Lucky Jim

Sweet city with her dreaming spires,

she needs not dew for beauty's heightening.

# Ooh, Lucky Jim

# How I envy him

# Ooh, Lucky Jim

# How I envy him

# Oh, Lucky Jim

# How I envy him

# Oh, Lucky Jim

# How I envy him

# Oh, Lucky Jim

# How I envy him

# Oh, Lucky Jim

# How I envy him

# Oh, Lucky Jim

# How I envy him

# Oh

# Lucky. #

Very well then. So much for the Chancellor's installation.

The seating plan will be posted on the board.

- Principal. - Yes.

I was thinking... it's our first chancellor.

Shouldn't there be some kind of decorations? Er ... bunting, or flowers, or something?

Yes, I think there should.

And while we're about it, the quadrangle's looking pretty untidy...

bicycles lying around and so on.

Get some of your chaps onto it, Welch, will you?

Hmm?

Well, that's all, then. Thank you very much.

- Coffee, Principal? - Oh, thank you.

- Professor. - Thank you, Johns.

Tell Dixon I want a word with him, would you?

Oh, I'm afraid he isn't here, sir.

He didn't come to the meeting.

Oh? Why not?

Didn't come to the meeting?!

But I distinctly told him!

Well, Johns, you live in the same house - where is he? Where is Dixon?

Open up.

Dixon? You're driving yourself too hard.

- I'm limbering up for tonight at the Welches. - But we're at the Swan tonight.

Ha. You are, maybe. But for me, it's culture, lemonade, and bed by 10.30.

By the way, I shall want a clean shirt. Have you got one?

- Yes, I've got it on. - Right, well, chuck it over.

This is important to me. I've got to find out if old man Welch is keeping me on.

Well why don't you ask him?

"Ask him" he says. I'm fed up of asking him. He dodges it every time.

Then go over his head.

I can't. It's like the Army!

You've got to go through the channels. And Welch happens to be mine.

"How Welch is my channel?" I say ...

- You realise Margaret Peel will be there? - Oh, bound to be!

- Still, this can't be helped. - You want to be careful, old boy.

Since that bloke dropped her, she's been looking for a new victim.

Yes, I know. I know!

But this is my last chance of making a good impression.

On Ma Welch, as well.

Last time I was there, I knocked over a table. Sheraton, or something, he said it was.

- Spindly little thing with one leg. - Sounds like Margaret Peel!

I don't see anything in that, old boy.

- No? Well, when I got there, it had four! - Sounds more like Margaret Peel!

Yes, and what's more, she caught me making one of my faces.

- Oh? Which one? - The "Martian invader".

- But that's one of my favourites! - Yes, well it wasn't hers!

You take things too seriously, old boy.

You ought to be in the car trade like me. Well - I'm off to see a man about a Bentley.

Ah, hello, sonny boy. Come to spread some sunshine?

I'm hoping to spread a little.

Well...what about the Installation Committee, Dixon?

- That's on Saturday. - This is Saturday.

Christmas! So it is!

Not much point in hurrying now. It's over.

- Did anybody notice? - Oh, everyone.

Naturally, I tried to cover up for you, but as you were the only absentee...

- Welch was livid. - Well, that's a fine start.

Well, if it's Saturday, I'm late for my tutorial as well.

Oh, very.

- Oh, by the way, you're doing the flowers. - What on Earth are you talking about?

The Chancellor's installation. You're O.C. flowers and bunting.

Oh, well thanks! That makes it perfect!

You're welcome.

# Oh, Lucky Jim... #

"He could only satisfy his thirst for glory...

...by leading his dukes and barons with their armies against the French."

- Is that the lot? - Yes.

Do... do you think it's a bit obvious, Mr Dixon?

No, no no no - no. But this ... this point about his ambition, his thirst for glory -

now what makes you say that?

Well, it's in the book.

Ah. Now look, don't be too impressed by that.

I know it's in the book. But that's only one person's opinion. I want yours.

Oh, but surely, sir, it's generally accepted that Henry was ambitious. It's history!

Bunkum! It's Henry - someone with ordinary human weaknesses.

A bit like you, Roberts, perhaps. Only better-looking.

Perhaps it was more fun, more profitable, fighting the French...

than staying at home in a drafty castle.

Oh, I'd have stayed in the drafty castle, with the serving wenches.

Now look, what I think is this.

Henry and his boys had a whale of a time, sacking castles, chasing girls, getting tight.

But, mark you, they had guts.

The top brass weren't in the deep shelters.

They were in the thick of the scrapping, as well as the looting.

That's a nasty cough you've got there, Roberts.

Here - have a lozenge.

