GOOD MORNING, MISS DOVE

US, 1955, 107 minutes, Colour.
Jennifer Jones, Robert Stack, Jerry Paris.
Directed by Henry Koster.

Good Morning, Miss Dove is a kind of female, pleasantly sentimental American version of a female Mr Chips. Jennifer Jones has a very artificial but pleasing tough part as Miss Dove, the spinsterish teacher of Liberty Hill who in her mid-fifties becomes ill and remembers the various people that she has influenced.

Thee film is very episodic, using Miss Dove's illness as a framework for sentimental flashbacks. The film is colourful, has an interesting supporting cast in conventional roles for Robert Stack as the doctor and the later director Jerry Paris as the playwright, Morris. Direction is by Henry Koster who made The Robe as well as many American domestic comedies from Harvey to the James Stewart series with Mr Hobbs Takes A Vacation.

1. How entertaining and appealing a sentimental drama? The background of the small town, ordinary people, the teacher and her place and influence? The film as a piece of early twentieth century Americana? (Impact on non Americans?)

2. The use of Cinemascope and colour, the Liberty Hill locations - the atmosphere of the town, schoolroom, houses, hospital, streets? The basic niceness of this American town? The American view of the early part of the twentieth century and nice domesticity?

3. How effective was the structure of the film, the use of the flashback techniques within Miss Dove's illness? The series of anecdotes and memoirs? The impact of each episode in itself, the characters portrayed and their problems, audience identification with these ordinary problems? Their revelation about Miss Dove, her character and her influence? How much conventional wisdom in Miss Dove's treatment of people and the significance of these anecdotes?

4. The portrait of an American town in the early twentieth century? The presentation of the various types and the way that they were quickly identified, good and bad? The small town and its sense of unity? The role of the teacher and her influence on all the pupils and the differing generations? The quality of this kind of help in education and training for life? Miss Dove and her assessing of character, judgments and observations?

5. How well did Jennifer Jones portray Miss Dove? Her spinsterish manner, language, vocabulary, the attitudes and her prim and proper manner, her knowledge? the film admiring of this style - or critical of it? Or both? The initial impact of her going to school and people's reaction to her being on time? Her manner in the classroom, her being sick? Her being taken to the hospital, carried along the street? Her behaviour in the hospital, observing rules? Jer response to Billie Jean and being looked after. listening to her chatter, understanding her background and Billie Jean telling the truth to her, (and the contrast with the other nurse who was merely complaining or doing her nails), to Thomas and his skill in looking after her, her interest in Virginia and her pregnancy? Fred and his escaping from prison to visit her and her response to him, to William and his continued attentions? Mr Porter and his visiting her? The build-up of the regard in which people held her, the explanation of the operation and her understanding of it, preparation for death for example, with her watch? The school staff and their attitude towards her, the day off because of her operation? The admiration of the town's people? Jennifer Jones skill in portraying the sick Miss Dove for the basic framework, the change of time and age in the flashbacks?

6. What portrait of Miss Dove was shown by her memoirs; her relationship with her father and her returning home from college, Mr Pendleton and the possibility of marriage, her prim and discreet courtship, her father and his money debts, the culture with which he had imbued her, the pathos of his death while she was talking? Porter and the revelation about bankruptcy? Her firm determination to carry on and pay the debts, her decision to give up Mr Pendleton and the way she handled this, her becoming a school teacher? The story of William and people's despising him, a dirty little boy with talent, her supporting him, his growing up and relying on her, doing jobs for her, graduation, his always visiting her, the armed services, the police? Her influence on his love for Billie Jean? The story of Thomas and Virginia and her memory of Thomas' skill and her reliance on him for the operation, Virginia and her problems and marriage? Memories of Fred and his later imprisonment? Morris and her protecting of the Jewish boy and his gratitude for this? Mr Porter's story about her saving the bank?

7. The portrait of an ordinary woman with skills and talents? Her contribution to other peoples lives? Her self sacrifice in marriage, children, finance? The reasons for people relying on her? Her important life? The film's portrait of the role of a teacher, with respect and influence? A satisfying human drama?