Cheers for Miss Bishop is a 1941 drama film based on the novel Miss Bishop by Bess Streeter Aldrich. It was directed by Tay Garnett and stars Martha Scott in the title role. The other cast members include William Gargan, Edmund Gwenn, Sterling Holloway, Dorothy Peterson, Marsha Hunt, Don Douglas, and Sidney Blackmer. This film marked the debut of Rosemary DeCamp. Cheers for Miss Bishop was produced by Richard A. Rowland and released through United Artists.

Plot
Miss Ella Bishop (Martha Scott) is a teacher at Midwestern University. The story is told in flashback and takes place over many years, from the 1880s to the 1930s, showing her from her freshman year to her retirement as an old woman. At the beginning, she lives with her mother and her vixenish cousin Amy (Mary Anderson); she remembers when her father had a farm near the town. Ella is an inhibited girl whose frustration grows as she approaches womanhood. She dreams of becoming a teacher. When she graduates from Midwestern University, she is thrilled when its president, Professor Corcoran (Edmund Gwenn), offers her a position on the faculty.

Ella becomes engaged to lawyer Delbert Thompson (Don Douglas), but Delbert is led astray by Amy and eventually has to marry her, despite loving Ella. The couple move away. After Amy becomes pregnant, Delbert abandons her. Amy dies in childbirth, leaving Ella to care for Amy’s daughter Hope (Marsha Hunt). Hope grows up and marries Richard (John Archer), and they move away and have a daughter named Gretchen (Lois Ranson). Ella also has a fling with another teacher, the unhappily married John Stevens (Sidney Blackmer), but John’s wife cannot give him a divorce for religious reasons, forcing Ella to break off the relationship. Later, she is distressed to learn that John has been killed.

Through all the years, Ella is supported by her friend Sam Peters (William Gargan), a local grocer who loves her. Another source of support is Professor Corcoran, who persuades her to stay when she considers leaving. His death is a blow to Ella.

As Ella reaches old age, she reflects back and realizes she allowed the years to go by without achieving what she believes to be true fulfillment. When the new president pressures her to finally retire, she agrees. However, the years have not been without glory; and her moment of triumph arrives when her numerous, now-famous students from over the years return to a testimonial dinner at the school to honor their beloved Miss Bishop.

Cast
Martha Scott as Ella Bishop
William Gargan as Sam Peters
Edmund Gwenn as Professor Corcoran
Sterling Holloway as Chris Jensen
Dorothy Peterson as Mrs. Bishop
Sidney Blackmer as John Stevens
Mary Anderson as Amy Saunders
Donald Douglas as Delbert Thompson
Marsha Hunt as Hope Thompson
John Archer as Richard Clark (as Ralph Bowman)
Lois Ranson as Gretchen Clark
Rosemary De Camp as Minna Fields
Knox Manning as Anton Radcheck
John Arledge as ‘Snapper’ MacRae
Jack Mulhall as Professor Carter
Howard C. Hickman as Professor Lancaster (as Howard Hickman)
Helen MacKellar as Miss Patton
William Farnum as Judge Peters
Anna Mills as Mrs. Peters
John Hamilton as President Watts
Pierre Watkin as President Crowder
Charles Judels as Cecco
Sue Moore as Stena
Rand Brooks as ‘Buzz’ Wheelwright