Tom Brown's School Days

Director: Robert Stevenson Robert Stevenson

Overview

This Victorian-era drama is based upon the classic novel by Thomas Hughes. It follows the exploits of a young boy forced to attend a rowdy boarding school. There he finds himself surrounded by budding punks and hoods. It is rough at first, but eventually he learns to make friends and handle himself well in the tough environment. The film is also titled Adventures at Rugby.

Product Details

Release Date:	06/29/2017
UPC:	0889290274434
Original Release:	1940
Source:	Film Detective
Language:	English
Time:	1:26:00
Sales rank:	43,392

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Jimmy Lydon	Tom Brown
Cedric Hardwicke	Dr. Thomas Arnold
Josephine Hutchinson	Mrs. Arnold
Freddie Bartholomew	East
Billy Halop	Flashman
Polly Moran	Sally
Hughie Green	Walker
Ernest Cossart	Squire Brown
Alec Craig	Old Thomas
Gale Storm	Effie
Barlowe Borland	Old Grimes
Forrester Harvey	Coachman
Leonard Willey	Farmer Jenkins
Ian Fulton	Old Brooke
Charles Smith	Digges,Biggers
Richard Chandler	Tadpole
Paul Matthews	Leyton
John Collum	Sidney
Harry Duff	Westcott
John Cullum	Sidney
Anthony Collins	Composer

Technical Credits

C. Graham Baker

Robert Stevenson

Gene Towne

Frank Cavett

Walter Ferris

C. Graham Baker	Producer,Screenwriter
Robert Stevenson	Director,Screenwriter
Gene Towne	Producer,Screenwriter
Vernon L. Walker	Special Effects,Special Effects
Frank Cavett	Screenwriter
Walter Ferris	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

Tom Brown's Schooldays is a fairly faithful adaptation of the Thomas Hughes novel, deviating from the book mostly in the comparative roles played by the title character and the headmaster. The latter is emphasized to greater degree in the film (although he is still a major figure in the book). This change is for the good, as Sir Cedric Hardwicke's glorious performance as Dr. Strong far outclasses the only middling performance of Jimmy Lydon as Tom Brown. Lydon tries hard, and he's generally effective, but he doesn't really make the most of the role. Hardwicke, on the other hand, gives a virtually flawless performance, one which constantly finds new and illuminating things, and makes the part come alive. The supporting cast is good, with Josephine Hutchinson lovely in the kind of role that could easily be walked through, and fine work from Freddie Bartholomew and Billy Halop. Modern audiences may feel a bit too far removed from the social milieu, and this distancing may present a few problems, especially in recognizing the kind of improvements that Strong brings about. The screenplay also lays things on a bit thickly on occasion, and despite director Robert Stevenson's best efforts, there's a tendency to drag a bit here and there. But it's worth the drags to see Hardwicke.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler