MOVIEmeter
Top 5000
Down 368 this week

How Green Was My Valley (1941)

7.8
Your rating:
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -/10 X  
Ratings: 7.8/10 from 10,730 users  
Reviews: 108 user | 59 critic

At the turn of the century in a Welsh mining village, the Morgans (he stern, she gentle) raise coal-mining sons and hope their youngest will find a better life.

Director:

Writers:

(screen play), (based on the novel by)
Watch Trailer
0Check in
0Share...

User Lists

Related lists from IMDb users

a list of 1456 titles created 10 months ago
 
a list of 3595 titles created 1 month ago
 
a list of 1006 titles created 7 months ago
 
a list of 2916 titles created 16 May 2011
 
a list of 60 titles created 03 Dec 2011
 

Connect with IMDb


Share this Rating

Title: How Green Was My Valley (1941)

How Green Was My Valley (1941) on IMDb 7.8/10

Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.

Take The Quiz!

Test your knowledge of How Green Was My Valley.
Won 5 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 5 nominations. See more awards »

Videos

Photos

Learn more

People who liked this also liked... 

Drama | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.9/10 X  

The ups and downs of a Norwegian immigrant family, circa 1910.

Director: George Stevens
Stars: Irene Dunne, Barbara Bel Geddes, Oskar Homolka
Drama | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.3/10 X  

At a big city Catholic school, Father O'Malley and Sister Benedict indulge in friendly rivalry, and succeed in extending the school through the gift of a building.

Director: Leo McCarey
Stars: Bing Crosby, Ingrid Bergman, Henry Travers
The Yearling (1946)
Drama | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.2/10 X  

Jody persuades his parents to allow him to adopt a young deer, but what will happen if the deer misbehaves ?

Director: Clarence Brown
Stars: Gregory Peck, Jane Wyman, Claude Jarman Jr.
Drama | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.3/10 X  

A Norwegian farmer lovingly raises his daughter in rural World War II-era Benson Junction, Wisconsin.

Director: Roy Rowland
Stars: Edward G. Robinson, Margaret O'Brien, James Craig
Drama | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.7/10 X  

Clay Spencer is a hard-working man who loves his wife and large family. He is respected by his neighbors and always ready to give them a helping hand. Although not a churchgoer, he even ... See full summary »

Director: Delmer Daves
Stars: Henry Fonda, Maureen O'Hara, James MacArthur
Drama | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.1/10 X  

An American boy turns out to be the long-lost heir of a British fortune. He is sent to live with the cold and unsentimental lord who oversees the trust.

Director: John Cromwell
Stars: Freddie Bartholomew, Dolores Costello, C. Aubrey Smith
Heidi (1937)
Family | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.1/10 X  

A plucky little orphan girl gets dumped abruptly into her gruff, hermit grandfather's care, then later gets retaken and delivered as a companion for an injured girl.

Director: Allan Dwan
Stars: Shirley Temple, Jean Hersholt, Arthur Treacher
Adventure | Drama | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.8/10 X  

Harvey Cheyne is a spoiled brat used to having his own way. When a prank goes wrong onboard an ocean liner Harvey ends up overboard and nearly drowns. Fortunately he's picked up by a ... See full summary »

Director: Victor Fleming
Stars: Freddie Bartholomew, Spencer Tracy, Lionel Barrymore
The Kid (1921)
Comedy | Drama | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.3/10 X  

The Tramp cares for an abandoned child, but events put that relationship in jeopardy.

Director: Charles Chaplin
Stars: Carl Miller, Edna Purviance, Jackie Coogan
Drama | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.5/10 X  

A drama that focuses on the period in Mary and Joseph's life where they journeyed to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus.

Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Stars: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Oscar Isaac, Hiam Abbass
Drama | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.3/10 X  

When Cholera takes the parents of Mary Lennox, she is shipped from India to England to live with her Uncle Craven. Archibald Craven's house is dark, drafty, with over 100 rooms built on the... See full summary »

Director: Fred M. Wilcox
Stars: Margaret O'Brien, Herbert Marshall, Dean Stockwell
Comedy | Drama | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7/10 X  

Teenager Homer Macauley stays at home in small-town Ithaca to support his family, while his older brother Marcus prepares to go to war.

