This is a fine historical-era drama, about a Pennsylvania mill-town. In this absorbing drama, which is only one book of a monumental Catholic work by Marcia Davenport, Greer Garson plays a pretty and bright young woman who takes a job in the lavish home of a Pittsburgh steel magnate, played honestly and strongly veteran actor Donald Crisp. Gregory Peck plays one of his sons, the serious one, who is devoted to his father's mill and who works alongside some of the mill workers, including his friend Preston Foster. The father has two other sons--Dan Duryea, who is more desirous of having money rather than of working; and Marshall Thompson, who has turned to alcohol in his unhappiness...There is also a daughter played by the fine actress Marsha Hunt, perhaps one of her best performances. Gladys Cooper plays the matriarch of the family, who befriends Garson, and leaves her her shares in the mill. Garson's father, played with skill by Lionel Barrymore, is an embittered man, who lost the use of his legs in an accident in the mill, and did not want his daughter working for the owners. It is he who begets violence that has tragic consequences. Jessica Tandy plays Peck's wife, a bitter woman; Peck should have married Garsop all along, of course; but the climax of the film is the troubles at the steel mill that are started by the angry workers and the consequences on all concerned of this violent crisis action. There are many finely-developed characters in this long film, but I sense also a fair sense of fatality about the events, intended by the author, against which the attraction of persons, characters and dispositions of Peck and Garson are played, like two rays of sunlight illuminating a dark jungle's zone. Thiis attractive B/W production was directed by Tay Garnett. Marcia Davenport long novel was adapted to the screen by fine scenarist Sonya Levien and John Meehan. The cinematography for the film was the work of Joseph Ruttenberg and Herbert Stothart composed the dramatic score. When I say that the art direction was done by Cedric Gibbons with Paul Groesse, the set decorations by Edwin B. Willis and the costume designs by Irene, I have accounted for the film's very-opulent and vivid production values. In the cast apart from the principals already mentioned, one can see Barbara Everest, Geraldine Wall, Eveline Dockson, John Warburton, Rusell Hicks, Mary Lord, Arthur Shields, young Dean Stockwell, Maru Courier, Lumsden Hare, Connie Golchrist and Anna Q. Nilsson. This is always an attractive and a carefully-considered production, which occasionally seems to me to lack warmth; with a great script, everyone concerned could perhaps have produced a masterpiece. With the one they had, the talents involved produced a memorable adventure that rises on occasion to first-rate dramatic heights. Not to be missed, perhaps. I would love to see it redone, with another fine cast; more than melodrama, it has I believe as a writer, an important dramatic potential.
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OldHatCinema29 June 2019If you're interested in this movie, and others like it, and if you've gotten so far as to be reading this review, you probably already know the plot, so I don't need to get into all that. No, my purpose here, and in most of my other reviews, is to take a look at other aspects of the movie, such as acting, writing, etc.
So, here goes: "Valley of Decision" is overall a touching, well done movie. One of the best things is certainly the star power contained in the cast. We have the lovely Greer Garson, who really does a nice job in this. Gregory Peck is one of my favorite leading men, and what always impressed me is how quickly he rose to the top in Hollywood. "Valley of Decision" was only his third film, yet at only 29 years old he was already established as a lead. Donald Crisp, who seems to be in almost everything, is a reliable character actor as well. And now let me say a brief word in defense of Lionel Barrymore. I've noticed that a couple other reviews on here are saying that he ruins the film with his "ham overacting". Well, I'm sorry, but Lionel Barrymore was an acting genius, and maybe he was a ham, but in the acting world I think that's more often a good thing than bad. Let's face it: his role in this was not supposed to be subtle, and his character was not supposed to be likeable. Yes, perhaps his other film villains, such as Mr. Potter from "It's a Wonderful Life" were more poised and shrewd, but that was not called for in this. He played an embittered man who held on to a grudge for way too long, and it had terrible consequences. If Lionel Barrymore carried out his role the way he saw fit as the one playing the part, then so be it. Don't slam him for it. He didn't wreck the film, or his own portrayal of the character; he may have chosen to overplay the role, but I think his bitterness ended up being very effective, and his hatred convincingly disturbing.
