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How Green Was My Valley

 How Green Was My Valley
type
TVTItem
 How Green Was My Valley
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How Green Was My Valley
 How Green Was My Valley
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HowGreenWasMyValley
 How Green Was My Valley
comment
How Green Was My Valley is a 1939 novel by Richard Llewellyn, which was adapted into a 1941 20th Century Fox film directed by John Ford and starring Walter Pidgeon, Donald Crisp, Maureen O'Hara, and Roddy McDowall, with a score by Alfred Newman. It tells the story of Huw Morgan, the youngest son of a mining family in the Welsh village of Cwm Rhondda during the Victorian era. Through his eyes, we see such events as his brother Ivor's wedding, the consequences of his sister Angharad's chaste romance with preacher Mr. Gruffydd (as well as her loveless and failed marriage into the mine owner's family), and a miner's strike in his town.The film was a great financial success and later won five Oscars, including one of the most (in)famous examples of the Award Snub backlash: it won for Best Picture in 1942, which doesn't seem that much of a surprise, since it was well-received at its time, and still maintains a good reputation among film buffs. The problem? Also up for Best Picture in 1942 was a little picture by a novice director called Citizen Kane, widely regarded as one of the greatest films — if not the greatest film — ever made; and another one you might possibly have heard of called The Maltese Falcon, which virtually codified the entire genre of Film Noir. As a result, Valley is best known today as "that movie that won Best Picture but maybe shouldn't have". In 1990, it was selected for inclusion in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.
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2024-03-10T20:16:23Z
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2024-03-10T20:16:23Z
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Dropped link to ComingOfAge: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN
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DBTropes
 How Green Was My Valley / int_15b2cab3
type
Tempting Fate
 How Green Was My Valley / int_15b2cab3
comment
Tempting Fate: Gwillym declares that if the congregation goes ahead with their condemnation of Angharad and Mr. Gruffydd, he'd never set foot in the church again. They do, and he doesn't. He's mortally injured in a mine explosion that night.
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_16ad6f7f
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"It" Is Dehumanizing
 How Green Was My Valley / int_16ad6f7f
comment
"It" Is Dehumanizing: The Sadist Teacher reacts to Huw's arrival by not addressing him and telling the rest of the class "what a dirty little sweep it is" and then "they expect me to make a scholar of it" when Huw says he's from the miner's town.
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_1869b4b1
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Unreliable Narrator
 How Green Was My Valley / int_1869b4b1
comment
Unreliable Narrator: Huw's sentimental narration contrasts pretty strongly with what the film actually depicts: The disintegration of the family unit, and the end of the way of life that had sustained the town for years.
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_18d15922
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Title Drop
 How Green Was My Valley / int_18d15922
comment
Title Drop: Huw's last line of narration.
 How Green Was My Valley / int_18d15922
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_19769f50
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Defeat Means Friendship
 How Green Was My Valley / int_19769f50
comment
Defeat Means Friendship: Once Huw proves himself to be a decent fighter against one of the boys who picked on him before, he earns his classmates’ deep respect.
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As the Good Book Says...
 How Green Was My Valley / int_2439b588
comment
As the Good Book Says...: Angharad uses Jesus' words to the sinful women when she protests the elders' condemnation of an unwed mother: "Go now and sin no more."
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Sadist Teacher
 How Green Was My Valley / int_2a6a8e89
comment
Sadist Teacher: Mr. Jonas, who looks down on Huw as a miner's son and beats him unconscious.
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_33d5b7f2
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Adapted Out
 How Green Was My Valley / int_33d5b7f2
comment
Adapted Out: In the book, Huw had three sisters named Angharad, Ceridwen, and Olwen; but in the film adaptation, Angharad was the only daughter in the family.
 How Green Was My Valley / int_33d5b7f2
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_35b241c0
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Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping
 How Green Was My Valley / int_35b241c0
comment
Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: While the characters in the film are Welsh, cast members who were from John Ford's stock company use their native Irish accents. And Walter Pidgeon, a Canadian native, uses his own natural accent.
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_49d59be9
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Scenery Porn
 How Green Was My Valley / int_49d59be9
comment
Scenery Porn: It is a John Ford movie, after all. And the film did win the Oscar for Best Cinematography (Black and White).
