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.
Review of The Corn Is Green
The Corn Is Green
(1945)
In the name of education.; Bette Davis as a school teacher.
4 August 2011
Warning: Spoilers