- BFI identifier52382
- Date1931-04-20 (Release)
- Production countryUnited Kingdom
- Production company
- SynopsisRl.1. Accompanied by his father, David Woodley arrives back to college for the commencement of his last term there. David says goodbye to his father and then enters the school where the headmaster, Mr Simmons, is giving his beginning of term speech. At the back of the hall, David joins his fellow prefects who are talking about their holidays. Later the prefects discuss the headmaster's wife who seems too young and pretty for him. At the headmaster's house a social evening comes to an end, during which Mrs Simmons has difficulty in controlling her boredom. After the staff have left, the headmaster and his wife argue. She tells him she hates his continuous application of discipline and doesn't feel suited to being a headmaster's wife. In the teashop, two of the prefects, Vining and Milner, discuss David, unable to decide whether he is still innocent concerning women or simply a dark horse. In his study, David tells his friend, Ainger, how much he detests Vining and the way he continually talks about women. Their conversation about love is interupted by Mrs Simmons, who asks them, as prefects, to stop boys using the shrubbery as a short cut to the road. Ainger leaves to take detention and Mrs Simmons asks David if she may see the poetry which she knows he has written; as they are reading it the headmaster enters and dismisses it as "nauseous stuff". Later Vining offers to introduce David to a girl in the town, but David shows no interest(1870). Rl.2. David meets Mrs Simmons who is reading poetry in the college grounds. Sitting together under a tree, Mrs Simmons confesses to him how out of place she feels at the school. Later Mrs Simmons tells her husband that he has invited David and his friend, Ainger, for tea. The headmaster objects, pointing out that she should be accompanying him to watch the cricket match. Again they argue and the headmaster leaves by himself. When David arrives he is alone and gives Mrs Simmons a note of apology from Ainger who has had to play in the cricket match at the last moment. Whilst the cricket match progresses(470-500) David talks to Mrs Simmons about things he doesn't understand in life. Mrs Simmons then plays the piano and sings for him. The cricket match comes to an end and the players walk off the pitch to be mobbed by the boys(631-695). David tells Mrs Simmons his plans for the future and then confesses his love for her. As he takes her in his arms and kisses her, they are interrupted by the headmaster, who orders David to go to his study. The headmaster then asks his wife how long the affair has been going on and tells her that David will be expelled. Mrs Simmons replies that if David is expelled she will leave him, but if David stays, she will not let her behaviour lapse again. The headmaster agrees to let David stay and departs to tell him.(3800ft) Rl.3. Mrs Simmons is surprised by another visit from David who returns to collect his poems. Mrs Simmons tells him that he has been getting too sentimental and that she was only pretending to love him. David tears up his poems and leaves. Meanwhile Vinning and Milner are amusing themselves playing the ukulele and gramophone. Ainger lets out that David has gone to tea with Mrs Simmons. Vining sits down to the piano and parodies a song on Mrs Simmons which is overheard by David. Dejected and angry, David goes down to the tea shop where the waitress, Milner's girl, is about to go off duty. Encouraged by her, David takes her to the woods. Later, David arrives back at school and confesses to his friend Ainger, what he has done. Vining and Milner come in and taunt him about Mrs simmons and the waitress. David picks up a knife and has to be restrained from attacking them. The scene is interrupted by the head master who sends them to their rooms. The headmaster telephones David's father who agrees to come and take David away. Ainger goes and tells Mrs Simmons about the incident. Mr Woodley arrives at the school and tells the headmaster that he doesn't understand his son's behaviour. The headmaster then tells him about David's relationship with wife. Mr Woodley agrees to take David away immediately.(5676ft). Rl.4. The headmaster leaves the room to bring David to his father. Mrs Simmons enters the room and tells Mr Woodley everything is her fault that she encouraged his son because she loved him. Mr Woodley promises her that he will try and help David and she leaves the room. The headmaster comes back with David and leaves him with his father. They agree to leave instantly and David goes to collect his things from his study, saying goodbye to Ainger on the way. In his study he finds Mrs Simmons who apologises to him for what has happened. She admits that she still cares for him but he must not spoil his life for her. They say goodbye and David walks to the car with his father, watched by the headmaster. From a window, Mrs Simmons watches, in tears. Driving along in the car, Mr. Woodley tells David that he does understand, more than he thinks, because of his conversation with Mrs Simmons. David, in tears, is unable to reply. The car drives away into the distance.(6925ft) (Shotlist) DRAMA. A School prefect becomes strongly attached to the headmaster's wife. (Synopsis)
- Work historyThomas Bentley also directed a silent version in 1928, but that silent version was never released.
- Genre
- CategoryFiction
- Subject
- CreditsDirector: Thomas Bentley
Production Company: British International Pictures
Assistant Director: W. Bangs
view all - CastMadeleine Carroll (Laura Simmons)
Sam Livesey (Mr. Simmons)
Frank Lawton (Young Woodley)
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Title
Young Woodley (Original)
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- Scripts / DocumentsScript - Original story: Based on the play by John van Druten - SCR-19639
Ephemera: publicity - PBM-52382
See JAMES ANDERSON Collection (Film and Production Company), for example of programme see CINEMA EPHEMERA: LONDON (Capitol) and for example of publicity see NASREEN KABIR Collection. Medium Pressbook held.
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- +Young Woodley
Work - 52382 - 1931-04-20 (Release)
United Kingdom - Film - Fiction
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