Plot
School for Secrets tells the story of the "boffins" – research scientists – who discovered and developed radar and helped prevent the German invasion of Britain in 1940. Five scientists, led by Professor Heatherville, are brought together to work in secrecy and under pressure to develop the device. Their dedication disrupts their family lives as they are forced to sacrifice everything to make a breakthrough. Their success is illustrated by the effect radar has on the fighting abilities of the RAF over the skies of Britain in the summer and autumn months of 1940. However, Germany is also planning its own radar capability and British commandos are dispatched to strike a German installation. The raid re-enacted the actual Bruneval Raid on the German Freya radar station on the French coast, where Fl Sgt Cox won the MM, as the radar technician pinching the German equipment, and Pte Peter Newman aka Nagle, the German Jewish volunteer helped kidnap the correct German technicians who were brought back for the crucial questioning on how the parts worked. Thus the scientists complete their work just in time for D-Day.
Critical reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The film is well constructed, the story is exciting, full of poignancy and humour. Each part – there are no minor parts among the men – is played with directness and restraint." [5]
Kine Weekly wrote: "Laboured and untidy wartime comedy drama, loosely woven from the private lives and professional activities of the Radar backroom boys ... The film is neither instructive, particularly amusing nor flattering to England's incomparable man of science. ... The story of Radar is definitely one that should be told, but not as it is here in a Blimpish comedy vein." [6]
The Radio Times Guide to Films gave the film 3/5 stars, writing: "After the war the RAF and the Ministry of Defence wanted to boast about their invention of radar and the job of producing, directing and writing the account went to the 25-year-old Peter Ustinov. Ralph Richardson plays the boffin and there are some halfhearted action scenes and mini-melodramas to flesh out the reams of technospeak. Ustinov's refusal to make a blatant back-slapper suffuses the film with both a distorted attitude to heroism and a cartoonish wit." [7]
Leslie Halliwell wrote "An unsatisfactory entertainment which, with the best intentions, shuffles between arch comedy, character drama, war action and documentary, doing less than justice to any of these aspects." [8]
TV Guide wrote "as would be expected from young writer-director Ustinov (he was 25 years old at the time), a nice sense of humour is integrated into the proceedings, a refreshing change from the deadly serious propaganda films that dominated the screen at the time. Unfortunately, portions of School for Secrets are too talky and tend to drag on past the point of interest, but the action scenes are excitingly handled and manage to keep the narrative aloft." [9]
Britmovie called the film a "sprightly melodrama. With its starry cast of character actor and witty dialogue, Ustinov focuses more on the diverse characters than scientific advances." [10]
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