Now that I'm finished with that, allow me to talk about the movie as a whole. It's very good, and I would definitely recommend it. It's a sweet, old-fashioned, uncomplicated love story, and I wish they still made movies like this today. What a shame that the majority of romances (and most other genres, come to think of it) made in this day and age are full of bad language and sex and/or nudity in every other scene. I have a true fondness and respect for the good old days when movies were movies! -
I viewed this movie and fell in love with the story of a family who owned a Pittsburg Steel Mill. What a great movie where determination and love of the steel mills helped preserve and shape the USA into a world power. The portrayal of steel workers along side the upper class was particularly interesting, because the owners are showed as observers and not really part of the sweat and steel, until Gregory Peck gives an awe inspiring speech about what its like working on the ground floor of a steel mill. I particularly enjoyed Gregory and Greer's on screen relationship and the difficulty of romantic relationships between two different classes. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.
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In Pittsburgh in 1873, plucky Irish immigrant Greer Garson accepts a position as a servant in the mansion of steel magnate Donald Crisp, though her father was crippled in his mill. Inevitably, Greer and Gregory Peck (as the principled second son of the family) find themselves drawn to each other despite class differences, and surprisingly, his parents spprove. But a series of dramatic events -- a steelworkers' strike, three violent killings, a spite marriage, a natural death and a surprising bequest -- all conspire to keep Greer and Greg apart while the audience is left to wonder when and how they can get together.
In a way we don't care since these mismatched stars have no chemistry together. In only his third screen role, Gregory Peck is always competent and is sometimes better than that, but his cool, placid demeanor works against this tale of romance thwarted for over a decade. For her part, Greer Garson was never one to suggest sexual attraction or romantic passion, and she has the further handicap of looking much older than Peck and seeming too old to play her character in the early parts of the film. But by the end, when her character's age has caught up to her, Garson's usual poise and authority seem just right.
If the lack of fireworks between the stars seems like a drawback, it somehow isn't because the narrative is really about the love affair an unhappy woman has with a warm, charismatic family. And here, the producer and the director Tay Garnett make sure the film is enlivened with a talented and varied supporting cast including Donald Crisp, Gladys Cooper, Lionel Barrymore (a hambone as usual), Dan Duryea, Preston Foster, Reginald Owen, Marshall Thompson and young Dean Stockwell.
Of particular interest are two excellent supporting performances. MGM stalwart Marsha Hunt brings some bite and complexity to the role of Peck's sister, a selfish, superficial woman who is nevertheless decent and loving. And though Jessica Tandy spends most of the film in a thankless role as a brittle society girl hoping to snag Peck, by the end of the film she is allowed to give a vivid performance of bravura shrewishness, the kind of thing Agnes Moorehead usually did so well. -
michaelRokeefe29 December 2001Very interesting and entertaining poor-girl meets rich-boy tale of romance between a wealthy Pittsburgh steel mill owner(Gregory Peck) and a beautiful housemaid(Greer Garson). This circa 1870 drama is directed by Tay Garnett and based on a Marcia Davenport novel. A star studded cast makes this a prominent classic. Joining Peck and Garson are Donald Crisp, Lionel Barrymore, Dan Duryea, Marsha Hunt, Marshall Thompson, Preston Foster, Jessica Tandy and Reginald Owen. This movie is deserving of your time. Wholesome and enjoyable watching.
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planktonrules28 June 2005Okay, I'll admit that this movie is a bit heavy-handed at times. Lionel Barrymore's performance as Mary's father is not a subtle performance and the movie is a tad predictable at times. However, despite these minor shortcomings, this is a marvelous romantic flick from Hollywood's heyday and is a great early Gregory Peck vehicle.
Mary (Greer Garson) is a lovely poor lass who goes to work as a housekeeper in the home of the wealthy family (the Scotts) who own the local steel mill. This is problematic, as Mary's father was seriously injured in the mill and bears an intense hatred of the Scotts. It becomes even more problematic as, over time, handsome Paul Scott (Peck) falls for her and asks for her hand in marriage! Yikes! However, this is only about half-way through the movie--what happens next you'll need to find out yourself.
