Tom Brown’s Schooldays *** (1971, Anthony Murphy, Iain Cuthbertson, Simon Fisher-Turner, Richard Morant) – Classic Movie Review 3527

Director Gareth Davies’s 1971 BBC TV mini-series is an acceptable British remake of the 1940 Hollywood movie Tom Brown’s School Days and the 1951 British version Tom Brown’s Schooldays of the famous old story based on the renowned Rugby School novel by Thomas Hughes.

Anthony Murphy is the usual wimpy Master Brown of course, but Simon Fisher-Turner and especially Richard Morant have great fun with the characters of Tom’s buddy East and the school bully Flashman, while Iain Cuthbertson gives a thoughtful performance as the strict and stern English public school reforming headmaster Dr Arnold.

Anthony Stevens does a sharp, intelligent job with the teleplay, though the realism caused a bit of a furore back in 1971 for a BBC Sunday teatime serial. Producer John McRae ensures both a good cast and a good production. It’s hard not to make this story entertaining, and they bring out its good yarn nicely.

The cast also includes Gerald Flood, Richard Gibson, David Hampshire and John Paul.

And it was remade yet again as the British TV movie Tom Brown’s Schooldays (2005) with Alex Pettyfer as Tom, Stephen Fry as Dr Arnold and Julian Wadham as Squire Brown.

Richard Morant died on November 9, 2011, aged 66. He was known for The Company of Wolves (1984), Mahler (1974) and The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982).

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3527

Link to Derek Winnert’s home page for more reviews: http://derekwinnert.com/