The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

Edinburgh, Scotland, in the 1930s, is the setting of the movie, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969). Miss Brodie (Maggie Smith) is a teacher at Marcia Blaine School for Girls who tends to stray from the school's curriculum. A romantic who glamorizes the fascists Benito Mussolini and Francisco Franco, she sees herself as in the very prime of her life.

Among her students, Miss Brodie has four favorites. She spends a lot of time with these four girls, going to the theater, art museums and having picnics with them on the school lawn.

These activities upset the school's headmistress, who would prefer Miss Brodie stick to traditional teaching practices and concentrate on instilling knowledge in her pupils instead of being chummy. Others on the teaching staff, also, disapprove of Brodie's nonconformist teaching methods and her influence over the girls.

Miss Brodie and her favorites spend a lot of time at the seaside home of the school's music teacher (with whom Brodie, sometimes, stays overnight). He would like to marry, but Brodie is slow to consent.

Another suitor, although he is married, is her ex-lover, the Marcia Blaine art teacher. Her feelings for him remain, and he continues his pursuit.

Miss Brodie's idealized world comes tumbling down when her manipulations create resentment and, inadvertently, cause the death of one of the girls. Betrayal by one of her favorites leads to her termination at Marcia Blaine, and she suffers the loss of her music teacher lover, as well.

Although critics liked the film, it was not a big box office success. In 1970, 20th Century Fox, distributor of the movie, reported earning $831,000.

At the 42nd Academy Award ceremony in Hollywood, Maggie Smith won the best actress Oscar for her performance in the film. She had received high praise from the critics.

Nominated for Best Original Song, but not a winner, was the movie's theme song, Jean. Written by Rod McKuen, it was recorded by many artists of that time period, including McKuen.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Suite)

Music score composed by Rod McKuen

This short suite contains:

Main Title

Edinburgh Morning

Lloyd

Lloyd's Room

The Ivy That Clings to the Wall

Flanders Field

End Title

Jean (vocal by Rod McKuen)

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) Original Trailer

Rod McKuen - Jean Lyrics

Jean, Jean, roses are red
All the leaves have gone green
And the clouds are so low
You can touch them, and so
Come out to the meadow, Jean

Jean, Jean, you're young and alive
Come out of your half-dreamed dream
And run, if you will, to the top of the hill
Open your arms, bonnie Jean

Till the sheep in the valley come home my way
Till the stars fall around me and find me alone
When the sun comes a-singin' I'll still be waitin'

For Jean, Jean, roses are red
And all of the leaves have gone green
While the hills are ablaze with the moon's yellow haze
Come into my arms, bonnie Jean

(Jean, Jean)

Jean, you're young and alive!!
Come out of your half-dreamed dream
And run, if you will to the top of the hill
Come into my arms, bonnie Jean

Jean

La-la-la-la