The 1968 film if was shown at the Kino last Sunday, September 16. Revolution was the order of the day, with calls to abolish public schools and Oxford and Cambridge universities. Voices were raised, tempers frayed and violence seemed close at hand – and this was just in the Q+A after the screening.
The film was introduced by its writer John Howlett who lives locally. He described how he and his old schoolfriend David Sherwin started writing it at the end of their first term at Oxford. It was based on their experiences at Tonbridge, a prestigious boys’ boarding school. Paramount, the studio which made the film, only did so because actor Albert Finney refused to star in another of their films on that condition. Paramount had not expected it to be popular and were preparing to write it off as a tax loss. However it was ready just before the Christmas holidays and they thought they may as well release it as schoolchildren might be interested. In fact it was a huge hit critically and at the box office and won the Palme d’Or at the 1969 Cannes Film Festival.
The film follows the fortunes of three boys in the lower sixth form. Sandwiched between the “scum” (the younger boys) and the Whips (the prefects of the Upper Sixth), the boys challenge authority and customs. The film depicts many unpleasant features of English public school life in the ’60s including violence, sexual abuse and hypocrisy. It stars Malcolm McDowell in his first screen role as Mick Travis, one of the three central characters.
After the film had ended, Howlett explained how when hearing that a film was being made about public schools, many schools came forward offering their facilities – for a fat fee. However once the schools had read the script, they pulled out. Eventually they approached Cheltenham College where many of the scenes were shot, with a doctored script.
The Kino was packed to capacity and included Geoffrey Chater among the audience, who played the Chaplain.
Image Credits: Seana Lanigan .