Tom Brown's Schooldays is a very endearing story; it's no wonder the big and small screen keep remaking it. The period setting of a boys' school is very nostalgic, and the camaraderie of the younger students as they try to survive amidst the older boys hazing fills you with hope and courage. The 1940 film is very good, but I'm partial to the 1951 adaptation instead. In the later version, the role of the headmaster is given much more kindness. Instead of being concerned primarily with the school, he's willing to risk his entire career to help the boys of the school escape harassment. In this one Cedric Hardwicke is very believable as a teacher and mentor, but he doesn't seem so warm the young kids might turn to him in times of trouble.
Onto the kids: Jimmy Lydon plays the title character in this version. He's new to the school, and older classmate Freddie Bartholomew helps teach him the ropes. Which boys to avoid, which are friendly, help with homework, and how best to spend your parents' allowance on food and other treats. But when Jimmy starts getting the brunt of the upperclassmen's bullying, he and Freddie have to learn the most valuable lessons of all: courage, honor, and friendship.
If you haven't seen any version of this lovely story, you're in for a real treat the first time around. I'd recommend the 1951 version, but if you want to see this earlier one, you'll still get a great first impression.
Onto the kids: Jimmy Lydon plays the title character in this version. He's new to the school, and older classmate Freddie Bartholomew helps teach him the ropes. Which boys to avoid, which are friendly, help with homework, and how best to spend your parents' allowance on food and other treats. But when Jimmy starts getting the brunt of the upperclassmen's bullying, he and Freddie have to learn the most valuable lessons of all: courage, honor, and friendship.
If you haven't seen any version of this lovely story, you're in for a real treat the first time around. I'd recommend the 1951 version, but if you want to see this earlier one, you'll still get a great first impression.