Good Old Schooldays: A Glimpse into Simple Times, If You're Patient

“Good Old Schooldays” isn't a lost classic you absolutely *have* to track down today. But if you're someone who enjoys digging into really old films, especially ones trying to capture a certain feeling, it’s got a weird kind of charm. If you're hoping for anything fast-paced or super slick like movies now, you'll probably just find it a bit slow. This one is definitely for the patient crowd, not for, like, the TikTok generation. ⏳

The whole thing hinges on Mannie Davis. He’s got this grin, right? It’s just so infectious and sells the whole 'rascal' thing perfectly. You see it, and you just know he’s about to cause some trouble, probably with a spitball or something.

John Foster, his buddy, is a bit more quiet. He plays the perfect sidekick, always kinda there, a little hesitant. There's this one shot where John is supposed to look really worried, but he just looks kind of confused more than anything. It’s actually pretty endearing, gives him character.

The film really takes its sweet time getting going. Like, a full minute and a half just showing kids walking into the school building. You're just sitting there, waiting for something to kick off, and it's just... more walking. But then, suddenly, a frantic chase scene through the halls. The pacing is *wildly* uneven.

There’s a moment when Mannie tries to sneak a frog into the teacher’s desk. The frog looks so clearly fake, like a rubber toy you’d find in a cheap novelty shop. It kinda pulls you right out of the moment, but also, it's a cool reminder of how they had to make do with props back then. You gotta wonder where they even sourced something like that. Maybe a prop master’s kid’s toy?

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Good Old Schooldays (1930) through its definitive frames.

The black and white photography is, well, *old*. It’s grainy, but sometimes it makes the sun shining through the classroom windows look almost ethereal, like a painting. Other times, it’s just dark, and you can barely make out faces in the background. It adds to the feeling, though, makes it feel very much of its time.

The sound design is minimal, as you'd expect. No big score telling you how to feel. Just the occasional piano plink or a laugh. It makes the silences feel really long. Sometimes, that works. Other times, you just wish for *some* background noise, anything.

It truly feels like someone just pointed a camera at a school and said, "Okay, kids, do school things." It’s not always polished, but there’s a strange sort of reality to it. That big school yard, it felt absolutely massive on screen. Like a whole world for these kids. It makes me think of Children of Fate in how it just observes.

The headmaster character, he’s strict, but you can see he really cares. There’s a scene where he almost catches Mannie and John, and his facial expression shifts from stern to a tiny, almost hidden smirk. It’s a nice touch. Shows a bit of a twinkle in his eye.

“Good Old Schooldays” isn't trying to be anything huge. It’s a little slice of life, a peek into a different time, captured on film. It leaves you thinking about what "old schooldays" even means to different people. For me, it was never quite this innocent, no. But there’s a certain sweetness to it, you know? It’s a bit rough around the edges, but that’s part of the charm.

Didja notice?

• That one kid in the background who just keeps looking directly at the camera. Every time! 📸
• The chalkboards are so perfectly clean, it makes you wonder if anyone actually wrote on them before filming.
• A lot of the kids' costumes look like their own clothes, not fancy costumes at all.
• The way Mannie tries to hide behind a bush, but you can clearly see his shoes sticking out. It’s so **obvious**!
• The chase scene outside. They must’ve done, like, three takes, because the light changes totally between cuts.