How Green Was My Valley (1941)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

John Ford

Writers:

Philip Dunne (screenplay)
Richard Llewellyn (novel)

Release Date:

9 April 1942 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama | Family

Tagline:

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

Plot:

At the turn of the century in a Welsh mining village, the Morgans (he stern, she gentle) raise coal-mining...

Plot Keywords:

Miner | Village | Wales | Gossip | Melodrama

Awards:

Won 5 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Walter Pidgeon	...	Mr. Gruffydd
Maureen O'Hara	...	Angharad
Anna Lee	...	Bronwyn
Donald Crisp	...	Mr. Morgan
Roddy McDowall	...	Huw (as Master Roddy McDowall)
John Loder	...	Ianto
Sara Allgood	...	Mrs. Morgan
Barry Fitzgerald	...	Cyfartha
Patric Knowles	...	Ivor
Welsh Singers	...	Themselves
Morton Lowry	...	Mr. Jonas
Arthur Shields	...	Mr. Parry
Ann E. Todd	...	Ceinwen (as Ann Todd)
Frederick Worlock	...	Dr. Richards
Richard Fraser	...	Davy

Also Known As:

Richard Llewellyn's How Green Was My Valley (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Welsh

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG | UK:U | West Germany:12 (f) | USA:Approved (certificate #7480) | Canada:G (video rating) | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Ranch, Malibu Creek State Park - 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

William Wyler went off to make The Little Foxes (1941) instead.

Goofs:

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

Quotes:

Dai Bando: Position again.
[Dai Bando and Cyfartha drag Mr. Jonas to his feet]
Dai Bando: Could I have your attention, boys and girls? I am not accustomed to speaking in public...
Cyfartha: Only public houses.
Dai Bando: But this -
[backhands Mr. Jonas in the nose, sending him sprawling]
Dai Bando: never use. It's against the rules. Break a man's nose. Now then -
[turns to find Mr. Jonas collapsed against the wall, unconscious]
Dai Bando: I'm afraid he will never make a boxer.
Cyfartha: No aptitude for knowledge.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Backstory: How Green Was My Valley" (2000)

Soundtrack:

Arglwydd, Arwain Trwy'r Anialwch

Unforgettable Film

This moving film has become part of the all-time American classics, and rightly so. It is a beautifully conceived and executed adaptation of a beloved novel.

One of John Ford's finest hours, it is magnificently staged and shot, with a lovely score (by Alfred Newman) and rich performances, headed by Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O'Hara and Roddy McDowall.

That it was made on a fairly limited budget and filmed entirely on the 20th Century back lot is little short of amazing. Its truly great, sprawling set seems to be the real thing: a actual coal mining town.

Ford's attention to careful group blocking and staging of tableau adds to the artistry of the work. Its political subtext corresponds with America's stance regarding European policy at the time. Other issues such as women's rights and religious bigotry help to likewise bolster the tale.

I agree that "How Green Was My Valley" is a fine achievement, now gloriously restored to dvd for many future viewers to enjoy.