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_4e3d253b
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Downer Ending
 How Green Was My Valley / int_4e3d253b
comment
Downer Ending: An ending that was unusually bleak for Hollywood films of the day. Huw's father is killed in the mine. His brothers have scattered off around the world due to the lack of good jobs in Wales. Mr. Gruffyd and Angharad don't get together — in fact, Mr. Gruffyd leaves the town, disgusted with the small-minded people in his congregation. And in the Framing Device, when Huw is leaving the valley as an old man, it's been spoiled and befouled by the pollution of coal mining. The last line is "How green was my valley then."
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_53224e46
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Bookends
 How Green Was My Valley / int_53224e46
comment
Bookends: The scenes in the film both following mine accidents, where Gwillym cradles his son Ivor's dead body on the elevator, and where Huw similarly cradles his father's dead body on the same elevator.
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_57efd4c4
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Growing Up Sucks
 How Green Was My Valley / int_57efd4c4
comment
Growing Up Sucks: In that you have to leave school behind and take up adult responsibilities.
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_69681e01
type
Big Brother Instinct
 How Green Was My Valley / int_69681e01
comment
Big Brother Instinct: When Huw's older brothers saw he he was beaten up by Mr. Jones they volunteered to have a word with Jonas.
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_757bbdb8
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Massive Numbered Siblings
 How Green Was My Valley / int_757bbdb8
comment
Massive Numbered Siblings: In the original book, Gwilym and Beth Morgan had six sons (Ivor, Ianto, Davy, Owen, Gwilym Jr., and Huw), and three daughters (Angharad, Ceridwen, and Olwen). Although Ceridwen and Olwen get Adapted Out in the film adapation, the trope still applies.
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_77bc8a56
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Unable to Support a Wife
 How Green Was My Valley / int_77bc8a56
comment
Unable to Support a Wife: Mr. Gruffyd is allowed to marry as a Presbyterian, but has resolved not to because he doesn't want to subject someone he loves to a life of poverty.
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_7e081ea0
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Slice of Life
 How Green Was My Valley / int_7e081ea0
comment
Slice of Life: A portrait of life in a small Welsh mining town and how poverty breaks families apart.
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Child Prodigy
 How Green Was My Valley / int_8e20ae0d
comment
Child Prodigy: Huw's surprisingly smart and mature for his age. His academic ability set him apart from his elder brothers and enabled him to go to school. He even got a graduation certificate and made honors within a few months of schooling. Not bad for one of the youngest children in the Morgan family.
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_90e31482
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Laser-Guided Karma
 How Green Was My Valley / int_90e31482
comment
Laser-Guided Karma: After Mr. Jonas canes Huw to the point of fainting for boxing in the schoolyard, Dai Bando drops into the school to demonstrate proper technique.
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_97b4c1fd
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Cut Himself Shaving
 How Green Was My Valley / int_97b4c1fd
comment
Cut Himself Shaving: After Huw comes back home with a bloody face from being beaten at school, he claims he "fell down on the mountain." Nobody believes it.
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_9843be73
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As You Know
 How Green Was My Valley / int_9843be73
comment
As You Know: "Mr. Evans! The mine owner himself!"
 How Green Was My Valley / int_9843be73
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_9b86a4f8
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Nostalgic Narrator
 How Green Was My Valley / int_9b86a4f8
comment
Nostalgic Narrator: Huw Morgan.
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_a6bd0685
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Died in Your Arms Tonight
 How Green Was My Valley / int_a6bd0685
comment
Died in Your Arms Tonight: When the rescuers bring up Huw's father on the shaft elevator. Maybe a Pietà Plagiarism.
 How Green Was My Valley / int_a6bd0685
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_a7b324e
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Handicapped Badass
 How Green Was My Valley / int_a7b324e
comment
Handicapped Badass: Dai Bando the blind ex-boxer. He teaches Huw to box, delivers a well-deserved beating to Mr. Jonas, and is the first to volunteer for a dangerous mine rescue.
