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TCM screened this film recently and it was worth staying up past my bedtime to watch it. The film can be summed up in two words: Charles Coburn. He is magnificent as the perpetually inebriated yet good natured great grandfather. His dialogue is top notch and he delivers it to the hilt, at times funny, and others poignant. Dean Stockwell as the young boy is always interesting to watch, as are Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn. Fans of old films will recognize many stock players as well: the mother here is also the mother in The Fighting Sullivans and the school master turns up years later as the impresario for the Von Trapp children in the Sound of Music. It's fun to see him so young. The movie has a lot of the Goodbye Mr. Chips qualities I love in film. And keep your ears open and you'll hear strains of similar music from The Wizard of Oz - letting you know it's an MGM production. Throw in a bit of Charles Dicken's Oliver Twist and you've got a fine movie. I won't give any more away.

HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY was one of the best films of the 1940s and really did a lot to bring to life the Welsh experience at the end of the 19th century. The film featured brilliant writing, acting and John Ford's deft direction. Now five years later, MGM returns with a film that reminded me, in many ways, of this earlier film--though it is set in Scotland just a decade or so after HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY.

One major difference was that the main character (initially played by Dean Stockwell) was actually Scotch-Irish and when orphaned he was sent from Ireland to live with family in Scotland. Unfortunately, not everyone in the family was happy to see the kid--as the stingy (both financially and emotionally) grandfather (played exceptionally well by Hume Cronyn) saw the kid as a burden and obligation instead of kin. Also, the fact that the boy was Catholic didn't help matters. However, the great-grandfather (Charles Coburn) was quite different. Despite at first seeming a bit gruff, he became the boy's greatest friend and ally. Through the course of the film, we see the boy grow from childhood to young manhood (where he is played by Tom Drake).

The film has a nice touch to it--with really nice acting and direction. About the only negative is that perhaps they tried too hard to stick with the original book, as there were so many story elements that seemed unnecessary and distracting, while several characters were never fully developed. A good example was the friend being hit by a train--it came from no where and did NOTHING to further the story. Also several family members' motivations and behaviors seemed oddly difficult to predict. A good re-write and streamlining of the novel would have improved things. Now I am NOT suggesting they should have shortened the film--just devoted more time to character development. Still, this is a lovely and entertaining film.

At first when I read the blurb of this film on the viewers guide I expected another "How Green Was My Valley," which had ruined coming-of-age films for me until I saw "Breaking Away" in '79. I started watching it anyway and soon found I was hooked for the next 127 minutes.

"The Green Years" demonstrate what a better film "Kings Row" could have been if someone other than Robert Cummings had played the lead. It's basically the same story set in Scotland: both take place in isolated rural towns, both deal with mental cruelty, and both deal with overcoming your circumstances to better your life. And ironically, both feature the splendid and versatile actor Charles Coburn in pivotal roles.

The people of this village seem real here, with Hume Cronin playing the tight-lipped tightwad of an extended family who "live like they're poor out of choice." Tom Drake is fine as the older Robbie Shannon, earnest and sincere, but with an increasing sense of cynicism appropriate for the role. Richard Hayden as the headmaster that befriends Robbie adds just the right amount of sanity, humor and hope you need in a story that runs over 2 hours.

But young Dean Stockwell and Coburn are magic, especially in the scene when he and 2 drunken friends try to teach young Robbie how to box. I can't recall a relationship between 2 actors on film, one very old and the other very young, that rings as fresh and honest as their's does. I think W.C. Fields and Freddie Bartholomew in "Great Expectations" come closest.

Yes, it's episodic, and perhaps a tad too long, and Norman Lloyd is wasted as one of Cronyn's sons. But if you have an affection for this sort of film made soon after the end of WWII, you won't be disappointed.

The film is based on A.J. Cronin's bestselling novel. It boasts an exemplary cast and a very evenly-written script. Venerable character actor Charles Coburn, a favorite of many, receives top billing. And true, his performance could easily dominate the movie. But the screenwriter is careful to intersperse moments of Coburn's wily great-grandfather character throughout the narrative while keeping the rest of the ensemble in focus.

The cast includes real-life husband and wife Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy (though they do not play a married couple here). It also features child actor Dean Stockwell in the first half and matinée idol Tom Drake in the second half as the young protagonist.

The Green Years pulls at our heartstrings one moment, then makes us laugh uproariously the next (usually because of Coburn's antics). But throughout the story there is a valuable lesson about the importance of making sacrifices and celebrating life's triumphs.

The title is meant to suggest several possible meanings. I urge you to view the film and discover what it means for you.

