looking

so i thought i was going to be sick

i ran out

i blubbed in the corridor

there was an officer there

watching me

he was in a sort of

long basket chair on wheels under a

blanket i think he had no legs

he sounded a bit mad

he asked me

what i was sniveling about

he said

he said there were hospitals full of

hulks that was the word he used sir

hulks

like that and the same on the other side

and then he started swearing at the

newspapers

he said it was all lies

half the new army is dead

all of his battalion but 50 men and we

haven't advanced on the psalm only a few

hundred yards here and there he said

it's all been a shambles a failure the

same as every other push

a nurse came and wheeled him away

i went back in

took mother home

how was she when you left

mother was always one for the stiff

upper lip

she came downstairs the next morning and

told me to go back to school

she said we must carry on

yes

after what you've just told me any words

of comfort would seem

cheap and useless

i think i understand you now

yes

epiteres i must say more

you are a man

you must learn to master yourself as

others have had to you must try to think

clearly

i have done sir

the war is wrong

if you do not answer the call you will

be a deserter

it's too late to plead conscientious

objection and you can be shot

for decession i'm not going to plead

anything

i'm not going

when i'm a an old man living in in

safety i cannot utter the exhortations

of an armchair patria to a boy a

fighting age

but i am a patriot

i believe that my country is fighting

the good fight

i honor brookfield boys who serve and

many of whom fall

i can say no more

i shall not be your conscience that is

your own

the otc here at school is a voluntary

body you are of course excused from that

i beg of you despite your shock and

grief

to think

again i pray you come to your right mind

i have sir

the war is wrong

did you order this i did

ten times run senior field every morning

why'd you penalize him i've excused him

utc this has nothing to do with otc i'm

not penalizing him

i've ordered it for his health

thought of his soul sweat the nonsense

out of him

this is persecution

you do know that his roommates have left

him i don't blame them no one likes a

card this is not cowardice what would

you call it

a tragic moral courage

greater perhaps than the courage

required to fight

he faces a worse hell than france

there's no hell worse than france

i've spent 46 years of my life

teaching boys to seek the truth to serve

god and to obey the commands of their

conscience

now here is a boy who's attempted to all

these things have

made him an outcast

let us not keep further tortures on him

you forced me to say this chips

it's your age you're a weepy old

granddad

i'm not

i've tried to make him see that

his duty

but i'm not having driven to it i'll not

have him bullied you've never had to

bully men to go over the top keep out of

this chips

leave them to me you'll stop this

punishment

now that's an order harry

an order

very well sir

[Music]

[Music]

goodbye

[Music]

goodbye

yeah

and the other one

downstairs he's been having a cup of tea

with me in the kitchen then him to come

out for you

master terrace come up please

go in you bothersome boy

sir

do you know the moment term ends the

school becomes empty

it all looks unreal

huh

did you tell me to pursue your course

yes sir you do know that you'll be

arrested don't you

yes sir

you are going to wait

i'm not going to run away sir

i'm not a deserter no no no

so you will um

you'll wait at home then will you

no sir

mother won't have me in the house

she says

i'm no son of hers until i go out and

avenge dad and peter oh

so where would he go

i don't know sir

and the foxes have holes the birds of

the air of nests

sir

oh

well you're one of my boys you'll wait

here

i couldn't sir

you must hate the sight of me

you are one of my boys you're one of mrs

wickets

now we will not speak of this matter

again unless of course you wish to

mrs wickett will make up a bed for you

you'll be our guest

at least we can offer you

this peace and company eh

until they come

thank you sir

oh there we are constable that'd be mrs

wickets

this is your last chance teres

there's still time

i can make it all right

we'll get rid of that village bobby with

some tail and i'll get onto the war

office tell them you're ready for

service

mrs wicked has lured him into the

kitchen we have a few minutes

just say the word

i wish i could sir

you can

you've been jolly decent mr cameron

i won't keep the chat waiting

so

i'll never forget you

goodbye robert

god guide your world

goodbye mr kim

damn this war

[Music]

in 1918

the madness of war came to an end

it was formally decided that the

armistice should take effect

on the 11th day

of the 11th month

at the 11th hour

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

i shall get my chance to fight now sir

[Music]

[Music]

laptop

uh

[Music]

ah

[Music]

the end of the war was of course also

the end of my short career as headmaster

and at last the end of my school

mastering days all together

after all

i was 70 years old

mrs wicked

oh

of course

hello

i don't know you do i you must be new

boy yes sir

what's your name linford sir the boys

told me i had to report to mr chips mr

ch

i'm sorry

that's what they said sir should vice

versa

mr chips

even the joke has become a tradition

yes well yeah he mustn't get my cold

cut along

and come and have tea with me one day

when i'm better

yes sir thank you sir

oh and infinite

you'll soon settle down at brookfield

yes sir

goodbye

[Music]

boys

[Music]

uh

[Music]

well

you old ruffian

that was a fine shock you gave us

are you feeling all right

what happened

merely that you passed out

just for a little while i told you not

to go out in a cold sir

but well it was ours to stay doctor it

was armistice day

we'll have to watch your chest old man

and you've strained your heart a wee bit

you're fine now though as long as you

take it easy

try and sleep

keep him in bed mrs wicked or he'll be

sneaking out to watch the soccer yes

i will thank you

i'll be back

stay with him

goodbye

them

huh

[Music]

is this a famous book yes ed master

those were all his memories of the

school

it's a shame he couldn't finish them

good of you to come mr cartwright how is

he

peaceful

fading gently

poor old chad

must have lived a lonely sort of a life

all by himself not always by himself

he married you know that's her

she was beautiful

i had no idea she died it must have been

all quite 30 years ago possibly more

pretty

but you never had any children

chips i have children

thousands of them

and all

boys

oh

[Music]

you