Tom Brown's Schooldays

A British drama; A story set in 1834 at Rugby School in England is about a boy's efforts to adjust to boarding school life and contend with the calculated cruelties of a bully. A new, benevolent schoolmaster, Doctor Arnold, believes that discipline and reform are necessary, and he puts his faith in the boy as his seed of success. This is the third film version of Thomas Hughes' book. The staging is more authentic, atmospherically shot on location in the old school itself. The story has a slow but steady pace, but it becomes sketchy at times. John Howard Davies, who plays Tom Brown, gives a good performance. Robert Newton is well cast and impressive as that heroic schoolmaster, but not enough screen time is given to his character and his principles and strength, which underpin the story, especially for viewers who read the book. Flashman is given a strong presence by John Forrest as the epitome of snobbery, though he is weaker than expected in the scene of his character's physical confrontation.