How Green Was My Valley (1941) | |
| Director(s) | John Ford |
| Producer(s) | Darryl F. Zanuck |
| Top Genres | Drama, Epic, Family |
| Top Topics | Book-Based |
Featured Cast:
How Green Was My Valley Overview:
How Green Was My Valley (1941) was a Drama - Family Film directed by John Ford and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck.
The film was based on the novel of the same name written by Richard Llewellyn published in 1939.
SYNOPSIS
Ford's vivid recounting of a childhood spent in the lush hills of Wales. A Welsh coal-mining family experiences labor unrest and personal tragedy as their traditional way of life collides with the 20th century. Beautifully realized and deeply felt portrayal of the sustaining power of home and family. And O'Hara was never lovelier. The Oscars have solidified its place in history as one of the top tearjerkers of all time. Adapted from Richard Llewellyn's best-selling novel.
(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).
.How Green Was My Valley was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1990.
Academy Awards 1941 --- Ceremony Number 14 (source: AMPAS)
| Award | Recipient | Result |
| Best Supporting Actor | Donald Crisp | Won |
| Best Supporting Actress | Sara Allgood | Nominated |
| Best Art Direction | Art Direction: Richard Day, Nathan Juran; Interior Decoration: Thomas Little | Won |
| Best Cinematography | Arthur Miller | Won |
| Best Director | John Ford | Won |
| Best Film Editing | James B. Clark | Nominated |
| Best Picture | 20th Century-Fox | Won |
| Best Writing | Philip Dunne | Nominated |
BlogHub Articles:
Hollywood Goes Welsh: How Green Was My Valley and The Corn Is Green
By Rick29 on Mar 8, 2026 From Classic Film & TV CafeMaureen O'Hara and Walter Pidgeon.How Green Was My Valley (1941). One of John Ford's most beloved movies, How Green Was My Valley won five Academy Awards including Best Picture. It ranks #75 in the 2007 edition of the American Film Institute's 100 Years…100 Movies. In 1990, the Library of Cong... Read full article
Walter Pidgeon and Maureen O’Hara head the cast in “How Green Was My Valley”
By Stephen Reginald on Jun 10, 2021 From Classic Movie ManWalter Pidgeon and Maureen O’Hara head the cast in “How Green Was My Valley” How Green Was My Valley (1941) was an American drama film directed by John Ford and starring Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O’Hara, Donald Crisp, Anna Lee, and Roddy McDowall. It is based on the best-s... Read full article
How Green Was My Valley (3)
By Michael on Sep 14, 2016 From Le Mot du CinephiliaqueEditor’s note : this review is a translation of one of the first reviews to ever appear on this blog back in 2009. Those were less than a 150 words long and were written immediately after the viewing of each film. This is as aforementioned a translation and a longer edit of this original film ... Read full article
1001 Classic Movies: How Green Was My Valley
By Amanda Garrett on Aug 15, 2016 From Old Hollywood FilmsHow Green Was My Valley (1941) starring Walter Pidgeon and Roddy McDowall is one of the 1001 classic movies you should see. Each Monday, I'm going to recommend a classic movie you should see (for the reasons behind the 1001 series and reviews of earlier films covered go here). August's theme coin... Read full article
How Green Was My Valley (2)
By Amanda Garrett on Feb 27, 2016 From Old Hollywood FilmsToday, I'm reviewing How Green Was My Valley, starring Walter Pidgeon (left) and Roddy McDowall. This film about life in a Welsh coal-mining village won the 1941 Academy Award for best picture. This article is part of the 31 Days of Oscar blogathon hosted by Paula's Cinema Club, Outspoken & Fr... Read full article
See all How Green Was My Valley articles
Quotes from
[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.
Huw Morgan: [Narrating] I think I fell in love with Bronwen then. Perhaps it is foolish to think a child could fall in love. But I am the child that was, and nobody knows how I felt, except only me.
Huw Morgan: There is no fence nor hedge around time that is gone. You can go back and have what you like of it, if you can remember. So I can close my eyes on my valley as it is today, and it is gone, and I see it as it was when I was a boy. Green it was, and possessed of the plenty of the Earth. In all Wales, there was none so beautiful. Everything I ever learned as a small boy came from my father and I never found anything he ever told me to be wrong or worthless. The simple lessons he taught me are as sharp and clear in my mind as if I had heard them only yesterday. In those days, the black slag, the waste of the coal pits, had only begun to cover the sides of our hill. Not yet enough to mar the countryside, nor blacken the beauty of our village, for the colliery had only begun to poke its skinny black fingers through the green.
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Facts about
The film was shot in black and white because the color of flowers in Southern California did not match those found in Wales.
The songs sung by the male voices are all authentic Welsh. The song sung at the opening is "Men of Harlech".
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