Tonight's Movie: Girls' School (1938)

Class differences and pettiness cause conflicts between scholarship student Natalie (Anne Shirley) and her wealthy classmates in a GIRLS' SCHOOL.

This is a short little 72-minute movie with some similarities to Shirley's 1939 film
SORORITY HOUSE (1939). It's an enjoyable, fast-paced story with an interesting cast. The ending is somewhat pat, but one would like to think the girls learned and matured from their experiences.

Shirley is touching in the lead role, and I particularly enjoyed seeing a young Noah Beery Jr. (Rocky of THE ROCKFORD FILES) as Natalie's hometown beau, a plumber. Gloria Holden does a nice job playing a sympathetic teacher, and near the end of the film her previously unseen fiance turns out to be Ralph Bellamy. Natalie's chief rival, Linda, is played by Nan Grey of THREE SMART GIRLS. The snootiest girl in the school is portrayed by Margaret Tallichet, who became Mrs. William Wyler shortly after the film's release.

Marjorie Main, Peggy Moran, Doris Kenyon, Pierre Watkin, Heather Thatcher, Cecil Cunningham, and Martha O'Driscoll are also in the cast.

GIRLS' SCHOOL was directed by John Brahm, whose best-known films include HANGOVER SQUARE (1945) and THE LOCKET (1946).

This film is not available on DVD or video. It's a Columbia film which has been shown on Turner Classic Movies.

2016 Update: This film is now available on DVD-R from the Sony Choice Collection.