Mr Perrin and Mr Traill 1948

Writers: Hugh Walpole (from his novel), L.A.G. Strong, T.J. Morrison

Rôle: Vincent Perrin

Release Date: 27 September 1948

Synopsis: A British schoolmaster is upset when a new teacher comes to the school and is an immediate success with the boys. The older man thinks he is not getting the respect he deserves.

Comment: My favourite Marius Goring film after 'So Little Time'. Marius invests so much pathos and humanity in the character of Vincent Perrin that you really feel sympathy and compassion for him. He is magnificent in this rôle. Everything Mr Perrin has built his career and life on seems to slipping away after Traill arrives and then to make matters worse, the new arrival proceeds to steal the women Mr Perrin loves. It is another rather wooden performance from David Farrar. He is good in 'The Small Back Room' (a Powell and Pressburger film) but I have never rated him as much of an actor and I find his character of Traill rather unlikeable. When Mr Perrin sees Isabel Lester (Greta Gynt) being romanced by Traill, the look on his face is heartrending. I just want to give him a hug. After the tragic ending when Traill goes to confront the headmaster Moy-Thompson (Raymond Huntley seemed to make a speciality of playing these mean, sour faced, disdainful characters) in his office and upbraids him about his treatment of Mr Perrin, he takes no responsibility himself, even though he is as much to blame and Mr Perrin had just saved his life. I just want to kick him! What an arsehole!

Marius also did a radio version for the BBC in the 1970s which was based on the original novel by Hugh Walpole. In this version he performed as the narrator, rather than in his earlier rôle of Vincent Perrin.

Trivia: Marius as the aging Mr Perrin, was actually four years younger than David Farrar who played the supposedly much younger Mr Traill. Hugh Walpole's moving and popular novel was published in 1911. This film version updates the story to the period in which it was made, just after World War II.

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill 1948 film poster

Availability: DVD-R versions available from several online sites and a version on YouTube (poorer quality than the DVD-R versions).

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill practical joke article in the Evening Standard 5 January 1948

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill article in the Dundee Evening Telegraph 13 January 1948

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill article in the Dundee Evening Telegraph 23 February 1948

Marius Goring & Greta Gynt with unit crew on Mr Perrin and Mr Traill 1948

Marius Goring with his double on the set of Mr Perrin and Mr Traill 1948

Marius Goring with David Farrar and David's daughter Barbara on the set of Mr Perrin and M

Lucie Mannheim & Marius Goring on the set of Mr Perrin and Mr Traill 1948

Marius Goring in a behind the scenes photo from Mr Perrin and Mr Traill 1948

Marius Goring in a behind the scenes photo from Mr Perrin and Mr Traill 1948. From our personal collection, previously in the collection of Marius Goring

Marius Goring entertaining visiting bigwigs (L-R: Lady Grant M.P., Walter Fletcher M.P., Marchioness of Carisbrooke & Mrs Crossley) on Mr Perrin and Mr Traill set 1948

Marius Goring & Lawrence Huntington on set of Mr Perrin and Mr Traill 1948

Behind-the-scenes photographs from the shoot: the last two taken during the final production day of the film, when members of the unit presented Marius with trophies. The gifts expressed the appreciation of the unit for the way in which Marius had, with no assistance from a double, played the hazardous scenes in the water tank.

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill cinema advert in the Evening Standard 2 September 1948

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill cinema advert in The Evening Sun (Baltimore, Maryland) 9 April 1949

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill cinema advert in The Miami Herald (Miami, Florida) 28 July 1949

Reviews: There is a good user review of the film on IMDb by hwg1957-102-265704: "A new teacher Mr Traill arrives at a school in Cornwall and comes into conflict with long established teacher Mr. Perrin. At first it is only about trivial things but soon escalates until eventually coming to a crisis. In the mix is Mr Traill's growing interest in the school nurse Isobel Lester whom Mr Perrin has always desired. It is a fine film that portrays well the insular world of a boarding school with perfect cinematography by Erwin Hillier and an atmospheric music score by Allan Gray.

Anchoring the film is a great performance by Marius Goring as Perrin, whose descent into almost madness is brilliantly portrayed, but then the actor is always interesting in any role he played in movies. This must be one of his best though. Among the other players Raymond Huntley stands out as the sadistic headmaster Moy-Thompson. Lawrence Huntington is an underrated director but he was a proficient film maker and this is definitely one of his best.

The original novel by Hugh Walpole (a good read in itself) has two different endings, one for the UK market and one for the US. The ending to this film is the UK one, which I think is the better one."

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill review in The Times 26 August 1948

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill review in The New York Times 17 January 1949

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill review in The Philadelphia Inquirer 9 April 1951

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill review in the Sunday Post 7 November 1948

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill review in the Halifax Evening Courier 23 November 1948

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill review in the Daily News New York 16 January 1949

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill review in the Daily Mirror 28 August 1948

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill review in the Coventry Evening Telegraph 23 November 1948

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill review in The Sunday Herald Sydney 2 October 1949

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill review in The San Francisco Examiner 28 July 1950

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill review in the Weekly Dispatch (London) 29 August 1948

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill review in The Montreal Gazette 16 April 1949

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill review in The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) 20 June 1949

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill review in the Yorkshire Evening Post 18 September 1948

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill review in the Daily Herald 27 August 1948

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill review in the Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, New York) 3 December 1949

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill review in the Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois) 24 May 1949

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill review in The Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, Maryland) 9 April 1949

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill review by Lew Sheaffer in The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, New York) 15 January 1949

Mr Perrin inspects the boys

Marius Goring in double portrait for Mr Perrin and Mr Traill 1948

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill 1948 US film poster

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill film pressbook cover

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill film pressbook pages 3 & 4

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill film pressbook pages 1 & 2

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill film pressbook pages 5 & 6