Great performances (not just from the two leads but from capable supporting actors such as Donald Crisp and Dan Duryea), direction, sets and writing make this one of my personal favorites. Watch it! -
dinky-418 March 2004Some critics referred to Marcia Davenport's massive 1942 best-seller as an American "Forsyte Saga" and Hollywood, not surprisingly, quickly bought up the film rights. What should have emerged as a grand family drama, however -- the sort of thing spanning decades and generations -- wound up in a shrunken and trivialized form which covered only the first half of the book and then in an abbreviated fashion. It's as if, somewhere along the way, everyone lost enthusiasm for the project. This is unfortunate since the book, though it tends to weaken in its final section covering the years from World War I to Pearl Harbor, tells an attention-keeping story filled with vibrant characters who manage to change and even surprise as the plot unfolds.
While, at first glance, Greer Garson might seem a good choice to play Mary Rafferty, she's at least ten years too old for her part and this makes it a bit difficult to accept her romantic attachment to an obviously-younger Gregory Peck.
Peck's siblings, so strong a force in the book, are here reduced to minor characters, though Marsha Hunt at least hints at what a fully-realized "Constance" might have been. One regrets at how much of their stories have been lost, particularly Constance's years in Europe.
Curiously, the adaptors have chosen to create a character not in the book, (here played by Preston Foster), but this character does little to fill in the gaps caused by all the deletions.
Donald Crisp seems slightly miscast as William Scott but he delivers the movie's best performance and is in pleasing contrast to the hammy Lionel Barrymore whose part has been clumsily expanded from that in the book.
Davenport's book may today be found only in libraries and used-book stores but it's worth finding and reading and it would make a splendid basis for a multi-part mini-series which would have the time to tell the complete story. This mini-series, it is hoped, would do justice to the relationship between scion Paul Scott and housemaid Mary Rafferty -- a relationship more complex and unexpected than the one depicted in the movie and one which does not lend itself to the happy "fadeout" imposed by the writers at MGM. -
edwagreen19 February 2006Greer Garson, with a terrific Irish brogue, earned still another Oscar nomination. With the exception of 1940, Miss Garson was nominated for best actress from 1939-1945, a Hollywood record.
The film depicts the old problem of wealth vs. poverty. A pretty and pert Greer goes to work for the family of Gregory Peck. They are lovely, unpretentious people. Her dad, played by the irascible Lionel Barrymore, is a hot head if ever there were. His hot-headedness will ultimately lead to his downfall as the film goes on.
We see wealth and snobbery associated with it, especially by Peck's wife, brilliantly played by a young Jessica Tandy. In a change of pace, veteran movie mother, Gladys Cooper, comes off as a wonderfully, kind sort of matriarch married to the indomitable Donald Crisp.
The ending is great. All I can say is that fairness triumphs over snobbery. Class distinctions just seem to go away. -
JohnHowardReid9 June 2018Copyright 13 April 1945 by Loew's Inc. New York opening at the Radio City Music Hall: 3 May 1945. U.S. release: 14 April 1945. U.K. release: 26 November 1945. Australian release: 28 March 1946. 12 reels. 10,787 feet. 120 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: In 1880 Pittsburgh, Mary Rafferty becomes a servant in the home of William Scott, despite the opposition of her father, Pat Rafferty, who had been crippled in an accident in Scott's steel mill. Mary endears herself to Clarissa, William Scott's wife, and to the four children: Paul, Constance, William Jr, and Ted. Eventually love comes to Mary and Paul, but she decides not to wed him because of her lowly position.
NOTES: Number 7 at the domestic box office for 1945. Initial domestic rental gross: $5,560,000. Photoplay Gold Medal Award: Best Film of 1945. Photo-play Gold Medal Award: Greer Garson, Best Actress of 1945. Number 4 on the Film Daily Annual Poll of domestic film critics and commentators. Film debut of Marshall Thompson, according to many reference books, but in point of fact his initial movie was 1944's Reckless Age. Greer Garson was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress, losing to Joan Crawford's Mildred Pierce. Also nominated: Best Music Scoring in the Drama/Comedy category, but Stothart lost to Miklos Rozsa's Spellbound.