Of course, the top brass mucking in like that was a bit of a snag for the PBI...

because, well, as usual they only got their cut when the best of the stuff was gone.

But then, that's still true today.

You mean, sir, it wasn't a war of conquest at all?

Oh, yes it was. Oh, indeed it was.

But what I'm saying is that it was grade-A binge as well.

Oh, I'm, er ... I'm sorry, sir. I didn't...

Carry on, Dixon, just as if I wasn't...

- Carry on. - Oh... thank you, sir.

Yes, well, I, um... Thank you.

Well, that... That's, um...

just one aspect of the, um... Not the only one, of course.

Yes, well, that will be all for now.

I'd like you to think through the earlier points we discussed and...

- Well, thank you. - Thank you, sir.

- Good morning, sir. - Good morning, Roberts. Good morning.

Grade-A binge, Dixon?

PBI?

Did you mean FBI?

Oh, no, sir, no. PBI. It's a students' abbreviation, sir.

It stands for, um... Poor Battling Infantry.

Oh!

Even so, your picture of the flower of chivalry is hardly...er...

As you know, Dixon, I like my staff to be completely free.

Oh, yes, I know, sir.

But when I say free, I, I, I... there are limits...

Yes, of course, sir.

Good. Now these notes. I'm not very happy about some of the references.

Er, what are they, sir?

The last chapter on my book on Merrie England.

I thought perhaps you'd like to check on the references for me.

Well, I'll try, sir.

- When are you leaving? - Leaving?

I have no intention of retiring, Dixon.

I meant for the weekend, sir. You invited me to stay.

It couldn't possibly have been this weekend. I've asked some friends.

Oh, I see, sir.

Well, I suppose you could lend a hand, yes. Yes! You can drive down with me after tea.

Oh, that's very kind of you, sir. Um, what about your notes?

Yes, indeed. You'd better not waste any more time.

# Oh, Lucky Jim, how... #

Hello, James.

- Hello, Margaret, I heard you were back. - Yes, James. I'm back.

Yes. You're looking quite well, really.

But of course. One doesn't die of a a broken engagement, does one, James?

No, of course not. Anyway, you won't want to talk about it now.

Oh, but I do, James.

There's something I've been wanting to say, ever since it happened.

- Oh? - It's just that... I'm so utterly grateful.

- Grateful? - For what you did.

- But I haven't done anything. - That's just it.

It was so terribly understanding of you, not to come and see me.

Oh.

Not many people would have been so sensitive - and understanding.

- Well, I don't know... - Oh, I do.

It's the sort of thing that, between two people, creates a bond.

- Bond? - I shall never forget it, James.

Never.

My wife and I are sorry you can't come to our little party for Sir Hector this evening.

Oh, yes, yes. Unfortunately my time is rather fully occupied.

Of course, I haven't really the time myself...

er, with end-of-term, you know, examination papers, and then this installation.

Yes, and the History Memorial Lecture.

- You know Bryant's broken his leg? - Bryant? His leg?

Yes. We were hoping you could help us out.

Well, I'd only be too happy to. But, well, it would mean burning the midnight...

Oh, no, no no. We can't let you do that. You're obviously far too busy.

Now, let's see. Who's in your department? Johns? No, no. Not quite right.

What about this new chap? What's his name? Dixon.

Dixon? Oh, no. He's quite unorthodox.

Oh, exactly. Might be an interesting experiment.

Sir.

I couldn't wait any longer, Dixon. I have too much to do.

Oh, I'm sorry, sir, but I was finishing your notes.

My notes? Oh, next week will do.

I really wanted to see you about Professor Bryant. His leg, you know.

- Professor Bryant's leg, sir? - Yes, yes. It's been broken.

I can't possibly deal with it.

As head of the department, I have far too many other things to...

So you'll just have to do the best you can.

- With his leg, sir? - No, no! The Memorial Lecture.

You mean that ... I am to give the Memorial Lecture, sir? Me?

Well, there's no other way out.

I'm ... I'm sorry to have to bother you, sir, but, you see, my contract's only for a year.

- Is it? Oh really? - Yes, sir. And the year is nearly up,

So if I'm not going to be kept on, then, well, I shall have to start looking for another job.

- A teaching job, you mean? - Yes, sir.

Oh, I see. Well, let me know what you decide, won't you?

We shall be quite crowded out.

My son Bertrand is coming down with his, er...

his, er...

Well, that is, she's Sir Hector's niece, really.

A Miss, er... Miss, er... she's Canadian, I believe.

Though how on earth Sir Hector could have ...

Ah, but there we are. He travels a great deal, I suppose.

Do get out, Dixon! How on Earth can I talk to you in there?