Goodbye, Mr. Chips

For other uses, seeGoodbye, Mr. Chips (disambiguation)."Mr. Chips" redirects here. For other uses, seeMr. Chips (disambiguation).

Goodbye, Mr. Chipsis anovellaabout the life of a school teacher, Mr. Chipping, written by English writerJames Hiltonand first published byHodder & Stoughtonin October 1934. It has been adapted into two feature films and two television presentations.

Goodbye, Mr. Chips

Cover of the UK first edition
Author	James Hilton
Illustrator	Ethel "Bip" Pares
Genre	Psychological fiction
Publisher	Little, Brown(US) Hodder & Stoughton(UK)
Publication date	June 1934(1934-06)(US) October 1934(1934-10)(UK)
OCLC	8462789

History

The story was originally issued in 1933, as a supplement to theBritish Weekly,anevangelicalnewspaper. It came to prominence when it was reprinted as the lead piece of the April 1934 issue ofThe Atlantic Monthly.The success of theAtlantic Monthlypublication prompted a book deal between the author and the US publisherLittle, Brown and Company,who published the story in book form for the first time in June 1934. Published during theGreat Depression,Little, Brown cautiously released a small first print run. Public demand for more was immediate and Little, Brown went into an almost immediate reprinting the same month. Public demand remained strong, and Little, Brown continued to reprint the book in cautious lots for many months, with at least two reprintings per month.

The first British edition went to press in October 1934. The publishers wereHodder & Stoughton,who had observed the success of the book in the United States, and they released a much larger first print run. It sold 15,000 copies on the day of publication,and they quickly found themselves going into reprints as the reading public's demand for the book proved insatiable. With the huge success of this book, James Hilton became a best-selling author.In 1938, he published a sequel,To You, Mr Chips.

Plot summary

The novella tells the story of a beloved school teacher, Mr Chipping, and his long tenure at Brookfield School, a fictional minor British boys'public boarding schoollocated in the fictional village of Brookfield inthe Fenlands.Mr Chips, as the boys call him, is conventional in his beliefs and exercises firm discipline in the classroom. His views broaden, and his pedagogical manner loosens after he marries Katherine, a young woman whom he meets on holiday in theLake District.Katherine charms the Brookfield teachers and headmaster and quickly wins the favour of Brookfield's pupils. Their marriage is brief. She dies in childbirth and he never remarries or has another romantic interest.

One of the themes of the book is that Chipping so outlasts all of his peers that his brief marriage fades into myth and few people know him as anything other than a confirmed and lonely bachelor. Despite Chipping's mediocre credentials and his view thatclassic Greek and Latin(his academic subjects) are dead languages, he is an effective teacher who becomes highly regarded by pupils and the school's governors—he has become a well-worn institution. In his later years, he develops an arch sense of humour that pleases everyone. However, he also becomes somewhat of an anachronism, with an antiquated pronunciation, and is pitied for his isolation. On his deathbed, he talks of the fulfilment he felt as a teacher of boys.

Inspiration

The setting forGoodbye, Mr. Chipsis probably based onThe Leys School,Cambridge, where James Hilton was a pupil (1915–18). Hilton is reported to have said that the inspiration for the protagonist, Mr. Chips, came from many sources, including his father, who was the headmaster of Chapel End School. Mr. Chips is also likely to have been based onW. H. Balgarnie,a master at The Leys (1900–30), who was in charge of theLeys Fortnightly(in which Hilton's first short stories and essays were published.) Over the years, old boys wrote to Geoffery Houghton, a master at The Leys and a historian of the school, confirming the links between Chipping and Balgarnie, who eventually died atPorthmadogat the age of 82.Balgarnie had been linked with the school for 51 years and spent his last years in modest lodgings nearby. Like Mr. Chips, Balgarnie was a strict disciplinarian, but would also invite boys to visit him for tea and biscuits.

Hilton wrote upon Balgarnie's death that "Balgarnie was, I suppose, the chief model for my story. When I read so many other stories aboutpublic schoollife, I am struck by the fact that I suffered no such purgatory as their authors apparently did, and much of this miracle was due to Balgarnie. "Themutton chop side whiskersof one of the masters at The Leys earned him the nickname "Chops", a likely inspiration for Mr Chips' name.

In Hilton’s final novel,Time and Time Again(1953), protagonist Charles Anderson bears clear biographical similarities to Hilton himself.Early in the novel, Anderson briefly reminisces about attending Brookfield and knowing "Chips".

Adaptations

Radio

A 50-minute adaptation by James Hilton and Barbara Burnham was broadcast on theBBC National Programmeat 20:00 on 23 July 1936, withRichard Gooldenin the title part and a cast that includedNorman Shelley,Ronald Simpson,Lewis ShawandHermione Hannen.There was a repeat broadcast the following evening.