COMMENT: Here's another of those stories that appear so often in vintage movies. It's all about the humble servant girl who makes good in the big house on the hill and marries the young master. When our little slavey is played by that wide-eyed mistress of do-goodiness Greer Garson, and the upright chip by the impeccably stolid Gregory Peck, we just know we are in for a studiously well-mounted yet craftily well-wearisome time.
But wait! In this movie the unexpected happens. True, we should have remembered that the script is based on a three-decker novel. So just as she is about to marry half-way through the film, there is trouble at the mill. This leads to consequences that add ten years to the happy consummation (which translates into another hour of screen time which the director can put to good use with lots of dewy-eyed close-ups of Miss G. and lots of stolid close-ups of Mr P. putting an eminently respectable brave front on things).
When this film was made, a sort of fourth-rate Girls Own Paper Pride & Prejudice like this had a lot of box-office clout. The men were all overseas in the war and the home audience consisted mostly of women seeking this sort of synthetic escapism. And it must be admitted that though there are some glaringly obvious backdrops, the miniatures of the mill are impressively realized and Joseph Ruttenberg's black-and-white photography (which makes the film look like the first pull of a brand-new steel engraving) is always visually stylish to look at. The sets, costumes also help.
At times, Garnett's direction is quite deft, though mostly he is content to let his players amble (or fulminate in the case of Lionel Barrymore) through their scenes. This easy-going attitude makes it even more difficult to accept the second half of the film where Duryea and Thompson who seemed so mildly agreeable in the first half, show a mildly disagreeable side to their characters. With Jessica Tandy, oddly enough, the reverse is true. She is always so disagreeable that her big speech loses most of its impact because it's so predictable! So we have here a situation where a director tries two opposite methods to keep our interest in the piece and both of them don't work, leading to the conclusion that the contrived, artificial, unbelievable and completely hackneyed and derivative script itself is the problem. -
Elizabeth-32826 February 2002When one thinks of Greer Garson, movies like "Mrs. Miniver" or "Pride and Prejudice" come to mind. And when one thinks of Gregory Peck, movies like "To Kill a Mockingbird" or "Gentleman's Agreement" come to mind. However, both of these terrific actors are fantastic in "The Valley of Decision," which I consider to be one of the forgotten classics of the 1940's. It was deservingly nominated for two Academy Awards, including a Best Actress nomination for Greer Garson. I believe she gives one of her most touching, heartfelt performances as Mary Rafferty. This movie is a must-see for all movie fans. I give it an enthusiastic 10 out of 10!
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rday-99 September 2005I happened to catch this one on TCM. I'd heard about how Peck was one of the few hunks left at home during WWII but was not as familiar with Miss Garson except for perhaps Goodbye Mr. Chips. Also, I am more a fan of Warner Brothers films than the glossy MGM fare. Nevertheless, I was captivated by this one. Garson plays with charming capability the Irish servant Mary to the Scott scion Peck against the backdrop of a Pittsburg steel mill. It's rather soap operatic but Peck manages to bring it down to earth. You could already see the Atticus Finch in him. Only Lionel Barrymore as Mary's bitter father manages to wreck things with his usual ham overacting. The story was also surprisingly politically correct with the servants, especially Mary, being treated more like cousins than workers as one might find in say, class conscious British films. The ending was a tad implausible but a happy one nonetheless. I would definitely add it to my rainy day, sick in bed with the flu, can't sleep insomniac collection.
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Keedee12 October 2001I sat in awe of this film one chilly October evening in 2001 and I remember the thought going through my mind, "how is it that I've never seen this before?" I adore Greer Garson and her performance as Mary Raffery took my breath away and Gregory Peck has always been at the top of my list of talented and handsome actors. This movie is full of anxiety ridden romance and dramatic acting at its best. With a superb cast and a wonderful story line, I'd recommend this movie to anyone that feels they're able to truly recognize greatness.
