Sunday, May 06, 2007
Cheers for Miss Bishop
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: We first saw this movie on TCM one evening about a month before I ordered it. Mom became so involved in it that she visibly cried at the end, and she doesn't cry easily. It's extremely idealistic.
My mother did become a teacher, of elementary school and in the military as a gunnery instructor (that's how she met my dad, he was one of her students). She did not, however, have any intention of becoming a spinster teacher. I can well imagine, though, her attitudes toward teaching and education were much the same as portrayed in this movie.
As well, I couldn't help but recall the line in Mona Lisa Smile in which the president of Wellesley, in 1953, states that higher education for women was unheard of a century ago. This movie accurately states that it was well heard of, which I already knew, anyway. Watching this movie in view of Mona Lisa Smile reminded me to be ever ready to reflect on the fact that, just as the 1950's clearly rewrote women's history according to its dictates for women, all history is rewritten, by era, according to what we want to see in it and get out of it. Made me wonder, too, as I have before, if this glitch in Mona Lisa Smile was intended or inadvertent. You'd think Julia Roberts' character, considering her championing of women's education, would have been aware of the presidents' blatantly incorrect reinterpretation of history and would have (mildly, probably) countered the president.
I found this movie so charming and so much fun as far as watching Mom watch it that first we rented it, then, when Mom yet again, sobbed at the end of the movie, I decided we had to have a copy. I ran across it in the A2ZCDS.com remastered version at my favorite local movie trade-in store and snatched it up. Not a good copy, though; not nearly as clear, visually or audibly, as the copy we saw on TV. I'm going to hunt for a better copy. I notice TCM has one on sale...hopefully, it will be the same as the one they broadcast. So, eventually this one will go back to where I purchased it; but not before I obtain a better copy of it. We've watched it twice since I've purchased it and I'm sure it will become one of our most watched movies.
TCM has two links for this film. The first, linked above in the title of this post, contains an interesting video of a bit of the history of the film that is run previous to broadcast. The second page contains links to two articles that have been written about the movie.
Update 1/17/21: Well, I've obtained yet another copy, yes, remastered, but it is about the same quality as the one above. I've scoured the internet, including the most likely place to find a good copy, TCM, but the best version they sell, like at other outlets, is not available. How strange. I suspect, considering how much my mother liked it and how I warmed to it, that this movie is popular. But, it remains hard to get a really good, pristine copy. I'll keep this one in my collection, this time, until I can obtain a good one. This version is watchable. It's just, well, dark and muddy around the edges.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Martha Scott Ella Bishop William Gargan Sam Peters Edmund Gwynn Professor Corcoran Sterling Holloway Chris Jensen Dorothy Peterson Mrs. Bishop Sidney Blackmer John Stevens Mary Anderson Amy Saunders Donald Douglas Delbert Thompson Marsha Hunt Hope Thompson John Archer Richard Clark Lois Ranson Gretchen Clark Rosemary De Camp Minna Fields
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1941
Directed by Tay Garnett.
Labels: drama7, mom-favorite1, period3, popcorn-and-soda3, teaching
