So Well Remembered

Martha Scott was an actress that has been acknowledged consistently as a "Good Actress", yet never achieved the Superstar status that she truly deserved- not for celebrity, but for sheer acting skill alone. She is excellent here as a narcissistic, maneuvering woman who lacks the depth to appreciate the man she has pledged herself to in marriage. When she seeks to cheat the Law of sowing what you reap, you see the machinations of a woman desperate to evade the loneliness that she herself has unwittingly planned.....John Mills, the unsung hero here, is wonderful as the pragmatic, yet compassionate man who would redirect himself if need be to follow this true heart. Trevor Howard is once again first-rate, entirely believable in the role of a beleaguered doctor....Well-written,and inspirationally cast, this film is a keeper!

One man's quest to change the environment of the slum he grew up in, against all odds. Unthinkably, the woman he used to love becomes an almost insurmountable obstacle. A great film with plenty of great characters carefully and skillfully intertwined to tell a powerful story. Not so predictable you'll be bored, and great settings in spite of being shot in B&W. Try it. You'll like it.

This film had a great story about a small English town and its people during WWII and the poor living conditions for the average family and the poor health conditions. There was the Channing Family who ran a Mill in this town and were very rich and treated the local people over the years very poorly. Times were starting to change and the Channing family were going to lose their large mansion high on a hill over looking this town. John Mills,(George Boswell) ran a newspaper in town and fell in love with Martha Scott,(Olivia Channing) and they eventually were married. Olivia wanted her husband George to advance himself in Parliment and lift himself up to a higher position in life. Unfortunately, there became many problems facing this marriage and some very very dark secrets were uncovered about Olivia Channing. There was great acting performed by John Mills, Martha Scott, and many other great veteran actors.

It's a shame that this film is not available on DVD or VHS. It can be seen now and then on TCM. John Mills and Trevor Howard head up a stellar troupe of actors in the British RKO-MGM co-production based on the novel by James Hilton, who also wrote "Lost Horizon". Story is centered on the consequences of a mis-matched romance and marriage between an idealistic reformer, intent on improving living conditions for the working class inhabitants of his hometown, Bowdley (an English mill-town), and the daughter of the war-profiteering owner of the mill, a certain Mr. Channing. Portrays the price paid for political and economic ambition in a way that is current today as when it was in 1947.

The film was the big cinematic claim to fame of my home town of Macclesfield, Cheshire, England where the exteriors were shot. It portrays the often grim reality of life in a northern mill town when poverty and disease tool a grim toll and a Doctor (played by Trevor Howard) could be a really vital link between life and death contrasted with the ambitious figure of Mills as the would be Mayor. The film starts with him as Mayor looking back on his life, so a lot of it is therefore a flash back. I won't spoil the story. The acting shows the young and developing talents of both Mills and Howard before they were the legends they were to become. Following its rediscovery it has been released on video. I don't think it has yet been released on DVD.

This is a wonderful little film about an extremely decent man who puts himself on the line to defend a family against the anger of a small village. However, what makes it interesting is NOT this confrontation between the good man and the prejudiced town,...this is only the beginning of the plot. He marries the daughter of the most hated man in town and the average viewer will probably THINK they know where the film is heading--and it takes a sharp turn in another direction. It turns out that there might be something to this hatred by the town, as the new bride slowly reveals herself to be an evil harpy who is hell-bent on revenge upon the townspeople. Excellent acting, direction, writing and the MGM polish make this a film well-worth your time.