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masonfisk9 October 2020Gregory Peck & Greer Garson star in this 1945 love story from different economic strata as a town's steel mill evolves through the years. Garson decides to take a job as a domestic in a rich household (the very household which owns the steel mill) even though her father, played by Lionel Barrymore, is seething since he lost his legs in the factory (& now is confined to a wheelchair). Becoming an integral member of the family, Garson finds herself accepted, gaining the eye of Peck even though he is seeing someone his family will easily accept. As the years go on, we see the streamlining of the steel industry (a friend of Garson's family is developing a process to refine the ore more efficiently) & the work force (the employees want to unionize) which plays out as the romance between Peck & Garson asserts itself but due to an unfortunate confrontation between the mill owners & striking employees, people are killed making the lovers rethink their love. The performers are all excellent but due to the volume of the material being tackled, some areas are shorn of their importance (the ending is particularly curt rushing some characters off the screen just so the end credits can roll). Also starring Donald Crisp, as Peck's father, & Dan Duryea as his brother.
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dgz784 August 2006she was miscast in this movie. I haven't read the book but she seems about 20 years too old at the beginning of the movie when she takes the job in the Scott house. People accused Cary Grant of always playing himself but you could also say the same about Miss Garson. Goodbye Mr Chips, Mrs Miniver, Blossoms In The Dust, this movie. Had she been about 25 instead of 40 she would have been perfect.
But Gregory Peck is another matter. Even in movies I like such as Roman Holiday, Spellbound, Cape Fear or The Omen, he's always seemed too wooden. The exception to that is Mockingbird but I think his underplaying the role of Finch was perfect. In this movie I never saw the spark that would interest Garson. I know this is a minority view but I've never been a big fan of Peck and this movie didn't change my mind.
The story of Mary Rafferty (Garson) taking a job as a maid for the wealthy Scott family and falling in love with the son (Peck) is pretty standard melodrama. Donald Crisp is smooth as Peck's father and Marsha Hunt is enjoyable in a small role as Peck's sister. But Lionel Barrymore is over the top as Garson's embittered father who was injured in the Scott steel mill and blames Peck's father for losing his legs.
The movie takes place after the civil war and it's unlikely a wealthy family would treat the hired help the way they would a long lost cousin. Then there's the fact that Peck's father would continue to pay Barrymore full wages after he got hurt. If companies had done that in the 19th century we never would have the rise of the labor unions in the 20th century.
But the biggest fish to swallow was the ending. Peck has married another woman and they have a young son. But when Peck's mother dies, suddenly Garson and Peck rekindle their love for each other and the fact that he has a wife already is no big deal so Peck and Garson can live happily ever after. I'm not an expert on 19th century divorce laws in Pennsylvania but somehow I think there may have been more to do than just tell your wife she can't take the kid to Boston.
The talent in this movie is immense. The director, Tay Garnett did a perfect job with The Postman Always Rings Twice. Garson, Peck (despite my feelings) Crisp, Barrymore, Hunt, Dan Duryea and Jessica Tandy were all terrific actors. Greer Garson's talent by itself is worth 5 stars. But this movie is not on the level of her best work. Come to think of it, everyone connected to this has done better. -
guil122 June 2004This MGM 1945 drama brought Greer Garson and Gregory Peck together for the first and only time. They make a terrific acting pair, at the peak of their careers, and ignite the screen with passionate intensity. Filmed in black and white it tells the story of the dispute between a steel manufacturer and the men that work in the mill. Miss Garson plays a pretty maid who takes a job in the lavish home of Pittsburgh steel magnate, wonderfully played by veteran actor Donald Crisp. Peck plays one of his sons, devoted to his father's mill who works diligently alongside some of the mill workers, notably Preston Foster, to bring a newer more modern way of producing better steel. Crisp has two other sons; Dan Duryea, a bit more greedy for the money rather than the work and Marshall Thompson as the youngest son, who tends to drink away his carefree lifestyle. There is also a daughter played by the talented Marsha Hunt in one of her best performances and certainly worthy of a supporting Oscar nomination. By the way Greer did get a Best Actress nomination for this.
The distinguished Gladys Cooper plays the matriarch of the family and befriends Greer, leaving her share of the mill. Trouble brews among Greer's family when her father, played by another veteran, Lionel Barrymore, an embittered man having lost the use of his legs in an accident in the mill, stirs up violence that has tragic consequences.