A radio adaptation by theLux Radio TheatrestarringLaurence OlivierandEdna Bestand presented byCecil B. DeMillewas first broadcast on 20 November 1939.

A radio adaptation byHallmark PlayhousestarringRonald Colmanwas broadcast on 16 September 1948.Jean Hollowaywrote the adaptation, Dee Engelbach was the producer and director, and James Hilton was the host.A second version, told from the point of view of Mrs. Chips as portrayed byDeborah Kerr,was broadcast on 1 February 1951.Whitfield Connorwas Mr. Chips, Leonard St. Clair wrote the adaptation, Bill Gay was the producer and director, and James Hilton was again the host.

A radio adaptation by theNBC University Theatrewas broadcast on 10 July 1949, starringHerbert MarshallandAlma Lawton.Agnes Eckhardtwrote the adaptation, and Andrew C. Love was the director.

Theatre

Barbara Burnham adapted the book for a stage production in three acts, which was first performed at theShaftesbury Theatreon 23 September 1938, withLeslie Banksas Mr. Chips andConstance Cummingsas his wife Katherine.It ran for over 100 performancesuntil 14 January 1939.

A stage musical based on the original novel, but using most of theLeslie Bricussevocal score of the 1969 film, was mounted at theChichester Festivaland opened on 11 August 1982. The book was by Roland Starke and the production was directed byPatrick Garlandand Christopher Selbie. Among the Chichester Festival cast wereJohn Millsas Mr. Chips,Colette Gleesonas Kathie,Nigel Stockas Max,Michael Sadler,Paul Hardwick, Simon Butteriss andRobert Meadmorein supporting roles, and 20 local school boys, including Kevin Farrar who was selected by Bricusse to sing the final verse of the iconic "School Song". The original cast album was recorded on the That's Entertainment Records label TER 1025 atAbbey Roads Studiosin London on 17/18 August 1982. JAY-jay Records also have a release of it.

Film

1939 film

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

This version starsRobert Donat,Greer Garson,Terry Kilburn,John Mills,andPaul Henreid.Donat won anAcademy Award for Best Actorfor his performance in the lead role, beatingClark Gable,James Stewart,Laurence Olivier,andMickey Rooney.While some of the incidents depicted in the various screen adaptations do not appear in the book, this film is generally faithful to the original story. The exteriors of the buildings of the fictional Brookfield School were filmed atRepton School,an independent school (at the time of filming, for boys only), located in the village ofRepton,inDerbyshire,in the Midlands area of England, whilst the interiors, school courtyards and annexes, including the supposedly exterior shots of the Austrian Tyrol Mountains, were filmed atDenham Film Studios,near the village ofDenhaminBuckinghamshire.Around 200 boys from Repton School stayed on during the school holidays so that they could appear in the film.

1969 film

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

In 1969 a musical film version appeared, starringPeter O'TooleandPetula Clark,with songs byLeslie Bricusseand anunderscorebyJohn Williams.In this version the character of Katherine is greatly expanded, and the time setting of the story is moved forward several decades, with Chips' career beginning in the early 20th century and his later career coveringWorld War II,rather thanWorld War I.O'Toole and Clark's performances were widely praised. At the42nd Academy Awards,O'Toole was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Actor,and he won theGolden Globe AwardforBest Actor in a Musical or Comedy.

Television

1984 serial

In 1984 it was adapted as a television serial by theBBC.It starredRoy MarsdenandJill Meagerand ran for six half-hour episodes. Many scenes were filmed atRepton School,Derbyshire, in an effort to remain faithful to the original film.

2002 serial

A television film adaptation was produced bySTV Studios(then known as "SMG TV Productions" ) in 2002. It aired on theITVNetwork in Britain and onPBS'sMasterpiece Theatrein the United States. It starredMartin ClunesandVictoria HamiltonwithHenry Cavill,William Moseley,Oliver Rokison andHarry Lloyd.

Parodies

Goodbye, Mr. Chipswas parodied in the British sketch comedy programmesHale and Pace(asPiss Off, Mr. Chips) andBig Train.

Vince Gilligancreated the television showBreaking Badwith the premise that the show's protagonistWalter Whitewould turn "From Mr. Chips toScarface"through the series' course.

In the Marx Brothers filmAt the Circus,as Groucho Marx is about to walk out of a scene, he shakes hands with a nearby caged monkey and says, "Goodbye, Mister Chimps."

In 2009, the short-running ABC sitcomBetter Off Tedtitles its 6th episode "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" wherein the computer system misidentifies then completely deletes the account of Ted Crisp, the main character.

See also

• 1934 in literature
• To Serve Them All My Days

External links

• Goodbye, Mr. ChipsJames Hilton. Project Gutenberg Australia