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Singing Is In My People, As Sight Is In The Eye

Posted in General Comments, Movie Review, Movies, Reviews, tagged Angharad Morgan, Best Art Direction Oscar - Interior Decoration (Black-and-White), Best Cinematography (Black-and-White) Oscar, Best Director Oscar (Ford), Best Picture Oscar, Best Supporting Actor Oscar (Crisp), Beth Morgan, Citizen Kane, Donald Crisp, General Comments, Gwilym Morgan, Hollywood Wales, How Green Was My Valley (1941) — movie review, Huw Morgan, John Ford, Maureen O’Hara, Movie Reviews, Mr. Gruffydd, Reviews, Roddy McDowall, Sara Allgood, Very Highly to Must See Movie Recommendation, Walter Pidgeon on June 11, 2026| Leave a Comment »

“How Green Was My Valley” (1941) — movie review
Today’s second film review is for the classic family drama “How Green Was My Valley”, directed by John Ford and starring Walter Pidgeon as Mr. Gruffydd, the village minister whose quiet strength and plain talk make him the moral center of the valley; Maureen O’Hara as Angharad, the proud daughter whose heart gets caught between love and social expectation; Donald Crisp as Gwilym Morgan, the coal‑miner father trying to hold his family together while the world changes around them; Sara Allgood as Beth Morgan, the strong‑willed mother who loves fiercely and does not suffer fools; Roddy McDowall as Huw Morgan, the youngest son whose memories frame the story; and a supporting cast of brothers, miners, and neighbors who fill out the life of a Welsh coal town on its way down.

Background: This was my first full viewing of “How Green Was My Valley”. I’ve “heard” about it for years in off-hand movie discussions, mainly because it won the Best Picture Oscar over “Citizen Kane”, which tends to make movie folks either roll their eyes or lean in closer. “How Green Was My Valley” was released in 1941 and received ten Academy Award nominations; it won five: Best Picture, Best Director (John Ford), Best Supporting Actor (Donald Crisp), Best Cinematography (Black‑and‑White), and Best Art Direction – Interior Decoration (Black‑and‑White). Historically, it sits as one of the big studio dramas about the passing of a way of life. In this case, the way of life is a coal‑mining community slowly being buried under its own slag heaps — and as one of Ford’s key non‑Western films.

Plot: The story is told in flashback by an older (unseen) Huw Morgan, remembering his childhood in a Welsh mining valley. His father and older brothers work in the coal mine, and the family home is full of food, singing, and routine. As time passes, wages are cut, the mine owners squeeze harder, and the men begin talking unions and strikes; Huw watches his brothers argue with their father about how to respond, and the village slowly splits into camps. At the same time, he sees the quiet love between his sister Angharad and Mr. Gruffydd, a love that runs head‑first into class and money. The valley itself changes: black spoil piles grow, the air darkens, and accidents become more common; one by one, Huw’s brothers leave for other countries or other work. The film builds toward a final mining disaster and a farewell to both family and valley — at least as Huw remembers them.

So, is this movie any good? How’s the acting? The filming / FX? Any problems? And, did I enjoy the film? Short answers: Yes; very good; beautiful and grounded; a few; yes.

Any good? Yes. This is a sincere, steady drama that works because it lets you live with the Morgans before it starts taking things away. The story is sentimental by modern standards, but it is built on work, faith, pride, and the slow grinding down of a community instead of on cheap twists. The movie does not rush from big speech to big tragedy; it shows meals, chapel, arguments, and small jokes, and then shows how those same moments feel different as the valley declines. It is not fast and it is not flashy, but it earns its emotion.

Acting: Donald Crisp is excellent as Gwilym Morgan, firm, fair, and believable as a man trying to balance loyalty to the owners with loyalty to his sons. Sara Allgood gives Beth a mix of warmth and iron; when she defends her family, you believe it. Walter Pidgeon plays Mr. Gruffydd with calm dignity and a bit of quiet humor, and Maureen O’Hara’s Angharad is strong and sensitive, with more going on under the surface than the script spells out. Roddy McDowall is very good as young Huw, wide‑eyed without being sugary. The brothers, neighbors, and chapel elders mostly feel like real people instead of “types”, which helps the valley feel lived‑in.

Filming / FX: The black‑and‑white cinematography is one of the film’s strongest points. The village set — houses, mine headgear, hills — looks like a real place you could walk through. The camera uses light and shadow to contrast the warmth of the Morgan home and chapel with the harshness of the mine and the growing slag piles; interiors feel cramped but cozy, which fits a large family in a small house. There are no “effects” in the modern sense, but the mine sequences (especially the final rescue) are staged well enough to feel tense. The filming is classical and mostly invisible — which, IMHO, is a compliment here.

Problems: A few. The film leans into sentiment, and some scenes will feel melodramatic to modern eyes — especially the more “speechy” moments. The pacing can drag in the middle as the story shifts between labor trouble, family drama, and Huw’s school experiences. Several of the brothers blur together; they come and go without much individual development, so their departures feel more symbolic than personal. The Angharad / Gruffydd love story is powerful in idea but doesn’t get enough screen time. And the accents and dialogue are very “Hollywood Wales”, which may bother viewers who know the real thing.