A.J. Cronin's "The Green Years" has been splendidly brought to the screen thanks mainly by the performances of that grand old stager Charles Coburn, and that wonderful child star Dean Stockwell (what a pity he ever had to grow up!) Their scenes together are something very special even today. Coburn was nominated for best supporting actor, which was unfair, as he is clearly the star and should have had the nomination of Best Actor. As a young Cathoic lad thrown into a family of Scottish Protestants, Stockwell is quite amazing. The supporting cast of Gladys Cooper, Hume Cronyn ( a little over the top), Jessica Tandy and Richard Haydn are very very good, while Tom Drake is the best he ever was in a movie. The atmosphere of the era and the village is brilliantly captured by Director Victor Saville.

I find this film charming. As a 1950's Dublin kid, I loved the acting, direction, script and message of this film. I agree that it is a Scottish 'How green is my Valley'. I have always felt closer to Scotland than Wales, although not understanding why! Dean Stockwell and Tom Drake are especially wonderful. Nowadays, some follow ups would be certain. I would love to follow Robert Shannon's adulthood, after this film ended. I have always been a fan of Jessica Tandy and it was great to see her as a young girl, knowing what a successful career she had. This is a warm hearted Sunday afternoon film with feel good after-shocks. I don't know if a colour remake is possible but it's a black and white classic. Enjoy!

A 1946 rite of passage is featured in this film which chronicles a Scottish orphan who's raised by his estranged extended family. Young Robert (played by Quantum Leap's Dean Stockwell) arrives in Scotland to live w/family he's never met before after his parents die in an accident. Not finding any immediate rapport w/anyone in his clan except his eccentric great-grandfather, Robert soon settles in & when he becomes older, he dreams of becoming a doctor even though a friend of the family, & an all out braggart, is vying for the same scholarship he's after. Finding solace & support in his ties to his family, Robert, now played by Tom Drake, remains hopeful even though the odds are against him. A wonderful evocation of a time & place, this story is all charm & Scottish fancy w/a wonderful central performance by Charles Coburn, nominated for an Oscar here, playing the great granddad. Co-starring future power couple Hume Cronyn & Jessica Tandy w/Norman Lloyd playing the family's lawyer.

If anything this film gives us a look at some overlooked talent within Hollywood, also of work overlooked by some film critics. Firstly the overlooked talent: MGM for not utilizing the remarkable Beverly Tyler, this natural talent sang like an Angel and looking back at her superb performance of a prime number from Handel's Messiah, it leaves you wondering why? ~ could it be because she might not have 'played the game' in Hollywooodland...

Secondly, overlooked works by Critics: Over the years there have been many examples of certain critics uniformly choosing to bag various works (including this one). To cite just a few: "We are not Alone" '39 (Muni) ~ "Rapture" '65 (Stockwell again) ~ "Walk on the Wild Side" '62 (turned a trashy Nelson Algren book into a decent look at life during the 1930s) ~ "The Arrangement" '69 (Elia Kazan's biting observations of the excesses of advertising-TV's 'Mad Men' series copied aspects of this one). These were all astute productions, offering in-depth character studies brought to life via highly effective performances. Reading between the lines of selected reviews it seems evident some critics either chose not to support, or did not get the intended messages (?). Whatever the reasons, their cynicism can often be evident. In the case of 'The Green Years' anyone who knows how to enjoy golden years movie making, should find it stands on solid legs of it's own. It's rather odd this classic has been little seen over the years (despite it being very popular in it's initial release!). In some respects it now seems even better in comparison to many of the sub-standard productions that have followed it.

The entire cast could not be more perfect, bringing A.J.Cronin's multi-layered characters vibrantly to life. Charles Couburn as grandfather is a hoot (despite his amber failings). Dean Stockwell as the orphaned lad is as reliable as you could ever hope for. The screenplay adaption of Cronin's classic novel keeps all the essential ingredients moving along strongly. Award winner George Folsey as cinematographer, captures striking visuals under the deft call of versatile director Victor Saville. The whole experience results in a shining encapsulation of the pathos, drama, and humour of a young man's journey into manhood.

This movie is up there with the likes of "Kings Row" '42 and Cronin's earlier classic from '38 "The Citadel". If you're too cynical to allow natural sentiment to enter your movie experience, then this may not be for you...but then again, nostalgia and sentiments travel hand in hand through all our lives. Novelists, poets, songwriters, all relate to melancholic reminiscences. You might be fortunate to find it available on Warner Archive DVD, otherwise tune into TCM (their print may not be terrific but is better than others I've seen). Recommended for lovers of first class classics....junk lovers, beware. KenR

Footnote: planktonrules from Florida, has posted a neat summery for comparison ~ although I disagree with his comment about too many story elements. Any details that were major in the book needed to be included in the film, having said that, I'm pleased the film makers did not opt for an over long running time (I also note: the print I saw on TCM ran 120mins not 127m as listed on IMDb) Not sure what was going on there but I was quite happy with it anyway.

