Her Twelve Men

The way they kept calling her "sir" irked me, and the kids' behavior- as well as that of some adults- was annoying. But, I must admit both Greer and some of the kids managed to tug at my heartstrings several times throughout! Yes, I ugly-cried real tears, and that means that while not super good, it's still a good film. But, if you're anything like me, you'll be saying to yourself all along "Oh, if only life were really that simple!" And even though it's not at all, it's lovely that the 1950s respected such simplicity instead of looking down their noses at it.

Her Twelve Men marked Greer Garson's farewell to MGM, the studio that had brought her over from the United Kingdom in 1939 and for whom three years later brought home an Oscar for Mrs. Miniver which also was The Best Picture of that year.

This film is hardly in the category of Mrs. Miniver, but it's a pleasant enough family film about a woman who takes a first time teaching job at a private boy's school called The Oaks. In fact it's also the first time this venerable institution ever hired a woman and that fact proves unsettling to a lot of people, kids and faculty.

But Greer turns out to be a natural for the job and some of these kids in the boarding school turn out to need a woman's touch. Her scenes with young Donald MacDonald who plays a kid who was essentially dumped at the school while his jet setting parents are gadding about the globe are especially touching.

Greer has three male admirers as well, faculty members Robert Ryan and James Arness and Barry Sullivan multi-millionaire widower father of another troubled youth Tim Considine. Guess who she ends up with.

Richard Haydn plays the school headmaster who is opposed to her at first, but who gradually sees having a woman on the staff ain't the worst thing possible. Haydn who is normally pulling out all the stops playing fussbudgets is rather restrained in his performance and the usual shtick is under wraps.

Her Twelve Men holds up well since those Eisenhower days and is still a good family film.

I found it to be quite an affecting, warm-hearted film. Surely nobody could have played the new teacher as well as Miss Garson, and it is always a pleasure to see Robert Ryan playing a "good guy" instead of a pyscho-killer! Many excellent small parts for worthwhile players such as Barbara Lawrence, Ian Wolfe, Ivan Triesault, Frances Bergen, etc. Maybe it is just a big hunk of middle-brow sentimentality but I loved it!

Greer Garson portrays a teacher at an all boys school in this familiar vehicle from MGM studios. She must be a teacher to her students and a mother simultaneously. In the process, she attracts three suitors.

I love Garson and I'm a huge fan, however,I will also agree this is not her best film. Its only for those who are big fans of the actress. Also, for those who are die-hard fans of Garson, if you need another reason to see it? She's in color! It was filmed in color and is not one of Turner's colorized films. Garson fans like myself know the majority of her films were done in black and white.

While I agree with the previous post stating this film is a familiar vehicle for Garson, I disagree with him on the statement that Garson could have chosen a better film to appear in. I'm sure the previous poster has not forgotten that when this film was made, Garson was still under contract to MGM and the company had been dealing with a shift in power during this period. The powers that be at the studio would not give the actress parts that were fitting of her abilities and range. As a result, she took films like this to avoid being shunned by the film community and to continue working. She also was trying to avoid being sued by the studio for breach of contract. Eventually, she did grow tired of being stuck in films like this so she did what any graceful woman like herself would do...she waited for her contract to expire by taking films like this. When her contract was up, she left.

For more inside information of Garson, the poster above should read her book, "A Rose for Mrs. Miniver" to get an in depth understanding of this great actress.

Also, on a sad note, this is one of Garson's films that has never gone to video. :(

GREER GARSON's long career at MGM came to an end in a sentimental tale about a new teacher at an all boys school who triumphs over inexperience and falls in love too. A slim tale for Garson with Robert Ryan and Barry Sullivan hovering in the background as possible suitors, it is strictly formula stuff and worth watching only if you're an ardent fan of Greer Garson. It strives to be no more than a modest programmer.

It's almost quaint to see how "rambunctious" the boys are by today's standards, so mild is their behavior. Richard Haydn as the school's headmaster is effective and the boys are competent enough child actors, but it all has the feeling of having been done before.

As I say in my article on Greer Garson due to appear in FILMS OF THE GOLDEN AGE: "At a time when she could have used a different kind of role to broaden her appeal, Garson let herself be cast in the sort of vehicle that had an all too familiar ring to it."

Of interest to fans of James Arness, he has a brief role as a physical ed coach at a time when he had not yet emerged as a TV western star.