Valley of Song

Last updated

Valley of Song
Valley of Song (1953 film).jpg
Original British quad poster
Directed by Gilbert Gunn
Screenplay byPhil Park
Cliff Gordon
Based onthe play Choir Practice by Cliff Gordon
Produced byVaughan N. Dean
Starring Mervyn Johns
Clifford Evans
Rachel Thomas
Cinematography Lionel Banes
Edited by Richard Best
Music byRobert Gill
Production
company
Distributed by Associated British-Pathé (UK)
Release date
  • 13 April 1953 (1953-04-13)(UK)
[1]
Running time
72 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Valley of Song is a 1953 British comedy drama film directed by Gilbert Gunn and starring Mervyn Johns, Clifford Evans, Maureen Swanson and the London Welsh Association Choral Society. [2] It marked the film debut of actress Rachel Roberts. [3] It was released in the U.S. as Men Are Children Twice. [4]

Contents

Premise

Fierce rivalries flare to the surface in a small Welsh town over a coveted role in the local choir.

Cast

Production

Filmed on location in Carmarthenshire in 1952, as well as at Elstree Studios, Valley of Song marks the first film appearance of Rachel Roberts and the first film credit of Kenneth Williams, both of whom worked together in Swansea repertory theatre in 1950 under the directorship of Clifford Evans, who also stars in the film. [1]

Release

After the initial trade screening to cinema bookers on 26 February 1953, Valley of Song had four simultaneous World premieres in Wales, opening at cinemas in Cardiff, Newport, Merthyr Tydfil, and Swansea, all on 13 April 1953. [1]

Critical reception

Eye for Film noted "an enjoyable if somewhat low-key story which, at 72 minutes in length, would make for a suitably harmonious Sunday afternoon. From the whistle of the steam trains, to the film’s score, provided courtesy of the London Welsh Association Choral Society, Valley Of Song is a pleasing if utterly unchallenging delight." [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Roberts (actress)</span> Welsh actress (1927–1980)

Rachel Roberts was a Welsh actress. She is best remembered for her screen performances as the older mistress of the central male characters in both Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960) and This Sporting Life (1963). For each, she won the BAFTA Award for Best British Actress. She was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for This Sporting Life. Her other notable film appearances included Murder on the Orient Express (1974), Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) and Yanks (1979).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Wales</span> Music associated with Wales

The Music of Wales, particularly singing, is a significant part of Welsh national identity, and the country is traditionally referred to as "the land of song".

<i>Twin Town</i> 1997 Welsh dark comedy film

Twin Town is a 1997 Welsh dark comedy crime film, filmed mainly around Port Talbot and set in Swansea, Wales. It was directed by Kevin Allen and had a working title of Hot Dog; a hot dog van features in a number of scenes in the film. It stars real-life brothers Rhys Ifans and Llŷr Ifans along with Dougray Scott. The director appears on screen, briefly seen as a show host on a TV set in the static caravan home of the twins while co-writer Paul Durden briefly appears as a rude taxi driver.

<i>The Proud Valley</i> 1940 film by Pen Tennyson

The Proud Valley is a 1940 Ealing Studios film starring Paul Robeson. Filmed in the South Wales coalfield, the principal Welsh coal mining area, the film is about a seaman who joins a mining community. It includes their passion for singing as well as the dangers and precariousness of working in a mine.

This article is about the particular significance of the year 2006 to Wales and its people.

Myfanwy, is a popular Welsh song composed by Joseph Parry in four parts for male voices, and first published in 1875.

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1952 to Wales and its people.

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1948 to Wales and its people.

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1941 to Wales and its people.

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1937 to Wales and its people.

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1935 to Wales and its people.

<i>Only Two Can Play</i> 1962 British film by Sidney Gilliat

Only Two Can Play is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Sidney Gilliat starring Peter Sellers, Mai Zetterling and Virginia Maskell. The screenplay was by Bryan Forbes, based on the 1955 novel That Uncertain Feeling by Kingsley Amis.

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1934 to Wales and its people.

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1924 to Wales and its people.

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1897 to Wales and its people.

The Pontarddulais Male Choir is a Welsh male voice choir from Pontarddulais near Swansea, Wales. It is the most successful choir in Wales and is internationally renowned having performed in many parts of Europe as well as Canada and the United States.

Dunvant Male Choir is the oldest continuously singing Welsh choir and is based in Dunvant, Swansea, Wales.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "75 Years of Choir Practice". Art & Hue. 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  2. ↑ "Valley of Song (1953)". Archived from the original on 17 January 2009.
  3. ↑ "Rachel Roberts | Movies and Filmography".
  4. ↑ "Valley of Song (1953) - Gilbert Gunn - Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related - AllMovie". AllMovie.
  5. ↑ "Valley Of Song (1953) Movie Review from Eye for Film". www.eyeforfilm.co.uk.


Drama-film-stub-icon.svg

This article about a 1950s comedy-drama film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.