It's Great to Be Young!

I saw this when I was a kid of maybe 10 or 11. It was my favourite film for many years after. It is, of course, very dated now but the performances are still great. Particularly memorable in this fifties curiosity is Richard O'Sullivan whose comic timing, even as a child was terrific - he made the movie for me. Carol Shelley whom I saw in The Odd Couple many years later was a particular crush of mine. John Mills is the central figure in this movie as a teacher obsessed with music who comes up against the authoritarian figure of Cecil Parker, the newly-appointed head of Angel Hill school. It is a snapshot of fifties school life in a typical middle-class organisation and it was quite like the grammar school which I attended (though it was not quite as much fun where I was).

It's Great to be Young, (1956) is a narrative of a co-educational school and its pupils excepting their rights. Look further into the sub-text to find it is more about an evolving education system. Moreover it is a comment on the grammar school system. In this era, as is the case nowadays, the grammar school system was designed for more academically able pupils. In other words, a school for the children of the middle class who can avoid paying the education fees of expensive private schools at the expense of the tax payer.

In this film it is notable that the boys are asked questions by the teachers on the subjects of history, Latin and music, whilst overlooking the girls on such questions. Instead girls are encouraged to pursue romance and domestic duties, such as knitting.

Overlapping this dark side of the British education system is the upbeat, energetic, effervescent feel to it, with great performances, good acting and a fine cast of players, including the great Sir John Mills, and a very young Richard O'Sullivan.

It is in many respects a time-piece of traditional school teachers, and education, with corporal punishment and conservative attitudes verses the post-modern jazz, the pre-rock 'n' roll era.

A film that is upbeat, if a tad cheesy, with its dark comments on the British education system.

A brilliant evocation of 1950s Britain; anyone who went to school there, then, will love this. It is lighthearted, with a serious moral message, good performances, continuous action, and skillfully used musical intervals. I remember seeing it as a kid at the local small-town cinema, when it came around the first time; coming across it again, on BBC2 in an obscure afternoon slot, was a real treat. The leads are major stars, especially John Mills and Cecil Parker, and their performances are faultless, but it is the young people who carry the movie and make it so special. The music is great fun, too. Why has this not been reissued on DVD? Apart from its merits, the fact that it is a John Mills vehicle should have been enough to see it out by now, I would have thought. It seems from the other comments on this page that everyone who has seen it likes it, it is just not that easy for new people to see it if there is no DVD in the shops.

I am 40 and first saw this film about 2 years ago. It is full of fun, wit and charm. A true classic of English film making. As usual, Cecil Parker and John Mills are amazing together. Their performance and that of all the supporting cast, is true chemistry.

If you want fun, laughs, music and nostalgia, this is certainly a film to watch. I just wish I could obtain a full version on video or DVD, but unfortunately, it has never been released in the UK.

IF you were at school in the 1950's then watch this film if you get the opportunity. It's a lovely look at British school life in that era. The music throughout is great too. John Mills and Cecil Parker do a superb job in their respective roles. Wonderful nostalgia pieces like this should be treasured, and hopefully it will be released on DVD in time.