We all had teachers who inspired us. Those who made us think and those who showed us acts of kindness. They were strict but memorable as is the case with 1955's Good Morning, Miss Dove.

A small-town teacher who devoted her life to the education of children, Jennifer Jones turned in an absolutely brilliant performance in the title role.

Of course, the town is unaware of Miss Dove's secret. As president of the bank, her father embezzled funds. To avoid a scandal when the father dies suddenly, Dove becomes a teacher to pay off the debt. Not only does she educate children in a stern way, her relationship with the town is memorable. Her saving of the town bank during a run on it, and her never ending criticism of people annoys many, but it is realized that she has done such good.

When she falls ill with a tumor at the base of the spine, the town is in crisis. A former student, played by Robert Stack, operates.

The effective use of flash-back is well used in this picture. It shows the life of the teacher and the effects she had on this town. The cop who adores her, her nurse who idolizes her, a Broadway playwright, who she guided when he was fresh out of Poland,and a former student, Freddie Makepiece, a jailbird, brings comic relief as well.

Miss Dove deserved to be honored as teacher of the year in my book. The film deserves an accolade as well. The film is so good because it depicts what schools are supposed to be. To provide religious understanding and tolerance, our heroine brings her class to a Friday eve Jewish Sabbath meal. s This fine film is a testament to inculcating our value system. Jennifer Jones was absolutely superb here in her treatment of the beloved, strict but understanding Dove. In 1955, the same year this great film was made, Jennifer Jones was Oscar nominated for "Love is A Many Splendored Thing," she should have been nominated for 'Dove' instead. The picture must also be valued for the cohesiveness among the people of the town. What fine support Jones received. Robert Stack is wonderful as the doctor, her former student, who operates on her; as well as Peggy Knudsen, a fine practical nurse who adores her and at the same time harbors a secret; Chuck Connors, as the police officer, who Dove helped mold despite his poor background, only to reject Knudsen when he discovers her secret. Kipp Hamilton co-stars as the future wife of Stack, upset by a horrible experience she had, openly pours out her heart to Dove, in a very-well acted scene. Under the fine direction of Henry Koster, Miss Dove succeeds because it's a slice out of Americana.

Good Morning, Miss Dove is a property that I'm surprised Frank Capra didn't think to direct. It's entirely possible that Capra was a male chauvinist who only thought in terms of men who sacrifice like George Bailey in It's A Wonderful Life. In many ways Jennifer Jones is the superior of Capra's George Bailey.

Jennifer's crisis comes real early in the beginning, she's the daughter of a well bred and prominent family whose father has just died. She thinks she's come into it, but she finds she's inherited debts beyond belief because dad was borrowing and living well beyond his means. To keep his good name, she gives up the life she expected like George Bailey and in the process becomes the moral center of her small town.

Her road was much harder than Jimmy Stewart's because Miss Dove never married, she instead devoted her life to teaching history and geography and never getting to see the faraway places with strange sounding names that she only read about. That song could have been written for her. George Bailey did have Mary Bailey and the kids, that was denied to Miss Dove.

That's just one of the flashbacks in a film that has many. In fact the current story is the fact this rock of the community is undergoing a health crisis and is admitted to the hospital. As she deals with her health issues and the many people who wish her well, her mind reflects on just how much influence she's had on generations of kids passing through her class.

She's a severe woman Ms. Dove, having denied herself a personal life. But she's also a kind and caring one and that comes through with all the people we see her interact with.

Despite a fine cast of players, Jennifer Jones dominates this film in a fine portrayal of what is essentially an unglamorous part. It's the kind of role you might see someone like Bette Davis or Katharine Hepburn do, but Jones is just fine in it.

If you're not a fan of Jennifer Jones, you will be after seeing Good Morning, Miss Dove.

Frances Gray Patton wrote this beloved novel of a small-town spinster. She is a determined woman, one who turned a wrecked life and an enormous family debt into a reason to teach generations of New England young people the virtues of going-through-the-pain to get the gain. The theme of this film is the positive effect of her rough-hewn self-assertiveness training on her students. Jennifer Jones plays the schoolteacher, from youth to old-age, and very winningly. The film was directed by veteran Henry Koster. Others in the very large and amiably charming cast include Robert Stack, fine actor Robert Douglas, Kipp Hamilton, charismatic Peggy Knudsen, Chuck Connors, Jerry Paris, Mary Wickes, Leslie Bradley, Marshall Thompson, Biff Elliott, Richard Deacon and many more. What happens in the story is that Miss Dove falls ill one day during class and has to be carried from her students and taken to the hospital. The town's generations, all taught by this remarkable woman, react; some come from far away or start stopping by the hospital for news; and this leads to a flashback of how her life's course was changed by her father's money problems and the desertion of her by her erstwhile suitor; how she then vowed to pay back every cent of her father's debt, though she was not personally responsible; and how she began teaching school and has gone on doing so. This intelligent, heart-warming and thought-provoking story has a climax in her medical crisis and a happy ending; it is not perhaps a great film, but Miss Dove is very probably a great character, and one many can learn from long after the film has ended. Every element here is well-crafted and contributes to a surprisingly entertaining and most-believable presentation. Music is by Leigh Harline, cinematography by Leon Shamroy with contributions by Lyle Wheeler and many others. Cool and beautiful, and as fascinating as is the lady herself