Our Miss Brooks

Single gal Connie Brooks (Eve Arden) is the new English teacher at Madison High School. Phillip Boynton (Robert Rockwell) is the handsome biology teacher. Osgood Conklin is the by-the-book principal. Lawrence Nolan (Don Porter) is a rich newspaper owner and the father of one of the students.

Our Miss Brooks started as a radio show (1948-1957) and became a success in the early TV medium (1952-56). I'm not familiar with either. The oddity here is that the movie restarts the story after four years on TV. The students look that much older and ill-fitting. I assume the idea is that most of the public have yet to get a TV. So there's no reason to do a continuation movie since most people haven't seen the show to start. I get that idea but maybe get new younger kids.

In TV terminology, this is an extended pilot episode. I can see the appeal of this franchise. This is a simple single gal sitcom in a school. She's a fine strong character. There's a functional love triangle. Aging her up makes her a better spinster. It works somewhat as a movie. It's all fine if unspectacular.

This film was made immediately upon the completion of the popular four-year run of the TV series, which itself followed a successful radio show, YET for some reason, the filmmakers chose to treat the storyline as if they hadn't existed. It would have made sense had the film been made twenty years later, as in "The Brady Bunch," "Mission Impossible," "Charlie's Angels'" etc. Starting from scratch seems to be backpeddling, but I guess it didn't bother folks in 1956.

Is this disappointing because the passage of time has given the TV (1952-56), and especially the radio (1940s) series a nostalgic glow they don't deserve? I don't know, but the movie is only mildly amusing in spots -- much of it is a bore -- while I recall the radio series with pleasure.

The nature of the plot line is quite different from both of the broadcast series, partly because the movie feels it needs to wrap up a story cleanly. In the series -- sort of like a movie serial -- the characters are left largely as we found them at the start of an episode -- Miss Brooks panting for the indifferent Mr. Boynton, Osgood Conklin fuming about his daughter's interest in the bumbling Walter Denton, who in turn is contemplating his next (mis)adventure. Denton is the one who's most changed in the movie. He was the main character in the radio shows, getting into one scrape after another (ala Andy Hardy), with Miss Brooks usually intervening in some way to bail him out. I don't recall the beginning of the radio series, but it seems that Connie Brooks had been at the school forever -- as had Denton, for that matter -- not a new arrival as in the movie. This is an interesting period piece, but not really good entertainment.

WHEN THIS THEATRICAL movie hit the local theatre screens in 1956, the CBS Network powerhouse sitcom was long over the hill and heading toward its eternal reword in Sitcom Heaven. Ignoring the old axiom of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!", those in charge at CBS decided to revamp the series with unnecessary changes of venue (different school), setting (City & state) and cast characters.

WELL, THERE HAD certainly been enough popularity and appeal left in this now "venerable" CBS Radio/Television and someone had the brainstorm to bring its story and original characters to the big screen of our local theaters. Disdaining the changes that had been foisted on us in the waning days of the series, the theatrical version of OUR MISS BROOKS brought the story back to Connie Brooks' arrival at Madison High School and her meeting with Mr. Boynton, Mrs. Davis, Walter Denton, Mr. Conklin, Harriet Conklin, "Stretch" Snodgrass, .....etc.

ADDED TO THE original gang and story-line was a sort of subplot involving Mr. Conklin's running for office of Educational rep and the introduction of Don Porter as widower and well to do newspaper publisher (and potential suitor) Lawrence Nolan. Then Warner Brothers contract player, Nick Adams, portrayed son of the rich guy, Gary Nolan.

ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, the picture was a successful 1950's style comedy that did a great job in closing the OUR MISS BROOKS story with a "....And They Lived Happily Ever After!" fairy tale ending.

THE FILM ALSO gave us a chance to see the members of the supporting cast at their very best. These players are: Gale Gordon (Mr. Conklin), Jane Morgan (Mrs. Davis), Richard Crenna (Walter Denton),Gloria McMillan (Harriet Conklin)and Leonard Smith (Stretch Snodgrass). Robert Rockwell (Mr. Boynton) was perhaps shown to the best as he was allowed to show much of his yet unseen abilities.* Also, before we forget, cameo by lovely, statuesque and non-speaking, uncredited actress is really June Blair; formerly Playboy Magazine's "Playmate of the Year for 1957, as well as the future Mrs. David Nelson ADVENTURES OF OZZIE & HARRIET).

TAKING THE TIME to screen this theatrical film version of OUR MISS BROOKS will prove to be time not wasted by anyone.

NOTE: * The part of Mr. Phillip Boynton on the radio version was portrayed by one Ira Grossel; who would change his name to Jeff Chandler and pursue a most successful, but all too abrupt film career. But whoever was to play the very naive Biology teacher would have to be taller than average; as Miss Eve Arden was, herself, a very tall woman.

One of my favorite scenes in this film is between Eve Arden who plays Miss Constance Brooks and her soon to be landlady Mrs. Davis, almost as good as the 'Who's on first' bit. I especially liked that her cat, Minerva, also had to approve. Miss Brooks is new to town and has been employed to teach English at Madison High School. Student Stretch Snodgrass, aka Fabian, gives her a tour which is where she first meets fellow teacher of Biology (Phillip Boynton), who she starts dating. Unfortunately, Phil's idea of a date is peanuts at the zoo...it's a long game, but she is hoping to eventually see him with her in a cute little cottage with a white picket fence.

"Well, ours wasn't the fastest romance on record, but it didn't take any time at all to prove itself one of the slowest."-Miss Brooks

Their military like principal, Mr. Osgood Conklin, is not well liked amongst the staff or the students...so when he decides to run for office of coordinator of education, he figures out a way to have the popular Miss Brooks be his Campaign Manager. Miss Brooks isn't thrilled, until she realizes that him vacating the position would create an opening which would come with a promotion with more money for her love interest the biology teacher Phil. Her selling point to the students...get rid of Mr. Conklin! Campaign slogan "Get Mr. Conklin into public office and out of Madison!"...it's one everyone can get behind.

Miss Brooks has a side project teaching the son of a wealthy newspaper tycoon Lawrence Nolan, played by Don Porter, who becomes a romantic rival for our biology teacher Phil!

Fun and wholesome high school comedy whose biggest selling point is that it stars Eve Arden, who I really enjoyed seeing in a starring role. Eve Arden is so often relegated to the best friend or sidekick role...but no one delivers a snappy-line like she does (especially in films such as Mildred Pierce). Both a fun vintage film and a family friendly one that has me recommending it to both families and fans of Eve Arden!