 How Green Was My Valley / int_a7b324e
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_b5dded87
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Gossipy Hens
 How Green Was My Valley / int_b5dded87
comment
Gossipy Hens: The old ladies, starting with the maid, who spread rumors of Angarhad's love for Mr. Gruffyd throughout the town.
 How Green Was My Valley / int_b5dded87
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_b6927d71
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Hot for Preacher
 How Green Was My Valley / int_b6927d71
comment
Hot for Preacher: Angharad and Mr. Grufydd.
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Boxing Lesson
 How Green Was My Valley / int_ba4d38b4
comment
Boxing Lesson: To deal with the bullying Huw is getting — he's the poor kid at an upper-class school — his father gets boxing champion Dai Bando to teach Huw how to box. Huw's father also promises to pay Huw a certain amount for each bruise and black eye he comes home with.
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_bc00493f
type
Precision F-Strike
 How Green Was My Valley / int_bc00493f
comment
Precision F-Strike: Beth Morgan has a couple of 1941-style moments. First, she begins her "Reason You Suck" Speech to the striking miners with, "I am Beth Morgan, as you damn well know!" Later, after Ivor is killed just before his child's birth, she questions God's will. When Gwillym warns her about incurring God's wrath, she answers, "To Hell with the wrath!"
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_c9a71d47
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Innocence Lost
 How Green Was My Valley / int_c9a71d47
comment
Innocence Lost: Huw's growing up includes half his family driven away for their pro-union activities, his sister marrying a man she doesn't love, being forced by circumstances to take a job with the coal mine, his town elders driving away the good priest who mentored Huw, and the death of his father in a mining accident. By the end of the movie and novel, his green valley is no more. All that remains are the memories of his loved ones.
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Nothing Is Scarier
 How Green Was My Valley / int_cdfe12c3
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Nothing Is Scarier: After a mining accident, when any of the elevator cars are empty...
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Holier Than Thou
 How Green Was My Valley / int_d1ceb951
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Holier Than Thou: The deacons, led by Parry, seem far more interested in rooting out sinners to publicly condemn than shepherding the flock.
 How Green Was My Valley / int_d1ceb951
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_d2ddb362
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ReasonYouSuckSpeech
 How Green Was My Valley / int_d2ddb362
comment
"Reason You Suck" Speech: Mr. Gruffydd's last sermon to his congregation, who are driving him out due to groundless rumors. He strongly criticizes them for hypocritically calling down God's vengeance, while forgetting God's love. Sadly, it seems like his words don't take. note Unsurprisingly. As he's incensed the people are motivated to come to the parish out of fear for God, not love. Their occupations down the hazardous mines ensure they only know fear and all too well, their place of work can easily become their tomb. Working from sunrise to sunrise, miners don't even see how green the valley is. So poor, they can only afford meat on Christmas.
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_d3beb0de
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Precocious Crush
 How Green Was My Valley / int_d3beb0de
comment
Precocious Crush: Huw is instantly smitten with Bronwyn.
 How Green Was My Valley / int_d3beb0de
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_e13156e1
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Mama Bear
 How Green Was My Valley / int_e13156e1
comment
Mama Bear: Beth Morgan. When striking miners threaten Gwillym for his opposition to the strike, she crashes a strikers' meeting and threatens to kill anyone who harms her husband with her bare hands. And it's very clear she's not bluffing.
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_ef20dac5
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Servile Snarker
 How Green Was My Valley / int_ef20dac5
comment
Servile Snarker: The Evanses’ housekeeper, who doesn’t even try to conceal her contempt for her employers.
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 How Green Was My Valley / int_f018c5cf
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Offhand Backhand
 How Green Was My Valley / int_f018c5cf
comment
Offhand Backhand: Dai Bando renders Mr. Jonas unconscious with some "innocent" gesticulating as he lectures about Marquis of Queensbury rules.
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Evil Is Petty
 How Green Was My Valley / int_fe64d5a1
comment
Evil Is Petty: The Evans's housekeeper Mrs. Nicholas starts the malicious rumors about Angarhad and Mr. Gruffyd, simply because she doesn't like serving the lower-class Angarhad.
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How Green Was My Valley

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 How Green Was My Valley
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Boxing Lesson / int_5c79a874