JohnHowardReid Review of Tom Brown's Schooldays

Tom Brown's Schooldays (1951)

Robert Newton takes on Sir Cedric Hardwicke

[10/10 · 15 November 2012]

To my surprise, this version is every bit as gripping and fascinating as the 1940 RKO version. Some leading critics in fact actually prefer this movie. You can count the New York Times for one. True, Gordon Parry's direction rarely rises above a very competent level, but Noel Langley's screenplay is, to say the least, brilliant. He has expanded the story slightly to make the Flashman incidents more believable to those unaccustomed to the ways of the British Public School system in the 1850s -- and indeed right up to the 1950's! What's more, the movie is attractively acted, particularly by young John Howard Davies as Tom Brown and charismatic Robert Newton, perfectly cast as Doctor Thomas Arnold. (In fact, Newton told me that he regarded this as by far his best performance. I agree!). What's more, the movie has not only been extremely well produced on a really top budget, but features a fine music score by Richard Addinsell.