Jessica Tandy also gives a dynamic performance as Peck's wife and look for a very young Dean Stockwell as their son. If you like big stars and excellent featured actors along with a compelling story, this is a film for you. Directed by Tay Garnett. -
tstein516 June 2003***SPOILERS***
I truly enjoyed when Paul (Peck) finally stood up to Louise (Tandy). We know it's coming, of course, but he does it so well.
Another nice scene: Connie (Hunt) is trying to sneak out to see her beau, but Mary (Garson) keeps stopping her. Connie warns: "I'm starting to get very angry!" And Mary replies: "Well ye'd better be quick catchin' up, 'cause I'm already there!" (or something like that).
Very nice performances: Barrymore chewing the scenery ... Crisp granting concessions to the unions, but still standing up for his belief of paying any man who'd work hard ... Peck, as usual, standing tall ... Garson being Garson.
Comfortably predictable, but still effectively moving.
*** out of **** -
wesley-3814 June 2005I first saw this film in 1945 when I was serving in the Air Force on the Island of Morotai. Sitting on an old bomb tail fin and in the open air and in the rain. I remember writing to my parents in Perth WA telling them not to miss it. I am now 79 years of age and of course it is difficult for me to remember all the details of the film, but it was the style of film that impressed me so much that I have been looking for it ever since. Some two years ago I heard that it was played on Foxtel (our equivalent to pay TV) and as I don't have that luxury, once again I missed it. I have now tried to buy it and hope I will get it in due course
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This was only Gregory Peck's third movie, but it one of my very favorites that he starred in. And, I like it for 2 reasons. First, the star pairing of Peck with Greer Garson, and second, a sort of battle between 2 wonderful character actors -- Lionel Barrymore and Donald Crisp.
You do need to understand that this is not only a drama, but also a very serious story. More serious than most dramas. Set in the steel-era of Pittsburgh, Peck's family owns one of the major steel plants, while Garson's family is simply Irish workers in the mills...except that her father (Lionel Barrymore) is an embittered old man who was crippled in a mill accident many years before. Garson goes to work in the mansion of Peck's family, including his father (Donald Crisp) and mother (Gladys Cooper), and 2 brothers and 1 sister (Marsha Hunt, Dan Duryea, and Marshall Thompson). Garson and Peck almost immediately fall in love, but Garson feels the love in inappropriate due to their different stations in life. So, she moves to Europe with Peck's sister. However, when father Crisp learns they were in loves, he calls her back, just in time for the showdown between the union and Crisp...when both patriarchs are killed. Film over. Not! A few years later, after Peck marries another woman, Peck's mother leaves her share of the mill to Garson, then dies, and it is Garson's vote which saves the mill for Peck. Peck leaves his meddlesome wife and Peck and Garson ride off into the sunset...well, at least off in a carriage.
Is there romance? Yes, but it is overshadowed by the social issues related to mining and class distinctions between miners and owners. It's all quite interesting...but serious.
Garson was nominated for an Academy Award for this picture, and she is superb as the Irish worker bee. Peck is excellent, as well. Donald Crisp turns in a superb performance and outshines Lionel Barrymore, who plays the villain here. The other siblings previously mentioned do their jobs. Jessica Tandy (whom Peck marries here) is also good at being cold. Gladys Cooper is excellent as the mother of Peck, here, but she was always such a fine character actress.
It's not easy to fault this film, but...the musical score sometimes sounds more like a Western. And, I felt that Reginald Owens' role as a servant was over the top. But, other than that, the movie is excellent and well worth watching. And, one for the DVD shelf. -
krisflint-121 August 2006This movie is a treasure. Gregory Peck is a real man who falls in love with a feminine woman. Their chemistry comes through the screen. If you love romance, the old fashioned way, you will love this flick. This film is one of those epic stories chopped down into something you can simply enjoy in one evening. The cast of characters are fabulous with Donald Crisp, John Barrymore, Greer Garson, Geregory Peck, and so many other outstanding character actors. If you are in the mood for a story with characters who stand for their beliefs and work hard at maintaining the American dream, this movie does not disappoint. Although Greer Garson is much older in reality than Gregory Peck's 25 years the black and white screen does not give it away and their romance is very believable.
