Goodbye Mr. Chips

This is the film which is filled with affection.
This is the film that I will never forget.
Everytime I watch this film, it leaves me with warm and gentle feelings.
I have a VHS and a vinyl record.
When will they make a DVD and a CD?
The acting, music, lyrics, cinematography, everything is great.
I was dumfounded to find out how badly the critics in USA treated this film.
It was a time for 'new cinema.'
It might have been considered nonsense or out of date for them to evaluate this kind of lovely film as a good film.
I saw this film in Japan in 1970.
The critics in Japan were sensible enough to choose this film to be one of year's best.
And I remember it was very successful at the box office in Japan.
Peter O'Toole is perfect in his role as always, you know.
Petula Clark utterly fascinates us with her voice and act.
I must say it deserves to be treated more fairly.
This is a must-see film for all generation.

Goodbye Mr Chips (1969) always has and always will be one of my all time favourite movies. I have directed three stage versions over the years with young actors based on Terrence Rattigan's brilliant, witty, theatrical script. I am always amazed the film was not well received in its initial release. When it was released in Australia in 1970, it was a smash hit, yet its failure in the States forced distributors to pull it out of theatres and slash 30 minutes out of it. There were so many various cut versions I have seen over the years. Thankfully it was released on VHS about fifteen years ago and was restored to its original length (well almost, the song "When I Was Younger" has always been cut from the film altho on the soundtrack). I despair it has never been released on DVD and only a shortened CD exists where it is doubled up with songs from the soundtrack of "The Boy Friend:"/. I feel sure if it was released on DVD it would find a whole new audience. I watched it again recently and was amazed at how fresh and charming it is, its one of those rare movies that never date. A movie desperately needing to be re-evaluated by critics again. Also, the music is wonderful, why do people criticise Bricusse. His style is so subtle, hummable? What does that mean> These are gentle, tender love songs with a couple of theatrical showstoppers....PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE someone get a full length CD (its pefect for Rhino to release) and DVD of this movie out very soon., O Toole and Petula Clarke were never better. My one criticism of the VHS is that it is a little misty (and I dont mean in the sequences that are supposed to have that effect) and not very sharp and clear. It needs to be srestored to its original 70MM brilliance.

I loved this movie when I was young so much so that I bought it on Laser Disk. I now have a big projection digital widescreen TV and was hoping to get it again on DVD. That is when I saw the critic pan of the movie. Well I disagree. The music adds to the story and drama and was not intended to be memorable alone. The setting around World War II also adds more to the drama, than the original, which was set around World War I. It passes my test for a movie that I will always own, it has a line that I'll always remember. "You'll lose all that you hold dear." "All that I hold dear I am holding now." I know it sounds sappy but when you see it in the movie it hits.