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IMDbPro

Tom Brown's School Days

  • 19401940
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 26m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
496
YOUR RATING
Freddie Bartholomew, Cedric Hardwicke, and Jimmy Lydon in Tom Brown's School Days (1940)
  • Drama
A young boy starts at Rugby boarding school. He is tormented by Flashman, the school bully.A young boy starts at Rugby boarding school. He is tormented by Flashman, the school bully.A young boy starts at Rugby boarding school. He is tormented by Flashman, the school bully.
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
496
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Robert Stevenson
  • Writers
    • Thomas Hughes(novel)
    • Walter Ferris(adaptation and screenplay)
    • Frank Cavett(adaptation and screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Cedric Hardwicke
    • Freddie Bartholomew
    • Jimmy Lydon
Top credits
  • Director
    • Robert Stevenson
  • Writers
    • Thomas Hughes(novel)
    • Walter Ferris(adaptation and screenplay)
    • Frank Cavett(adaptation and screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Cedric Hardwicke
    • Freddie Bartholomew
    • Jimmy Lydon
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 18User reviews
    • 5Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos7

    Freddie Bartholomew, Jimmy Lydon, and Charles Smith in Tom Brown's School Days (1940)
    Billy Halop and Jimmy Lydon in Tom Brown's School Days (1940)
    Freddie Bartholomew, Dick Chandlee, and Jimmy Lydon in Tom Brown's School Days (1940)
    Barlowe Borland and Billy Halop in Tom Brown's School Days (1940)
    Freddie Bartholomew and Jimmy Lydon in Tom Brown's School Days (1940)
    Freddie Bartholomew, Cedric Hardwicke, Jimmy Lydon, and Gale Storm in Tom Brown's School Days (1940)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Cedric Hardwicke
    Cedric Hardwicke
    • Dr. Thomas Arnoldas Dr. Thomas Arnold
    • (as Sir Cedric Hardwicke)
    Freddie Bartholomew
    Freddie Bartholomew
    • Ned Eastas Ned East
    Jimmy Lydon
    Jimmy Lydon
    • Tom Brownas Tom Brown
    Josephine Hutchinson
    Josephine Hutchinson
    • Mrs. Mary Arnoldas Mrs. Mary Arnold
    Billy Halop
    Billy Halop
    • Flashmanas Flashman
    Polly Moran
    Polly Moran
    • Sally Harowellas Sally Harowell
    Hughie Green
    Hughie Green
    • Walker Brookeas Walker Brooke
    Ernest Cossart
    Ernest Cossart
    • Squire Brownas Squire Brown
    Alec Craig
    Alec Craig
    • Old Thomasas Old Thomas
    Gale Storm
    Gale Storm
    • Effieas Effie
    Antoinette Rotche
    Antoinette Rotche
    • Tom Brown's Nannyas Tom Brown's Nanny
    Lionel Belmore
    Lionel Belmore
    • Tavern Keeperas Tavern Keeper
    • (uncredited)
    Barlowe Borland
    Barlowe Borland
    • Grimsby - aka Old Grimeyas Grimsby - aka Old Grimey
    • (uncredited)
    Rita Carlyle
    • Maidas Maid
    • (uncredited)
    Dick Chandlee
    • Tadpole Martinas Tadpole Martin
    • (uncredited)
    Richard Clucas
    • Boyas Boy
    • (uncredited)
    John 'Uh huh' Collum
    • Sidneyas Sidney
    • (uncredited)
    Ray Dixon
    • Studentas Student
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Robert Stevenson
    • Writers
      • Thomas Hughes(novel)
      • Walter Ferris(adaptation and screenplay)
      • Frank Cavett(adaptation and screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The earliest documented telecasts of this film in New York City occurred Monday 30 December 1946 on DuMont Television Network's WABD (Channel 5) and in Los Angeles Sunday 29 February 1948 on DuMont's KTLA (Channel 5), followed by Baltimore Friday 9 April 1948 on WMAR (Channel 2), by Detroit Sunday 2 May 1948 on WWJ (Channel 4), and by Fort Worth Sunday 3 October 1948 on WBAP (Channel 5). In San Francisco it first aired Saturday 14 May 1949 on the City's second commercial television station, freshly launched KGO (Channel 7), and in Cincinnati Tuesday 6 September 1949 on WKRC (Channel 11).
    • Goofs
      When the boy shoots a pea-shooter at Fleishman from the back, it hits near the top of his stovepipe hat yet he grabs back of his neck in pain.
    • Quotes

      Dr. Thomas Arnold: A new boy is always important. He may be an influence for good or for evil.

    • Crazy credits
      Movie based on Thomas Hugh's novel, yet he's given no credit for it.
    • Connections
      Spin-off Royal Flash (1975)
    • Soundtracks
      The Lincolnshire Poacher
      (uncredited)

      trad.

      [Film's theme, and sung by the Rugby students in celebration]

    User reviews18

    Review
    Top review
    For Us George MacDonald Fraser Fans, Flashman Gets Libeled
    Jimmy Lydon plays the title character, but the point of view occasionally cuts away to Cedric Hardwicke as the radical and revered Thomas Arnold. Judging by this movie, his great innovation was to cast out liars and talk the Sixth Form into badmouthing bullying.

    Even so, the performances are fine in a Code-compliant manner, with a solid juvenile cast including Freddy Bartholomew and Gale Storm in her feature debut. It's also director Robert Stevenson's first American movie. He would stay for the rest of his career and by the early 1970s would become the most successful movie director ever, if you went by unadjusted-for-inflation grosses of all his movies. He was not an auteur. He gave the producer and, it turned out, the audience what it wanted. At this point, he was becoming the go-to director for Ye Olde England movies. Like many a director, he retreated to TV in the early 1950s, but hooked up with Walt Disney in the latter half of the decade, and directed many of his gimmick live-action comedies.
    helpful•2
    0
    • boblipton
    • Jan 17, 2019

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 19, 1940 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Adventures at Rugby
    • Filming locations
      • RKO Studios - 780 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • The Play's The Thing Productions Inc.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 26 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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    Freddie Bartholomew, Cedric Hardwicke, and Jimmy Lydon in Tom Brown's School Days (1940)
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