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MONEY
Did you know
Shot for just $0.8M β micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
MoodPlayr Β· trivia#01
How Green Was My Valley
"Rich is their humor! Deep are their passions! Reckless are their lives! Mighty is their story!"
1941 1h 58m EN
π
7.3
SOLID
β
7.3TMDB Β· 472
Drama
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
Huw Morgan, the academically inclined youngest son in a proud family of Welsh coal miners, witnesses the tumultuous events of his young life during a period of rapid social change. At the dawn of the 20th-century, a miners' strike divides the Morgans: the sons demand improvements, and the father doesn't want to rock the boat.
βRich is their humor! Deep are their passions! Reckless are their lives! Mighty is their story!β
Cast
Walter Pidgeon
Mr. Gruffydd
Maureen O'Hara
Angharad Morgan
Anna Lee
Bronwyn
Donald Crisp
Gwilym Morgan
Roddy McDowall
Huw Morgan
John Loder
Ianto Morgan
Sara Allgood
Beth Morgan
Barry Fitzgerald
Cyfartha
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- John Ford
- Writers
- Philip Dunne
- Languages
- Welsh, English
- Countries
- United States of America
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts πΏ
2 / 8
MONEY
Did you know
Made its money back 6.0Γ over at the box office.
MoodPlayr Β· trivia#02
3 / 8
ERA
Did you know
85 years old β a genuine piece of film history.
MoodPlayr Β· trivia#03
4 / 8
WORLD
Did you know
Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Welsh, English.
MoodPlayr Β· trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by John Ford, shot by Arthur C. Miller. Note their partnership β DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr Β· trivia#05
6 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Original score by Alfred Newman. Worth a dedicated listen after β most great films lose half their impact without the score.
MoodPlayr Β· trivia#06
7 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor James B. Clark shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr Β· trivia#07
8 / 8
CAST
Did you know
Walter Pidgeon and Maureen O'Hara and Anna Lee carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr Β· trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
John Ford directs. Arthur C. Miller behind the camera. Alfred Newman scores. James B. Clark cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in Welsh, English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Shot for just $0.8M β micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
- 2Made its money back 6.0Γ over at the box office.
- 385 years old β a genuine piece of film history.
- 4Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Welsh, English.
- 5Directed by John Ford, shot by Arthur C. Miller. Note their partnership β DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 6Original score by Alfred Newman. Worth a dedicated listen after β most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 7Editor James B. Clark shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 8Walter Pidgeon and Maureen O'Hara and Anna Lee carry the top of the cast.
- 9Marketing tagline: "Rich is their humor! Deep are their passions! Reckless are their lives! Mighty is their story!".
- 10IMDB entry: tt0033729 β still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 11Classified under 12 themes, including "wales", "based on novel or book", "family relationships", "rural area".
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Arthur C. Miller
- Original score
- Alfred Newman
- Editing
- James B. Clark
- Costume design
- Gwen Wakeling
- Makeup / hair
- Guy Pearce
- Runtime
- 118 min Β· 1h 58m
- Aspect ratio (typical)
- 1.37:1 (Academy)
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $800,000
- Box office
- $4,800,000
- Return
- 600% of budget
- Original language
- EN
- Certification (US)
- NR
Awards
- Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
- Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
- Academy Award for Best Director
- Academy Award for Best Picture
- Academy Award for Best Art Direction, Black and White
Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.
Also by
John Ford
Stills Β· wallpapers
Selected frames
Full-resolution frames β open one to save it as a wallpaper.
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Community reviews
What people are saying
- CinemaSerfβ 7/10
Made at the start of WWII, there is something especially potent about this simple story of a Victorian family of Welsh miners. The mine was their economy, their community and patriarch "Morgan" (Donald Crisp) the stern, but loving, father of five sons. It soon becomes clear to his sons that the reliability of the mining industry as a source of income could be waning. Their wages begin to be cut, the job-for-life that they thought they had started to look much less certain. Much to the chagrin of the older man, they are instrumental in calling a strike and that begins a story that challenges and redefines their social and cultural norms. Simultaneously, a new minister "Gruffydd" (Walter Pidgeon) arrives and his methods cause some consternation too - the villagers are facing tough choices. The final thread here focusses on the youngest "Morgan" - "Huw" (a fine effort from Roddy McDowall) whom his parents are determined will be educated, hopefully ensuring a better chance in life avoiding the pit. John Ford has created a gentle, observational masterpiece here. The characterisations are rich and tender. There is no stand out star, all contribute cohesively to a story of family and loyalty, tragedy and optimism all set against an background of huge change. It isn't a political film, as such. It clearly takes a swipe at the mine employers repeatedly lowering wages, or employing cheaper labour but also glories in their sense of achievement when their choir is commanded to Windsor Castle to sing for Queen Victoria. Though hardly laugh out loud, there is humour here - a very peculiar sense of Welsh, working class drollery that is best exemplified when two villagers decide to teach the bullying school master "Jonas" (Morton Lowry) that vengeance is not just the Lord's. The pace is perfect, the story ebbs and flows most naturally with high standards of production and some fine singing now and again too. Lovely film!
Production companies
Who made it
20th Century Fox
US
Key crew
- NovelRichard Llewellyn
- ProducerDarryl F. Zanuck
- EditorJames B. Clark
- Art DirectionRichard Day
- Art DirectionNathan Juran
- Set DecorationThomas Little
- Costume DesignGwen Wakeling
- SoundEugene Grossman
- SoundRoger Heman Sr.
- Makeup ArtistGuy Pearce
- OrchestratorHugo Friedhofer
- Music ArrangerTudor Williams
- OrchestratorEdward B. Powell
- Location ManagerRay C. Moore
- Camera OperatorJoseph LaShelle
- Assistant CameraPaul Lockwood
- StuntsCliff Lyons
- Visual EffectsFred Sersen
- Matte PainterW. Percy Day
- Matte PainterChesley Bonestell
- Assistant DirectorGene Bryant
- Assistant DirectorEdward O'Fearna
- Second Assistant DirectorWingate Smith
- Unit Production ManagerGene Bryant
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- wales
- based on novel or book
- family relationships
- rural area
- black and white
- gossip
- mining town
- coal mining
- coal mine
- corporal punishment
- coal miner
- wistful
Release history Β· US
When it landed
- Premiere1941-10-28NRΒ· New York City, New York
- Theatrical1941-12-26NR
Also known as
International titles
- Como Era Verde Meu ValeBR
- ηΏ‘ηΏ θ°·CN
- Schlagende WetterDE
- Schwarze DiamantenDE
- Starke HerzenDE
- Β‘QuΓ© verde era mi valle!AR
- κΏ μμ λμKR
- κΏμμ λμKR
