colinedwards-24845 I hardly know where to start - so perhaps with the name of the town GLANSARNO. Since it is supposed to be set in the remote countryside of Wales, perhaps PONTSARNO or LLANSARNO or even TRESARNO would make it more believable. The FAQ asks what is the meaning of the name and DOESN'T EVEN ANSWER IT!! Most mining towns were NOT remote, and in 1895 were connected by railways. Oh dear, and what choices for the songs the miners sang travelling from work - hard songs even for the many excellent Welsh choirs and then near the end what an insult to have the pupils since one of the most well-known and famous Welsh songs 'Ar Hyd Y Nos' (All Through the Night') in ENGLISH!!! Most English speakers have trouble with Welsh and so to have a crafty illiterate Bessie Watty sing a beautiful song in perfect Welsh to the apple of her lusty eyes is also so unbelievable. Can't believe that to advertise the school to a town of illiterate and predominately Welsh-speaking townsfolk, Miss Moffat decides to use posters!!! That would not work and again - the poster of course is in English. Add to that, the English were distrusted and she would have needed to work hard very hard to gain acceptance. I can't believe there was anyone connected with the film who knew ANYTHING of Welsh country life and although many small independent 'schools' existed, every mining town had a State School by 1895 - they were not 'remote'. The stand-out character was John Dall and the only other believable characters were Rhys Williams (Mr Jones), Mildred Dunnock (Miss Ronberry) and Rosalind Ivan (Mrs Watty). Bette Davis depicted a strong character but one without empathy, love and conviction so necessary for her role as an educator. The imperious, isolated and punishing character she portrayed would not have gone well with the villagers or the potential students. A mine-owner (50% share) squire would have been feared rather than loved and although I like the bumbling Nigel Bruce I thought him poorly cast. When one sees a 'true' mining town so excellently depicted in 'How Green Was My Valley' it is truly the apogee when compared this film - the nadir in so many respects.

vincentlynch-moonoi To be honest, except for the fact that I was a school teacher for many years, there is little in this film that would normally appeal to me. Yet, I find it an unusually delightful film.Welsh coal miners. No interest for me there. Yet, I found the story fascinating, particularly as it related to child labor. It's a wonderful story, in places depressing, in other places heartwarming.But the strength here is the acting, starting with Bette Davis. For me, the period between 1939-1946 was Davis' best, and this is just another example of how wonderful she could be in films. And, this is slightly against type -- not a bit bitchy here! But her character is determined, and it works very well for her as the school teacher. Incidentally, the makeup making her look older is superb.It's too bad that wonderful Nigel Bruce is stuck once again playing a bit of an buffoon. Definitely typecast as the squire.John Dall, who didn't make many films, is superb. He plays the part of the young coal miner who is intellectually gifted with finesse.Rhys Williams turns in another wonderful character performance, as does Mildred Dunnock as the teacher-assistant. Why Joan Lorring was nominated for a supporting actress Oscar, I don't know.I do have an issue with the ending of the film. Yes, it is a complex moral dilemma. However, the solution to the dilemma was -- in my view -- 50% WRONG.Aside from that, I can find little in the film to criticize, and much to acclaim.

Michael O'Keefe Thirty-seven yr old Bette Davis dons figure concealing padding to play a much older Lily Moffatt, who tries to bring education to a small Welsh coal mining town right before 1900. She inherits property and the community is a bit standoffish from the new interloper. She notices young men march to and from work in the coal mine and feels there has to be something better for the younger men. The thoughts of building a school gets the thumbs down from the town Squire(Nigel Bruce)and of course the villagers follow his lead. Miss Moffitt turns her own home into a school to teach just fundamentals to anyone who wishes. A young coal miner, Morgan Evans(John Dall)catches her eye showing promise. Her steadfast tutoring prepares him for the chance to take an entrance exam for Oxford University. She charms the Squire into sponsoring the young man. On Morgan's return to wait for his test marks, a young woman named Bessie(Joan Lorring)arrives to spoil any good news...for she has had the young scholar's child. Her mind is set on blackmail for some of Morgan's scholarship funds. It will take some great human sacrifice to allow the former coal miner to continue his higher education. There are some scenes to provoke human conscience. The workers singing on the way to and from work is definitely unrealistic. Nevertheless THE CORN IS GREEN is a heartfelt human drama. Other players include: Mildred Dunnock, Rhys Williams, Rosalind Ivan and Thomas Louden.

MartinHafer This movie would be a GREAT film to watch after watching the wonderful HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY. Both are about rural Wales and deal with the simple coal mining families.Bette Davis plays an Englishwoman who comes to a rural town in Wales and is appalled by the ignorance of the people, as hardly any of them can read and write. So, she sets up a school in her home and devotes her life to teaching students of all ages. Later in the film, she finds a star student who has a chance to make something of himself and leave this poor town for Oxford. But, at the same time, a very annoying little tart tries her best to de-rail this--mostly because she COULD. The tart is thrilled that the young man bound for Oxford is the father of her soon-to-be-born child--not because she cares at all for him but because it seemed to fill her with self-importance and power. Well, through the selfless efforts of Ms. Davis, this is resolved and the young bloke goes on to make something of himself.The film is very well-crafted--with exceptional acting by all (the Welsh accents were good and Ms. Davis did well with her English accent), direction and script. A nice film all around and well worth your time.