The Loves of Joanna Godden (1947)

On Romney Marsh at the turn of the century, a woman farmer has three suitors.

Director:

Charles Frend

Writers:

H.E. Bates, Angus MacPhail,

Stars:

Googie Withers, Jean Kent, John McCallum

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Googie Withers	...	Joanna Godden
Jean Kent	...	Ellen Godden
John McCallum	...	Arthur Alce
Derek Bond	...	Martin Trevor
Henry Mollison	...	Harry Trevor
Chips Rafferty	...	Collard
Sonia Holm	...	Louise
Josephine Stuart	...	Grace Wickens
Alec Faversham	...	Peter Relf
Edward Rigby	...	Stuppeny
Frederick Piper	...	Isaac Turk
Fred Bateman	...	Young Turk
Douglas Jefferies	...	Huggett
Gilbert Davis	...	Godfrey
Grace Arnold	...	Martha

Storyline

The story of a woman who loved three men for their different ways and discovered after many a heartache, that her first love was also her true love. Edward the Peacemaker was on the throne of England when Joanna Godden's father died and bequeathed a large farm on the Romney Marsh of Kent. Beautiful, impetuous, self-willed, Joanna determined to defy convention and - a mere woman - run the farm herself. Her decision outraged the whole shire - not least her farmer neighbour Arthur Alce.

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Plot Keywords:

ealing | based on novel | character name in title

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 June 1947 (UK)

Also Known As:

Lásky Jany Goddenové

Filming Locations:

Ealing Studios, Ealing, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ealing Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The locomotive, filmed at Lydd Town station, was K&ESR No.3 hired from the nearby Kent & East Sussex Railway - its ownership being disguised by canvas covers over the tanks. Better known as No.3 "Bodiam" and now jointly owned by The Terrier Trust and the K&ESR, the locomotive frequently hauls trains between Tenterden Town and Bodiam, close to the famous National Trust castle. Originally London Brighton & South Coast Railway No.70 "Poplar" of 1872, the locomotive was sold to the antecedent of the K&ESR, the Rother Valley Railway, in 1901.

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Soundtracks

"God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen"
(uncredited)
Traditional
Arranged by Ernest Irving

User Reviews

Screening At BFI Southbank

This film was shown to a packed audience at the BFI Southbank yesterday.It was introduced by Joannna McCullum the daughter of the 2 stars of this film.She told us that her parents actually met on the set of this film and that their first scene together was the argument.The film was supposed to take 4 weeks to shoot but because of bad weather on location actually took 10 weeks.She said that many of the locals were utilised as extras and for small parts.Thus the "looker" who is sacked by Joanna Goodden was actually a local looker(shepherd).Because of the bad weather her father spent a lot of the time sitting in a car waiting for the weather to clear playing cards with Chips Rafferty.As to the film itself it is unusual in that it has a feminist thread and at times has a slight documentary feel about it.however it starts to go off the rails when Jean kent comes back from school,looking rather older and wiser than her 18 years.Her subsequent marriage to McCullum and desertion of him and the eventual coupling of the 2 stars seems at times to be rather formulaic and unsuited to the characters and the emotions we had previously witnessed.