Did I enjoy the film? Yes. It is gentle, sad, and quietly moving. I liked the way it balances nostalgia with loss — the idea that childhood memories can be both warm and painful at the same time. The performances are strong, the visuals are lovely, and the story has enough honesty to keep it from turning into pure syrup. It is not a film I’ll watch every year, but I am glad I finally sat down and watched it straight through.

Final Recommendation: Very high to MUST SEE recommendation. “How Green Was My Valley” is historically significant for its Best Picture win, its multiple Oscars, and its place in John Ford’s career as one of his major non‑Western dramas. It is also a solid example of how classic Hollywood tried to tell working‑class stories and mark the passing of older communities. If you enjoy black‑and‑white dramas, family sagas, or films told through the lens of memory, this one is worth your time. It is near perfect, because it is heartfelt and memorable — and now I understand why it still gets talked about, even if you think “Citizen Kane” should have taken the statue.

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Click here (11 June) to see the posts of prior years. I started this blog in late 2009. Daily posting began in late January 2011. Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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The Chemistry Of Good Coaching

Posted in General Comments, Movie Review, Movies, Reviews, tagged Albert Bassermann, American Football, Bonnie Rockne, Donald Crisp, Father Callahan, Father Nieuwland, Gale Page, General Comments, George Gipp, Gipper, Hollywood, Knute Rockne, Knute Rockne - All American (1940) — movie review, Lloyd Bacon, Movie Reviews, Norway, Pat O’Brien, Reviews, Ronald Reagan, Sand Lot, University of Notre Dame, Win One For The Gipper on June 10, 2026| Leave a Comment »

“Knute Rockne, All American” (1940) — movie review
Today’s review is for the sports biography “Knute Rockne, All American”, directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring Pat O’Brien as Knute Rockne, the Notre Dame chemistry professor turned football coach who builds a national powerhouse; Ronald Reagan as George Gipp, the gifted but carefree halfback whose early death becomes school legend; Gale Page as Bonnie Rockne, Knute’s steady wife; Donald Crisp as Father Callahan, who backs Rockne’s early coaching; and Albert Bassermann as Father Nieuwland, the mentor who helps Rockne balance academics and athletics. Together, they tell how a kid from Norway becomes one of the most influential coaches in American sports.

Background: This was my first viewing in multiple decades. I remember seeing it a couple of times in my teens. LoL. The film didn’t receive any Academy Award nominations, but it’s historically important for popularizing the “win one for the Gipper” moment and for being one of the earliest major studio sports biopics. It also helped cement Reagan’s “Gipper” identity for the rest of his acting career and political life.

Plot: The movie follows Rockne from immigrant childhood through his years at Notre Dame as student, chemistry professor, and eventually head football coach. He helps develop the forward pass, builds a national program, and inspires generations of players – at South Bend and around the country. The Gipp storyline is the emotional center. Rockne’s later success brings national (and enduring) fame before his tragic death in a plane crash.

So, is this movie any good? How’s the acting? The filming / FX? Any problems? And, did I enjoy the film? Short answers: Mostly; solid early‑Hollywood performances; straightforward filming; a few; mostly yes.

Any good? Mostly. It’s an earnest, old‑style biography that hits the major beats without digging very deep. The football scenes are simple but clear. The movie does a decent job showing how Rockne’s ideas shaped the sport. It’s more tribute than analysis, but it works.

Acting: Pat O’Brien is strong as Rockne — energetic and believable as both teacher and coach. Reagan is relaxed and likable as Gipp. Page brings warmth as Bonnie. The supporting cast fits the tone. The acting is very much early‑1940s studio style, but it gets the job done.

Filming / FX: Clean black‑and‑white filming, simple staging, and modest football action. Nothing fancy. The campus scenes look good, and the crowd shots give a sense of scale. It’s visually plain, but appropriate for the era. I found the interspersing of Hollywood with actual (real) game footage to be very interesting.

Problems: A few. The story is smoothed into a string of inspirational moments, and some scenes are overly sentimental. The football action is dated. The pacing slows in the middle. The movie avoids any deeper look at Rockne’s flaws, so it feels more like a tribute than a full biography.

Did I enjoy the film? Mostly. It’s sincere, nostalgic, and easy to watch. The performances are good, the story moves along, and the Gipp scenes still land. It’s not a movie I’d revisit often, but I’m glad I’ve seen it again.

Final Recommendation: Strong recommendation. “Knute Rockne, All American” is an important early sports biopic with real cultural significance. It’s not a modern, gritty biography, but it’s well‑acted, historically interesting, and worth seeing if you enjoy classic Hollywood or the history of American football. Let’s be honest… This isn’t the greatest movie – acting, biopic, sports or whatever – but for certain of us older (ancient), former sand lot, high school or college athletes, this film will be kind of fun to bring back memories…

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Click here (10 June) to see the posts of prior years. I started this blog in late 2009. Daily posting began in late January 2011. Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.