Her Twelve Men

Her Twelve Men is a 1954 comedy drama film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It stars Oscar-winning Greer Garson, and was directed by Robert Z. Leonard, and written by William Roberts and Laura Z. Hobson. It was based on the best-selling pseudo-autobiographical book written by Louise Maxwell Baker, Snips and Snails. Louise herself taught at an all-boys boarding school, as the only female teacher in the school. Subsequently, Louise recounts many of the funny stories from her time as a teacher in Snips and Snails, which then translates into the film, Her Twelve Men.

Her Twelve Men
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRobert Z. Leonard
Produced byJohn Houseman
Written byWilliam Roberts
Laura Z. Hobson
Louise Baker (story)
Music byBronislau Kaper
CinematographyJoseph Ruttenberg
Edited byGeorge Boemler
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • August 11, 1954 (1954-08-11)
Running time
91 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1,534,000[1]
Box office$1,418,000[1]

Plot

Although she has no teaching experience, widow Jan Stewart is hired by headmaster Dr. Barrett to be the first woman to teach at The Oaks boarding school. Due to the fact that she is the only woman teaching at the school, the other faculty members either are condescending towards her or try to woo her.

Jan gets to know her twelve students and fellow faculty member Joe Hargrave, who is dating the rich Barbara Dunning. Her young students hate her at first as she gives a strict punishment to a few boys who are disrupting her class; however, they begin to appreciate her nurturing and kind nature, and she begins to serve as mother for many of the boys who miss their actual parents. She has so much sympathy for one young boy, Bobby Lennox, whose globe-trotting parents neglect him, that she reads letters pretending they are from his mother that Jan wrote herself.

A wealthy Texan widower, Richard Oliver, enrolls his son. Richard Jr. instantly alienates the other boys with his attitude and by refusing to confess to causing a fire alarm to go off, for which Dr. Barrett punishes the entire class. The other students in the class then all alienate Richard Jr., as he does not own up to his wrongdoing. This ultimately results in Richard Jr. being pushed out of a second-story window by the other students, causing him to break his leg.

The boy's father wants him sent home and Jan is asked to accompany him on the journey. She wins young Richard's trust and gains Richard Sr.'s interest as well. Richard Jr. starts to treat Jan as a mother figure, as he severely misses his late mother. Later, Richard Sr. ends up proposing to Jan because of his feelings for her, as well as his son's, but Jan and Joe Hargrave ultimately realize they were meant for one another. Jan decides to continue to teach at The Oaks for another year after being begged by Joe Hargrave and her students. Richard Jr. also reconciles with the other students, and appears to finally be happy at The Oaks.

Cast

Reception

According to MGM record the film earned $817,000 in the US and Canada and $601,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $116,000.[1]

References
  1. The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
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