Young schoolteacher Charles Edward Chipping (Robert Donat) imposes strict discipline on his young charges at a Victorian-era English public school, becoming a fearsome presence on the campus grounds. But the love of spirited young suffragette Katherine Ellis (Greer Garson) brings the Latin instructor out of his shell and makes him a beloved campus institution into the 20th century and through the shattering violence of World War I. The film is based on the best-selling novel by James Hilton.

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Video Quality

Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939) makes its long-awaited Blu-Ray debut with a brand new 1080p transfer that is derived from a 4K scan of a recently discovered Nitrate Dupe Negative made in 1939. Considering previous masters were made from 4th generation Fine Grains, the improvements are eye-popping and simply stunning on all accounts. As always, we praise the preservation team at Warner Bros. for searching for the best elements available for audiences. The contrast is impeccably defined, even during the more brightly lit courtyard exteriors, and there is virtually nothing in the way of print damage to be found.

The gorgeous black-and-white photography looks marvelous in high definition with natural film grain intact. There is a fantastic amount of detail present in the interiors, such as the cottage in which Chips resides and the classroom. The presentation also showcases impressive texture on the costumes and impressive facial detail on close-ups such as Chips’ mustache. Black levels are lovingly deep with no trace of black crush or compression artifacts. One of the most impressive feats of this transfer is the lack of macroblocking or untenable noise during the foggy mountain sequence. Smoke and fog can quickly go awry when not handled well in the digital age, but this disc is aces. Warner Archive has delivered an A+ presentation that will be a welcome addition for any classic film fan.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a newly restored DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that translates this material perfectly. There is no real trace of age related wear and tear to the track such as hissing, popping or clipping. While not a standout in the film, the score has a great amount of stability when it pops up. Dialogue and background noises are represented well in perfect harmony within the context of this world. Nothing ever overpowers the classic dialogue that is being spoken here by any of our characters, even in the most raucous of scenes with the boys. This audio presentation is as close to perfect as you can ask for from this period. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film.

Special Features

Theatrical Trailer: The four-minute trailer is provided for the film.

Final Thoughts

Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939) is a really rewarding portrait of an intellectual leader who looks beyond his own self-interest to shape the future leaders of tomorrow. Robert Donat puts on an impressive performance as the titular character, conveying so much in an understated manner. While the school-centric drama is very compelling, the film wisely opens up his life with the appearance of a radiant Greer Garson, who brings the raw emotions of the character to the forefront. The film delicately handles the larger conflicts within this world in a way that hits home. The concept of this one is very simple, but the execution is what makes it a classic. Warner Archive has delivered a Blu-Ray with a splendid A/V presentation but not too much in the way of special features. Recommended

Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939) can be purchased directly through the Warner Archive Amazon Store, MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.`