Mr. Perrin and Mr. Traill

I found this to be a jaw dropping, rather disturbing movie. All about bullying, the headmaster bullying staff, the teacher bullying the children and the new teacher. Underneath all of this, the children treat it as the norm and are as happy as can be.

Terrific acting by all involved, this is, apart from the over-dramatic last ten minutes, an utterly believable movie.

The very last line is brilliantly delivered and says so much.

Terrific movie.

It wasn't often that Marius Goring got to take centre stage with a part, but he does it here - and he does it quite well, too. He is the pernickety school master "Perrin" who finds his nose a little out of joint when he is saddled with new man "Traill" (David Farrar). This latter man is perfectly civil, but is also a man who speaks his mind and who isn't prepared to wait half an hour for a bath in the morning, or bother who reads "The Times" first either. "Perrin" finds this behaviour all a bit disrespectful and soon the pair at at loggerheads. Meantime, the headmaster "Moy-Thompson" (Raymond Huntley) is a bit of a stickler for authority, and an act of kindness from "Perrin" sets them on a collision course - one that engenders some sympathy from "Traill" (and from us, too). What's fairly clear now is that the older man is on a slippery slope. His life revolves around his teaching and though we do learn a little of a tragic backstory, it's the present day and the uncertainties it brings him that seem to be influencing his increasingly erratic behaviour. When "Traill" announces his engagement to "Isobel" (Greta Gynt) that seems to be the final straw - but is there nothing that can be done to reconcile the two men? It's got plenty of the "Mr. Chips" story to it, and there's a decent bit of chemistry between the two, equally frustrated, men in the title as the story unravels a little less predictably than you might expect. Huntley is also quite effective as the odious headmaster, too and the story is well enough paced to keep an element of suspense as to the denouement going til near the end. It's a decent adaptation of the Hugh Walpole novel and worth a watch.

David Farrar comes to teach at a public school, and finds himself at war with senior master Marius Goring. Goring considers the new man an affront because he complains when he uses both bath tubs each morning -- one hot soak and one cold plunge -- borrows his umbrella without asking, and steals the imagined affection of Greta Gynt and the real affection of the schoolboys. Farrar comes to realize that Goring is insane, an insanity driven by the snide and pointless railings of the headmaster, Raymond Huntley.

It's based on a novel by the prolific Hugh Walpole, and makes me think of the adage that the reason academic fights are so vicious is because the stakes are small. Why anyone should be at this school is beyond me. Anyone who would send their children to this hidebound, rotten institute is clear neglect. Still, Goring is perfect in in his thankless role; he made a career of playing bizarre creatures, and this was near his peak.

This is a great story that holds you to it while the story unravels. The film is quited dated now but in a way that makes it all the more interesting. The main part is that of Marius Goring as Mr. Perrin who plays a teacher who seems to be very much a loner and ill at ease socially to such an extent that his feeble unsuccessful attempts to woo Greta Gynt who is won over by new teacher David Traill (David Farrar) plus the bullying he takes from the Headmaster Raymond Huntley takes him over the edge. We do not initially take to Mr Perrin but as the film unfolds he comes over as very much a victim of his time, his shyness and the overall situation at the public school where he teaches and has taught for 21 years. Some of the scenes are very short and punchy but the film moves along to its final tragic conclusion. We instinctively know something is going to happen but it is very difficult to second guess the outcome. There is an interesting article on the internet from the Old Monrovians School from a pupil who went on an organised visit to Denham while this film was being made. He describes the sets and also having a talk with Edward Chapman and also a 'very disinterested David Farrar' who apparently posed for a photograph and went back to his dressing room and was not seen again that day. Not often we hear of someone who had been to Denham so it is good to get such an insight

This story is set at a bording school...the sort of place that used to be popular for middle class and up and coming families. The one here has a headmaster that simply accepts no discussion from his staff and he treats them like the pupils.

Into this fascist sort of environment arrives a new teacher, Mr. Traill. Traill is fresh out of the military but is a rather decent and laid back guy. This is a problem, as his superior, Mr. Perrin is a very rigid and small-minded man. Traill's manners and style rub him wrong...and Perrin takes an almost immediate dislike for him. Finishing up the term here is going to be very difficult and you assume sooner or later, something has to give as the tension is so obvious that the kids pick up on it. The ending to this tale is very shocking and a bit surprise. I also loved the scene just after this between Traill and the headmaster...it's very welcome.

Overall, an extremely well acted and enjoyable character study that is well worth your time.