How Green Was My Valley (1941)

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
Evan S. Evans	...	Gwilym
James Monks	...	Owen
Rhys Williams	...	Dai Bando
Lionel Pape	...	Evans
Ethel Griffies	...	Mrs. Nicholas
Marten Lamont	...	Iestyn Evans
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dennis Hoey	...	Motschell (scenes deleted)
Una O'Connor	...	Undetermined Role (scenes deleted)
Frank Baker	...	(uncredited)
Ruth Clifford	...	Village Woman (uncredited)
Minta Durfee	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Herbert Evans	...	Postman (uncredited)
Mary Field	...	Eve (uncredited)
Pauline Garon	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Mary Gordon	...	Gossiper (uncredited)
Gibson Gowland	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Ben Hall	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Louis Jean Heydt	...	Miner (uncredited)
Tiny Jones	...	Mrs. Tossel (uncredited)
Eve March	...	Meillyn Lewis (uncredited)
Mae Marsh	...	Miner's Wife (uncredited)
Harry McKim	...	Child (uncredited)
Lydia McKim	...	Child (uncredited)
Peggy McKim	...	Child (uncredited)
Irving Pichel	...	Huw Morgan as an adult (voice) (uncredited)
Clifford Severn	...	Mervyn (uncredited)
Tudor Williams	...	Singer (uncredited)

Directed by
John Ford

Writing credits
Philip Dunne		(screenplay)
Richard Llewellyn		(novel)

Produced by
Darryl F. Zanuck	....	producer

Original Music by
Alfred Newman

Cinematography by
Arthur C. Miller		(as Arthur Miller)

Film Editing by
James B. Clark

Art Direction by
Richard Day
Nathan Juran

Set Decoration by
Thomas Little

Costume Design by
Gwen Wakeling

Makeup Department
Guy Pearce	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Gene Bryant	....	unit production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Edward O'Fearna	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Wingate Smith	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Eugene Grossman	....	sound
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound (as Roger Heman)

Special Effects by
Fred Sersen	....	special photographic effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Chesley Bonestell	....	matte artist (uncredited)
W. Percy Day	....	matte painter (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Joseph LaShelle	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Paul Lockwood	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Hugo Friedhofer	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Jack Pennick	....	assistant: John Ford (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1941) (USA) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1947) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Centfox (1950) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2001) (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)

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:

The songs sung by the male voices are all authentic Welsh. The song sung at the opening is "Men of Harlech".

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:

Mr. Gruffydd: You've been lucky, Huw. Lucky to suffer and lucky to spend these weary months in bed. For so God has given you a chance to make the spirit within yourself. And as your father cleans his lamp to have good light, so keep clean your spirit... By prayer...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Gorgo (#10.9)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

Rhyfelgyrch Gwyr Harlech

Very moving

This movie tugged at my heart strings like few others. I was thoroughly immersed in the lives of the Morgans and found myself especially drawn to young Huw's trials, tribulations, and triumphs. The scene where he taps his fork twice and sneezes before he is acknowledged by his father was poignant beyond belief. Despite the hardships and tragedies there is also warmth and humor such as when family friends of the Morgans visit the schoolmaster after he had been especially harsh with Huw. The romantic aspect of the film is also well done by its primary principles, Angharad and the pastor. All in all the films does a magnificent job of capturing the lives of a family in a bygone time and place. There is no doubt that this is a great film and the fact that it beat out the likes of Citizen Kane for Best Picture is a testament to that fact. 9/10.