Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Sarita Rafferty There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Ginger Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

sijoe22 I saw this movie DECADES before I saw "Chips" so maybe I'm prejudice, but I think it's better nonetheless.After the success of "Chips," I'll bet studio went scrambling to find a similar book to make a film of, and this was it. They, did- it was based on Thomas Hughes' novel, TOM BROWNS SCHOOL DAYS. (But it receives NO credit in the movie- what happened there?) Characters and acting all top notch. Kind of a sad movie, especially when poor Tom is ostracized for something he didn't do. Many American actors were used, but their fake British accents weren't bad at all. (I thought they were REAL ENGLISHMEN for years.) Has a somewhat happy ending I guess, though it takes a great man's death to cause it.Might contain the worst "stunt double" scene in movie history- when Tom steals cart, look closely - his "double" is about thirty years older than him! I submitted this in the "Goof" section to no avail.I recommend this movie to everyone of all ages.

bkoganbing In Mutiny On The Bounty I remember there's a scene where Charles Laughton is questioning someone about who did what. Someone else owned up to it and got a flogging. The guy who wouldn't rat got the same flogging because as Laughton put it, "when I ask for information I expect to get it."That might have been a whole lot easier on poor Tom Brown who is played here by Jimmy Lydon. His father Ernest Cossart has sent him to Rugby School where the headmaster is Cedric Hardwicke who wants to raise manly and honest kids and not bullies.But that's what young Tom is faced with by an older kid played here with relish by Billy Halop of the Dead End Kids. What to do, because the one thing that's worse than bullying is ratting out your fellow students.Lydon stands up to Halop and actually beats him in a well fought if unofficial bout. But Hardwicke finds out about it and expels Halop.Naturally this could only happen if Lydon ratted him out. Tradition dictates he be shunned and shunned he is. Especially by his roommate and previous benefactor Freddie Bartholomew. These kids have an honor system that West Point would envy. And Hardwicke is a man rock bound in his principles and ideas. It all seems a bit silly, but in this day and age we're finally trying to address bullying in a real way. Although this film has its flaws it has assumed an interesting relevancy for today's kids.In this all male setting some women have some good parts. Mack Sennett comedienne Polly Moran plays the owner of the potato shop where the kids get their 'Murphys' which is a rather unflattering reference to what was the national crop of Ireland and probably some Irish farmers worked hard so these kids could enjoy their treats. Gale Storm plays Moran's young daughter who no doubt gets the lads hormones working. And Josephine Hutchinson plays the supportive and kind Mrs. Hardwicke, supportive to the kids as well as her husband.I'd see the BBC mini-series first, but this is not a bad film.

JohnHowardReid "Tom Brown's School Days": A novel? A memoir? An autobiography? I think the third is the best description of this schoolboy's time at Rugby, written by "an old boy". Thomas Hughes was not identified as the author of the book until around the time he was re-elected to the House of Commons in 1871. (He had been a member of parliament since 1864). By that time, Doctor Arnold was long dead, but his educational ideas persisted in the British education system until well into the 1960s. However, he is not a major character in the novel. Indeed, he is a somewhat shadowy figure, remote from Tom's immediate world. It was the 1916 movie version that elevated Arnold's importance, and following that lead, it is our 1940 version that virtually makes the influential educationalist the central character.However, I don't think that elevating Arnold's importance detracts from the movie. Far from it! As brilliantly brought to life by Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Arnold is indeed a fascinating, charismatic figure. Hardwicke is not only ideally cast, he rejoices in the best role of his extensive career, demonstrating how he can not only capture an audience's attention and sympathy, but how he can totally dominate the action if given the right script and director.Nevertheless, the supporting players, led by Billy Halop, also turn in outstanding performances. This was probably the only totally unsympathetic role Halop ever played, but he limns the character with a skill that simply rivets the attention. His is the definitive study of a swaggering bully. Of course, Jimmy Lydon never bettered his role as Tom Brown. Freddie Bartholomew is also solidly convincing as East, and there are fine studies from Polly Moran, Josephine Hutchinson, Ernest Cossart and Charles Smith (who was soon to prove Lydon's mainstay in the Aldrich movies).Adroitly directed by Robert Stevenson, and most expansively produced with marvelous sets and evocative photography, this version of Tom Brown's School Days is not only a really gripping, stirring experience, it's an absolute must-see movie – a credit to all concerned!

MartinHafer As an American, I didn't have the privilege of growing up in a British boarding school. So, regular beatings, hazings and the like are something I did not have the fortune to experience first-hand. Considering what I saw in this film, I think I can live without that privilege."Tom Brown's School Days" is about an enlightened headmaster (Cedric Hardwicke) and his attempts to create a school based on honesty, tradition and regular beatings administered by staff and not fellow students. While Hardwicke is against bullying and dishonesty, I did find his regular lashings of the boys to be a bit hypocritical. But, in this film he's supposed to be the model of decency and integrity--which makes me assume other educators of the day regularly killed their kids!! All sarcasm aside, the film is watchable and mildly entertaining. Harwicke was a wonderful actor and so I would recommend you see it if only to watch him. As for the rest, it's a decent time-passer. However, the ending seemed VERY anticlimactic and incomplete--the reason why I only scored this one a 5.