Fidelity to a book when transitioned to the screen is a good thing, but not when there's an overabundance of plot to cover. Some details of the A.J. Cronin novel could have been trimmed or eliminated entirely in order to present a more concise telling of a tale involving an orphan boy's growing up pains in Scotland when his mother dies.

DEAN STOCKWELL is the boy, a sort of David Copperfield youth who has to adjust to harsher times in a hurry. His Scottish grandparents are tight with their money and have little to offer him other than a roof over his head and a grandfather who takes him under his wing with his tall tales and carefree high-spirited behavior.

As the boy's maternal grandparents, HUME CRONYN and SELENA ROYLE are fine, in keeping with the professional tone of all the supporting performances. JESSICA TANDY seems a bit miscast as Cronyn's eldest daughter who hates to see Dean Stockwell suffering from ill treatment by his skinflint relatives. GLADYS COOPER is excellent as the well-intentioned grandma who thinks grandpa Coburn is a bad influence on the boy's upbringing.

TOM DRAKE and BEVERLY TYLER step into the adult portion of the film as the boy (now a young man) hopes to win a scholarship that will help him study medicine, urged on by the professor who recognizes his skill, well played by RICHARD HAYDN. But by the time the story has reached the midway point, too much time has been spent in developing the boy's "green years" when there is so much plot to be developed for the balance of the film. A good trimming of unnecessary material would have been of great benefit to the story, particularly the sub-plot involving Drake's closest friend (HANK DANIELS) who meets an untimely death on the railroad tracks.

Charles Coburn's rich characterization of the very animated great grandfather is the film's strongest point of interest. He's wonderful and deserves the star billing he gets here. Full of bluster and tall tales, he's a windbag but an amusing one.

I've only seen this movie on the TV and even then, it was years ago and its never been on TV again. I saw it before the days of VCR's. Its such a good movie, and unfortunate that it never came out on video or better still, on DVD. The movie was taken from the A.J. Cronin book of the same name. Dean Stockwell's performance was well done in the part of Robert Shannon a young Scottish boy. His father Hume Cronyn is the penny pinching father. Another favourite of mine is Jessica Tandy (Hume Cronyn's wife in real life, is also in the movie. As always and one of my favorite actors is Charles Coburn. Tom Drake plays the part of the older Robert Shannon. He wasn't in a lot of movies, but I always liked him. So far, it has never been on video or TV but if you ever see it listed in the TV Guide, watch it. Its very good.

An episodic and, dare I say, kinda boring movie about a young boy growing up in a Scottish town. Everything that you might think would happen in a movie like this happens. He wants to do one thing with his life but his parents want him to do another. He's in love with a childhood friend but it takes them forever to just admit they're in love with each other. He doesn't have the money to pursue his ambitions until, through a twist of circumstances, he does. All the time he absorbs the life lessons of his irascible great grandfather, played by Charles Coburn in an unacceptable beard and haircut. It's a warm, gentle, unoffensive, slightly drab and boring movie that's typical of a lot of movies that came out around WWII and shortly after, seemingly made for an audience with PTSD.

Coburn received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and the extremely unlucky George Folsey received his eighth of fourteen unsuccessful nominations for his black and white cinematography.

Grade: B-

I long to see the English star, Jessie Matthews, in one of the musicals she made during the thirties. The director of the movie version of A.J. Cronin's "The Green Years"--Victor Saville--had the good fortune to direct her quite a few of them. I hear they were bright and sparkling and urbane, and a joy to watch. I wish I could say the same about "The Green Years" which is unduly shadowy. It chronicles the life of a Scottish boy (the pouty-lipped, fluffy-haired Dean Stockwell) who must endure maybe the most emotionally-pinched father in the history of movies (Hume Cronyn). He survives much of the alienation of affection in his childhood with the help of his large-spirited uncle (Charles Coburn) who always has the good sense to give the boy a helping hand with anything he wanted. He turns into Tom Drake (He was "The Boy Next Door" in "Meet Me in St. Louis.") who is a good physical match to Cronyn. He dreams of a vocation in the sciences, and it's the uncle that comes to his aid again. Coburn is a blessing here, because the only moments in the movie that do not owe their life to him are a stiff musical number with Beverly Tyler at the heart of it that is like a placard proclaiming Catholic purity and righteousness, and an outdoor scene with the usual assortment of kilts, tam-o-shanters, sporrans, and burly log-tossers. It's about then that you might think about heading for the nearest exit. To make your next bag-piping lesson, I'd think.

Is the scenarist the same Robert Ardrey who wrote "The Territorial Imperative?" I'm not sure, but it might explain the father's standoffishness and the barrel-chested log-tossers.

