John Howard Davies - probably most famous for his portrayal of orphan "Oliver Twist" in David Lean's classic - is a little too weedy, for me, as the title character in this adaptation of Thomas Hughes' story about a young boy sent to the prestigious Rugby School in the 1830's where he encounters bullies; brutality and ultimately kindness. Robert Newton turns in a great performance as "Dr. Arnold" who believes that the somewhat cruel educational practices are of the past, and so he and "Tom Brown" try to improve things. This film is not so faithful to the book; but uses the two lead performances, as well as a convincing effort from John Forrest as his nemesis "Flashman", to convey much of it's sentiment. I probably preferred the 1940 version, but there's not much in it.
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Tom Brown's Schooldays
1951 • 1h 33m • ★ 6.9 (8 votes) Released
When Tom Brown arrives at Rugby boarding school, he’s mercilessly tormented by the school’s evil bully Flashman. With the help of his friend East, plucky Brown devises a plan to get back at Flashman; in the meantime, he’s asked to look out for a timid new student, whose life is accidentally put in peril during a school race.
Director
Gordon Parry
Screenplay
Noel Langley
Rating
6.9
Runtime
93 min
Production
Talisman Productions
Top Billed Cast
Gallery
Audience Reviews
C
CinemaSerf
★ 7/10 • Jan 1, 2023
Keywords
based on novel or bookboarding schoolbullyingrugbyschooldisciplineflogging19th century
