The Stars Look Down (1939)

Synopsis: Michael Redgrave stars as Davey Fenwick in Carol Reed's (THE THIRD MAN, ODD MAN OUT) atmospheric social drama that explores the plight of Welsh mine workers during the 1930s. Intensely realistic in... Michael Redgrave stars as Davey Fenwick in Carol Reed's (THE THIRD MAN, ODD MAN OUT) atmospheric social drama that explores the plight of Welsh mine workers during the 1930s. Intensely realistic in its treatment of the harshness and danger of the miner's milieu, it remains a compelling document of borderline British class warfare. Davey initially believes that he will be able to wield his education as a weapon against the cruel and exploitive mine owners, but he is quickly sidetracked by marriage to Jenny Sunley (Margaret Lockwood), a woman who had been jilted by his close friend, Joe Gowlan (Emlyn Williams). Forced by marriage into a job teaching school, Davey watches from the sidelines as tensions mount over the increasingly dangerous conditions of the local mine. Gowlan proves to be a cunning manipulator of all parties, and after having worked his way into the upper ranks of management, he cuts a lucrative deal that increases the risk of a mining disaster. This causes Fenwick to enter the fray, which leads to a strike, and a jarringly powerful denouement. Superbly adapted for the screen by A. J. Cronin from his novel and movingly acted by all, the film may be most notable for its rich texture, a testament to Reed's celebrated visual sense, which renders the grimy oppressiveness of a mining town with rare beauty. [More]

Starring: Michael Redgrave, Margaret Lockwood, Edward Rigby, Emlyn Williams

Starring: Michael Redgrave, Margaret Lockwood, Edward Rigby, Emlyn Williams, Cecil Parker, Nancy Price, David Markham, Olga Lindo, Allan Jeayes, George Carney

Director: Carol Reed

Director: Carol Reed
Screenwriter: A.J. Cronin, A. Coppel, James B. Williams
Producer: Isadore Goldsmith, Maurice J. Wilson
Composer: Hans May

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