Although not the revered classic that Citizen Kane is widely regarded as one of the two biggest contenders for the title of the greatest movie of all time. But of those two, only one - Casablanca - actually received the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Like Casablanca would a year later in 1943, Citizen Kane earned a multitude of nominations at the 14th Academy Awards. However, its only win was Best Original Screenplay, which went to Herman J. Mankiewicz. It lost on multiple fronts, with one movie in particular being the biggest reason for Citizen Kane coming up short. Legendary director John Ford, a filmmaker whose legacy is intertwined with John Wayne's, managed to top Citizen Kane with a film he made in-between Ford's collaborations with Wayne.
What John Ford's How Green Was My Valley Was About
How Green Was My Valley Was A Period Drama About A Welsh Coal Mining Family
Directed by John Ford in 1941, How Green Was My Valley was a period piece set in Wales during the 19th century. The drama follows the Morgans as they endured hardship after hardship in connection with thier livelihood, the local coal mine. The story was told from the perspective of the youngest member of the family, Huw Morgan, played by a 13-year-old Roddy McDowall. Huw's personal experiences as he goes through school and sees his siblings and parents grapple with working in the coal mine drive much of the storytelling of the film.
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Also integral to its story was the Morgans' daughter, Angharad, and the town pastor, Mr. Merddyn Gruffydd. Although not a member of the family, Walter Pidgeon's Mr. Gruffyd is the true protagonist of the film. The selfless pastor's efforts to help the people of the village, as well as his will-they-won't-they dynamic with Maureen O'Hara's Angharad, are persisting elements of the plot.
How Green Was My Valley Beat Citizen Kane In 4 Different Academy Award Categories
How Green Was My Valley Had 10 Oscar Nominations
The family drama offered by How Green Was My Valley proved to be incredibly compelling, as evidenced by the film's success at the 14th Academy Awards. It faced stout competition, considering that it was up against Citizen Kane, The Maltese Falcon, and Sargeant York, all of which being films that went on to become icons in their own right. But in the face of that, How Green Was My Valley won five of those awards, including four that Citizen Kane was also nominated for. Most importantly, it raked in the Academy Award for Best Picture.
The other categories where Citizen Kane failed to beat How Green Was My Valley were Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, and Best Director.
The other categories where Citizen Kane failed to beat How Green Was My Valley were Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, and Best Director. The latter is particularly impressive, especially given that Citizen Kane is commonly regarded as Orson Welles' masterpiece and the film primarily responsible for his reputation as one of the greatest movie directors ever.
Interestingly, Citizen Kane didn't top How Green Was My Valley in any area at the Academy Awards. Its only Oscar win - Best Original Screenplay - was an award How Green Was My Valley wasn't eligible to receive. That's because How Green Was My Valley is based on a book written by Richard Llewellyn in 1939. Citizen Kane, on the other hand, isn't based on any published work.
How Green Was My Valley Is One Of John Ford's Best Movies
Although How Green Was My Valley's success at the Academy Awards speaks for itself, its quality is also reflected by what critics and audiences have said about the film. The 1941 John Ford movie currently holds a Rotten Tomatoes critics score of 93% and an audience rating of 81%. Led by Pidgeon and O'Hara, all of its principal cast put in memorable, gripping performances, with Donald Crisp, who played the kindly, thoughtful patriarch of the Morgan family, claiming the Academy Award for Best ing Actor.
Ultimately what made How Green Was My Valley work so well was its ability to paint a compelling and realistic image of a 19th-century family, complete with their highs and lows.
Ultimately what made How Green Was My Valley work so well was its ability to paint a compelling and realistic image of a 19th-century family, complete with their highs and lows. In the end, it didn't cultivate the enduring legacy left by Orson Welles and Citizen Kane, as it's not even one of John Ford's most famous movies. That said, the narrative it weaves and its success in turning each of its main characters into likable figures audiences can root for illustrates how it was able to earn an honor even one of the best movies of all time couldn't land.
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How Green Was My Valley
- Release Date
- October 28, 1941
- Runtime
- 118 Minutes
- Director
- John Ford
Cast
Walter PidgeonMr. Gruffydd-
Maureen O'HaraAngharad Morgan
WHERE TO WATCH
RENTBUYHow Green Was My Valley is a poignant drama that reflects on the life of a Welsh mining community through the eyes of young Huw Morgan. The film explores the challenges and changes faced by families due to industrialization, offering a heartfelt look at the impact on traditional values and community bonds.
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Citizen Kane
10/10- Release Date
- April 17, 1941
- Runtime
- 119 minutes
- Director
- Orson Welles
Cast
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Orson Welles
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Joseph Cotten
WHERE TO WATCH
RENTBUYDirected by and starring Orson Welles in his feature film debut, Citizen Kane tells the life story of Charles Foster Kane, a self-made business tycoon partially based on William Randolph Hearst. The film tells the story of Kane's rise and fall from power, narratively framed by the sensation caused by death at the beginning and end of the film. Besides Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore, Ray Collins, Agnes Moorehead, and Ruth Warrick also star.
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