Goodbye, Mr. Chips Page #8

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to all those boys you taught...

...you managed to teach something

to at least one headmaster.

Goodbye.

-Good night, Jenks.

-Good night, sir.

We're all sorry at losing you, sir.

Thank you, Jenks.

Do you know, sir, I always kind of thought

that you'd be headmaster here one day.

Did you?

Well, so did...

...someone else once.

-Any news, Jenks?

-Oh, nothing very much, sir.

-An Austrian archduke's been murdered.

-Oh, dear.

-Well, good night, Jenks.

-Good night, Mr. Chipping, sir.

It's the Manchester Regiment.

They're off to the front.

Isn't it exciting, sir?

Is it? Well, I suppose it is.

I bet those tommies wish

they had a band like ours.

There were sentries on every

bridge at home, with bayonets fixed.

My uncle saw the Russians

come through.

-How did he know they were Russian?

-Easy, Wes.

They had beards,

and snow on their boots.

I say, Waterhouse has joined up.

Waterhouse?

Yes, sir.

But he only left last term.

How long do you think it will last?

Why, Forrester,

you thinking of joining the army?

-I will as soon as they'll have me.

-It'll all be over long before they do that.

-But I'm 16 and a bit, sir.

-I know, Forrester.

But I'm afraid you won't have a chance.

It can't last. Stands to reason.

It's a question of weeks.

Sorry to disappoint you, Forrester.

Tonight adds to the roll of honor...

...the names of 11 boys

and one master of Brookfield School...

...who have given their lives

for their country.

John Forrester

of the Northumberland Fusiliers.

Killed while counterattacking the enemy

in the salient at Ypres.

He left here to join the army

at the age of 17 years and 6 months.

He was moved up into the line

on his second day in France...

...and two days later

was killed in action.

But I'm 16 and a bit, sir.

I know, Forrester.

But I'm afraid you won 't have a chance.

Richard Kingsley

of the Warwickshire Regiment.

Fell leading a bombing raid

upon the enemy trenches.

Kingsley was captain of the school

in 1909 and entered Sandhurst.

-Colley.

-I wanted to see you.

I'm off to France on Friday.

Martin Rutherford and

John Passmore were friends.

They came here together

in the same term...

...they joined the flying corps together...

...and died upon the same day...

...covering the infantry attack

upon Delville Wood.

So you see, Helen's going to be

rather lonely while I'm out there.

I say, this is an awful thing to ask you.

Go on. Go on, Colley, please.

Well, she's going to live at Charborough.

The kid's nearly a year old now.

I'm just wondering whether you'd run

over and see her once in a while?

It's not far.

I'd feel terribly happy if there

were someone she could see.

Of course, Colley. Of course.

Oh, it's awfully good of you, sir.

The address is here.

You're doing me a great honor.

Here's an old friend of yours, Chips.

You don't remember me,

Mr. Chipping, sir?

Why, bless my soul,

if it isn't the town cheese.

Perkins is my batman.

We're off to France.

Really?

You're not fighting each other this time?

It's a great bit of luck for me, sir,

being with Mr. Colley.

Well, goodbye to you both.

God bless you.

Don't worry about, you know.

-I'll keep an eye on them both for you.

-Thank you, sir.

Goodbye.

My goodness, sir, you are late.

There's two gentlemen waiting for you,

and they're in a dreadful hurry.

We're going to give you a shock, Chips,

so you'd better hang on to your chair.

We're going to be

in a bad hole next term.

And you know half the masters

have joined up...

...and the substitutes are a dreadful lot.

I know. I know it's difficult, yes.

And now the head wants to go himself.

If you feel equal to it,

will you come back?

-Me?

-Yes.

No man living knows the school

as you do.

Our governors want you

to be headmaster...

...and to hold the fort

until the war is over.

The headmastership?

Will you, Chips?

Yes. Yes, I'll come.

You were right, my dear.

I am headmaster after all.

I congratulate you. Smart parade

and a fine-looking lot of boys.

Thank you, general.

Very important, this OTC work.

These lads are the officers of tomorrow.

I prefer to hope, general,

that tomorrow never comes.

Burton, I understand you've been

impertinent and disobedient to Mr. Smith.

I've written the lines.

I've done the punishment.

Providing you do the punishment...

...you think yourself entitled

to play stupid practical jokes, is that it?

Sit down.

I want to know why you do

this kind of thing.

I do it because the whole crowd

of masters here are weak-kneed women.

They're not in the army because

they're not fit to be, or too old.

They get it back on us by being tyrants.

Before you go on with your interesting

speech, get over that chair.

Get over that chair.

Get up.

Sit down.

You'll find the armchair

the most convenient now.

It didn't amuse me to do that, Burton.

Very soon now, you'll be

an officer in France.

You'll need discipline from your men.

And to get that, you must know

what discipline means.

Now, you despise the masters here...

...because they're not young enough

or strong enough to fight...

...you might like to know that every one

has done his best to join.

We take no man

unless he has done that.

I'm headmaster now because every man

fit to be headmaster's fighting in France.

I'm a wartime fluke.

A temporary officer risen from the ranks.

But I'm going to keep Brookfield together

until the war is over.

-You understand?

-I didn't know that, sir, about the masters.

I'm sorry.

If I thought you hadn't any good in you,

I shouldn't have told you.

Now, are you gonna stand in

and do your share?

-Of course I am, sir.

-That's right.

Look, there it is. There.

-Look, over there.

-It's a cloud.

-Searchlight's got it.

-The guns, they must have spied it.

Here, out of this, you kids.

Down to lower school.

Put those blinds down.

Get to your places. Put them down.

Um, at this particular moment...

...in the world's history...

...it may seem to you that...

...the affairs of Julius Caesar...

...in Gaul 2000 years ago...

...are of somewhat--

Somewhat secondary importance.

But believe me, you can't judge

the importance of things...

...by the noise they make.

Is there anyone who would like

to volunteer to construe?

-Maynard?

-Yes, sir.

Turn to page 40

and begin at the bottom line, will you?

This was the kind of fighting...

...in which the Germans

busied themselves.

You see?

These dead languages do come

to life sometimes, don't they?

They were going at it,

hammer and tongs.

Game as a pair of fighting c*cks.

One of young Colley's eyes was closing.

"Keep your guard up," I said.

-Yes, I can hear you.

-Oh, dear.

No, thank you. I always eat too much

when I come here, you know.

Well, young Colley,

that's a fine mess you've made.

This fellow must come

to Brookfield, Helen.

Of course. The Colleys have gone

to Brookfield since Queen Anne died.

Here, little pig. You precious little pig.

-Peter always asks after you in his letter.

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