School for Secrets (1946): Cast & Plot
School for Secrets is a 1946 war drama directed by Peter Ustinov, starring Ralph Richardson as Prof. Heatherville, Cyril Smith and Bill Owen. It runs 1 hour 48 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 48m (108 min)
- Director
- Peter Ustinov
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Two Cities Films
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is School for Secrets About?
The premise of School for Secrets without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A wartime drama chronicling a covert team of British scientists racing to perfect the nation’s first radar system. The project, shrouded in secrecy, placed them under pressure. Their breakthrough arrives just in time for the Battle of Britain, giving the Royal Air Force an edge against the Luftwaffe and averting a potential invasion of the island.
School for Secrets Themes & Keywords
· 27 tags- air defense
- advanced technology
- english channel
- infrared
- royal air force
- period drama
- luftwaffe
- britain
- scientist
- radar
- inventor
- physics
+15 more Show fewer
- test
- academic
- radio aerial
- early warning system
- technology
- experiment
- commando
- raid
- crash
- pilot
- air force
- bomber
- nazi germany
- world war two
- secret mission
School for Secrets Cast & Characters
Ralph Richardson leads the cast as Prof. Heatherville, with Cyril Smith as Flight Sgt. Cox and Bill Owen as Paratroop Sergeant. Directed by Peter Ustinov; 56 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Peter Ustinov
-
Ralph Richardson as Prof. Heatherville - Cyril Smith as Flight Sgt. Cox
- Bill Owen as Paratroop Sergeant
- Vida Hope as WAAF Flight Sergeant
Also Starring in School for Secrets
· 52 more- Michael Hordern Lt. Cmdr. Lowther
- Richard Attenborough Jack Arnold
- Finlay Currie Sir Duncan Wills
- Raymond Huntley Prof. Laxton-Jones
- John Laurie Dr. McVitie
- James Hayter Warrant Officer
- Kenneth More Bomb Aimer (uncredited)
- David Tomlinson Mr. Watlington
- Aubrey Mallalieu 1st Club Member
- Anthony Dawson Flt. Lt. Norton
- Marjorie Rhodes Mrs. Arnold
- Pamela Matthews Mrs. Watlington
- Paul Carpenter Flt. Lt. Argylle
- Edward Lexy Sir Desmond Prosser
- O.B. Clarence Old Retainer
- Joan Young Mrs. McVitie
Show all 56 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Arthur Mullard
- Murray Matheson Wing Cdr. Allen
- David Hutcheson Squadron Leader Sowerby
- Desmond Roberts 2nd Club Member
- Robin Bailey Wives' Escort Officer
- Ernest Jay Dr. Dainty
- Hugh Dempster Sqdn. Ldr. Slatter
- Ian Selby Man at Dance (uncredited)
- Joan Haythorne Mrs. Laxton-Jones
- Robert Long Flying Officer Davies
- Patrick Waddington Group Capt. Aspinall
- Ann Wilton Mrs. Dainty
- Hugh Pryse Sir Nicholas Hathaway
- Robert Wyndham Major
- Alvar Liddell BBC Announcer (voice)
- Peggy Evans Daphne Adams
- Joseph Almas Dr. Klemmerhahn
- Andrew Blackett Captain
- Ingrid Forrest Penelope Birkenshaw
- Kenneth Buckley Sqdn. Ldr. Buckley
- Tony Arpino 1st Commando
- Bob Elson 3rd Commando
- Arthur Rieck Lt. Hense
- Norman Webb Dr. Wainwright
- D. Bradley Smith Air Marshal Cotter
- Richard Mantell Air Vice-Marshal
- Anthony Wyckham Flying Officer Ogden
- Geraldine Keyes Phyllis Hammond
- Sonia Elverson WAAF Teller
- Peter March 2nd Commando
- Roger Keyes 4th Commando
- Trevening Hill 5th Commando
- Edward Hodge 6th Commando
- Ernest Urbank 1st Sentry
- Karl Morel 2nd Sentry
- Guy Belmore 3rd Club Member
More from Peter Ustinov
One more film directed by Peter Ustinov: Vice Versa.
School for Secrets Plot Summary
What happens in School for Secrets from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
School for Secrets follows a small cohort of wartime boffins who uncover and refine radar, a breakthrough that helps shield Britain from invasion in 1940. Five scientists, led by Professor Heatherville Ralph Richardson, are pulled from their laboratories and placed under tight secrecy, their days consumed by whispering circuits, meticulous tests, and the mounting pressure to coax a stubborn device into usable form. The work is grueling and exacting, and it exacts a high personal price: family life is frayed, relationships are strained, and personal sacrifices become the quiet cost of progress.
Full summary
The whole story of School for Secrets, scene by scene
How Well Do You Know School for Secrets?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which groundbreaking technology do the scientists in School for Secrets work to uncover and refine?
School for Secrets Also Known As
3 alternative titles, including “Secret Flight” and “Epikindyno mystiko”.
- Also known as
-
- Secret Flight
- Epikindyno mystiko
- Ecole de secrets
Seen School for Secrets?
Movies Like School for Secrets
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Secret Mission, British Intelligence and Secret Agent.
School for Secrets FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of School for Secrets, each answered in a sentence.
How long is School for Secrets?
School for Secrets runs 1 hour 48 minutes (108 minutes).
When was School for Secrets released?
School for Secrets was released on December 23, 1946.
Who directed School for Secrets?
School for Secrets was directed by Peter Ustinov.
More films by Peter Ustinov Who is in the cast of School for Secrets?
School for Secrets stars Ralph Richardson as Prof. Heatherville, Cyril Smith as Flight Sgt. Cox and Bill Owen as Paratroop Sergeant, among 56 credited actors.
Does School for Secrets have a post-credit scene?
No. School for Secrets has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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