Apiac Productions
Herbert Ross’s remake of the original 1939 “Goodbye, Mr. Chips” is a so-so effort at a musical version of the James Hilton novel.
In this musical version, the schoolmaster’s wife, played by the singer Petula Clark (in the role of Greer Garson) is a music hall performer to provide a pretext and context for the insertion of songs.
O’Toole, then at the height of his career, having scored the year before with “The Lion in Winter,” was also nominated for Best Actor, but did not win.
Oscar Nominations: 2
Actor: Peter O’Toole
Score of a Musical Picture: Leslie Bricusse and John Williams
Oscar Awards: None
Oscar Context:
The winner of the Best Actor Oscar was John Wayne for the Western “True Grit.”
The Scoring Award went to Lennie Hayton and Lionel Newman for “Hello, Dolly!”
1939 Version, directed by Sam Wood
Oscar Nominations: 6
Picture, produced by Victor Saville
Director: Sam Wood
Actor: Robert Donat
Actress: Greer Garson
Screenplay: Eric Maschwitz, R. C. Sheriff, and Claudine West
Film Editing: Charles Frend
Sound Recording: A. W. Watkins
Oscar Awards: 1
Actor
Oscar Context:
Goodbye Mr. Chips vied for the top award with nine other films: Dark Victory, Gone With the Wind (which won), Love Affair, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Ninotchka, Of Mice and Men, Stagecoach, The Wizard of Oz, and Wuthering Heights.