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Harold_Robbins30 June 2010Based on Marcia Davenport's bestseller, the film obviously omits most of the novel, concentrated on star-crossed lovers Greer Garson and Gregory Peck – Garson is impossibly sweet for most of the film, and Peck too passive, but the last half-hour or so was terrific – Garson showed some 'steel' of her own, Peck found his backbone and told off wife Jessica Tandy. There are some good performances here among the supporting cast – the aforementioned Tandy, who goes from a sweet young woman to a tense, neurotic, demanding wife, and particularly Gladys Cooper and Donald Crisp as Peck's parents, who own the steel mill against which the tale plays out (Crisp's role is sort of a dressed-up version of Mr. Morgan in HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY, which won him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar). Cooper plays the complete opposite of her famous Mrs. Vale-style mother here: she is kind, loving and understanding, and I think the scenes between Cooper and Garson are by far the film's best-acted. There's an outrageously hammy performance by Lionel Barrymore (even for him) as Garson's crippled father that could serve as a textbook example of over-acting – he should definitely have been reigned-in. The exteriors all have that MGM 'soundstage' look to them,and the matte shots of the mill and surrounding city have a particularly artificial appearance.
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margeauxann18 October 2017A great classic romantic drama set at the turn of the 20th century in Pittsburgh with memorable background music and terrific actors(Greer Garson, Gregory Peck, Daniel Crisp, Gladys Cooper, Marsha Hunt....). I wish this movie could be restored and made available for online streaming as well as a higher quality DVD. It's such a good film with an all star cast and deserves more recognition and a wider audience than it currently has. Highly recommend!
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alfiefamily28 May 2004"The Valley of Decision" (I have no idea what the title means), is a competently told melodrama that is about too many things. Romance, class struggles, capitalism, etc. In fact it is about too many things. Chief among them is that it's about 20 minutes longer than it needs to be, and tries to address and resolve all of the minor plot lines.
It's not a bad film, it's just not a good film. It doesn't help that there is little chemistry between Greer Garson and Gregory Peck. I believe that part of this has to do with Garson being much too old to play this part(she was 40 at the time the movie was filmed). Peck was 11 years her junior, and by this time had only had a couple of other pictures to his credit.
Still, she is lovely, and it is obvious that he will be a star. Good supporting work from Thomas Mitchell, Gladys Cooper and Marsha Hunt.
6 out of 10 -
security094 August 2006This is the first time I watched this movie and I was totally absorbed in it. I loved Greer Garson in Mrs. Miniver, and again, in The Valley of Decision she gives another outstanding performance. Gregory Peck turns in his usual excellent performance as Paul Scott, the son of a wealthy steel mill owner (Donald Crisp), who falls in love with Mary (Greer Garson), the hired housekeeper. This romantic story may seem predictable at times, and yet, this held my undivided attention throughout. I found both of them believable as they struggled with their feelings for each other amidst family feuds and class bigotry. Mary unselfishly puts aside her own desires for Paul's sake and turns down his proposal of marriage. As the years go by, Paul marries Louise (Jessica Tandy)an embittered woman who cared nothing for the family or for Paul's devotion to the mill. On the other hand, Mary was a sympathetic and caring woman who was loved by almost everyone. Without revealing too much, I was delighted to see that love and good sense triumphed in the end. It is no surprise that Garson was nominated for her performance and all of the players were well cast for their respective roles. This is a memorable, heartfelt movie and I highly recommend it.
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evanston_dad31 July 2020One of those pedestrian melodramas that the 1940s were full of, where the audience knows from the beginning how everything will end and then waits around for the movie to catch up. A war weary public no doubt welcomed the gentle and unchallenging formulas of movies like this, but there's little for a modern-day viewer to enjoy unless you happen to really like some of the actors or just have a soft spot for black and white classics, no matter what they're about.
"The Valley of Decision" received two Oscar nominations in 1945, Best Actress (Greer Garson) and Best Dramatic or Comedy Score. Garson was nominated five years in a row from 1941-45, tying the record previously set by Bette Davis. No one has ever topped it since.
Grade: B-