Director: Clarence Brown
Stars: Mickey Rooney, Frank Morgan, James Craig
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
...
...
Huw
John Loder ...
Sara Allgood ...
...
...
Welsh Singers ...
Themselves
Morton Lowry ...
Arthur Shields ...
Ann E. Todd ...
Ceinwen (as Ann Todd)
Frederick Worlock ...
Richard Fraser ...
Edit

Storyline

Life is hard in a Welsh mining town and no less so for the Morgan family. Seen through the eyes of the family's youngest, Huw, we learn of the family's trials and tribulations. Family patriarch Gwyllim and his older sons work in the mines, dangerous and unhealthy as it is. Gwyllim has greater hopes for younger son how to honor his hard working parents. Huw who has his own ideas on how to honor his father. Daughter Angharad is the most beautiful girl in the valley and is very much in love with Mr. Gruffydd who isn't sure he can provide her the life she deserves. Times are hard and good men find themselves out of work and exploited by unseen mine owners. Written by garykmcd

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

miner | village | girl | wales | boxing | See more »

Taglines:

Rich is their humor! Deep are their passions! Reckless are their lives! Mighty is their story! See more »

Genres:

Drama | Family

Certificate:

Approved | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
Edit

Details

Country:

Language:

|

Release Date:

9 April 1942 (Australia)  »

Also Known As:

Richard Llewellyn's How Green Was My Valley  »

Box Office

Budget:

$1,250,000 (estimated)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See  »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

Alexander Knox was Fox's first choice for the part of Dr Gruffyd, later played by Walter Pidgeon. See more »

Goofs

When Roddy McDowall's character comes home after being beaten by his teacher, there is no blood or marks on his back. See more »

Quotes

Huw Morgan: There is no fence nor hedge around time that is gone. You can go back and have what you like of it, if you can remember. So I can close my eyes on my valley as it is today, and it is gone, and I see it as it was when I was a boy. Green it was, and possessed of the plenty of the Earth. In all Wales, there was none so beautiful. Everything I ever learned as a small boy came from my father and I never found anything he ever told me to be wrong or worthless. The simple lessons he taught me are as ...
See more »

Connections

Featured in John Ford (1993) See more »

Soundtracks

"Peter O'Pea"
(uncredited)
Traditional Irish folk song sung by Donald Crisp
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Yes, You Can Almost Feel The Grime
27 March 2008 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

This movie is a little long at times, but this is still a powerful story about the many stories that came out of the coal mining families in Wales, Great Britain. One of the top aspects of the movie is the cinematography, under the direction of John Ford. It is very effective. You can just feel the grime and dirt of the mines and cobblestone town. It looks really good now that's it out on DVD.

Walter Pigeon is the likable minister, and lead character, "Mr. Gruffydd." He's likable because he doesn't judge people as the head deacon does. The latter is portrayed ludicrously by Barry Fitzgerald, much to the delight of secular-minded film critics, who loved his performance. Nonetheless, there is a lot of "religion" pictured positively in this film, a lot of spiritual scenes and most were done well.

Roddy McDowell plays the most memorable character, I thought: "Huw," a young boy who went through some really tough times, as did most of the townsfolk.

If you are used to modern films, be warned this film does drag in spots. It is a fine movie, to be sure, and a powerful and emotional story.


11 of 16 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

Message Boards

Recent Posts
Why 'Green' won over 'Citizen Kane'??? A theory movie-viking
AN INSULT TO WALES! geo-uk
The Cast for a remake pablopg89
Huw staying the same age ruins the movie alexanderkahn
What is that song/hymn being sung? donmage
Looking for a CD/DVD of "How green was my valley" gmroy
Discuss How Green Was My Valley (1941) on the IMDb message boards »

Contribute to This Page