There's a powerful scene in this movie, when a cynical, thoughtless elder tells a young child that there is no Santa Claus. It could come from Truffaut's The 400 Blows. It's a memorable moment in an otherwise forgettable movie, in which Dean Stockwell, one of the great child actors, is replaced by the annoyingly mealy-mouthed Tom Drake, who, when everybody else wears his straw hat straight, has his pushed way back, like he did in Meet Me in St. Louis, as if that bland face can't project beyond the brim. He's even paired with a romantic interest that's as unappealing as he is. Aside from the Falstaffian Charles Coburn, a fine cast, including Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Gladys Cooper and Norman Lloyd, are wasted on characters they make interesting but aren't allowed to develop. A.J. Cronin wrote human interest novels made into fine movies, like The Citadel, the Stars Look Down and Keys to the Kingdom. Contrast them with this. After Stockwell, don't waste your time.

A measure of this film's quality is that days after screening it I'm still thinking about it. It's a great multifaceted story with many and varied parallel plots and the performances will stay with you for a long time. Several scenes have become permanently engraved in my mind, too many to enumerate. Others have commented on Charles Coburn's performance and yes, it is outstanding, but not the only notable one. Hume Cronyn's miserly Papa Leckie is exasperating and even oddly sympathetic. Norman Lloyd who plays Papa's son is truly a chip off the old block if with more joviality. Gladys Cooper and Selena Royale are both excellent as always and Dean Stockwell gives a very nuanced performance, more so than in any other film I've seen him in. I should also mention Beverly Tyler whom I have never seen before if only for her singing voice which is truly angelic. And let's not forget another outstanding performance by Jessica Tandy in a complete role reversal from her previous outing in "The Valley of Decision". She is by far my favorite here even though she is not a headliner, with Coburn and Hume close seconds. If I have a gripe it's about the chronology. The story takes place in 19th century Scotland, a notoriously unhealthy place, yet it covers four generations. Coburn's grandpa is already an old man when Bobby comes to live with the Leckies yet he lives long enough to see Bobby to young adulthood a decade later. To top it all off he's an overweight alcoholic and his lifestyle is anything but healthy. That alone stretches all credulity although it is possible, if barely so. I think I'll have to read Cronin's novel on which the film is based to discover how the author handled this detail. Put that aside though and enjoy a great find.

In 1900, Irish orphan Robert Shannon is sent to live with his grandparents in Scotland. He's more like an obligation to his grandfather. His great-grandfather/roommate becomes his supportive mentor. He befriends Alison Keith, but gets bullied at school. He learns to box from the older men and fights Gavin Blair. The story follows him as he grows into a young man.

This did get a couple of Oscar nominations. It is a sweet coming-of-age story. The first hour is Robert as a kid. The second hour skips to him graduating from the school and beyond. The kid half is more compelling. I do wish for it to be filmed from his point of view. The fight is a great climax to that section. As for the second half, they could have made it into a second movie although that may not be the convention back in the day. Still, the ending hits quite hard emotionally.

I have some strong disagreement with the category of nomination for Charles Coburn here. Most definitely he was not in a supporting role, in fact in a cast of fine players he dominates the film as the rascally old grandfather first to Dean Stockwell and then to Tom Drake in The Green Years.

It seems like A.J. Cronin can't write a novel that won't be turned into a fine film like The Citadel and The Keys Of The Kingdom. As a writer Cronin successfully blended medicine and religion into his work in Great Britain the same as Lloyd C. Douglas on this side of the pond in Magnificent Obsession.

In this story Cronin talks about the love of medicine and science acquired at an early age. Except possibly for The Boy With Green Hair I don't think Dean Stockwell was ever more appealing on the big screen. Seems like his mother ran off with of all things an Irishman and both are dead now. So young Stockwell is taken in by his Scot relative more as an obligation than anything else. They are a thrifty lot and that's putting it mildly.

The one who Stockwell bonds with is his grandfather Coburn. He's quite the rogue and known to take a dram or three with his buddies at the tavern. But he's got more character than the rest of the family put together. Eventually when Stockwell grows up to be Tom Drake and looks to be failing in his ambitions, it's Coburn who proves to be his salvation.

The Green Years hasn't lost one inch of charm and values and it's a year older than I am. Still wonderful family viewing. Scotland pre World War II is captured beautifully here with cinematography that gained the film it's only other Oscar nomination.

Poor Coburn and his fellow nominees were screwed by the Academy that year as they awarded a special Oscar to Harold Russell for his performance as the armless sailor in The Best Years Of Our Lives and then had him compete in the Best Supporting Actor category. Coburn and his fellow competitors William Demarest, Clifton Webb, and Claude Rains were at a very unfair disadvantage to Harold Russell.

Not a film to be missed for family viewing time.

Very inspirational story about a poor young ? Scottish boys efforts to get into medical school. Although I enjoyed it very much, I note that the movie has never be released on VHS. Unhappily it is not considered one of the classic greats and is forever gotten confused with 'How green is my valley'

Dean Stockwell is wonderful in this film. It is a bit disconcerting that the dialogue coach was unable to coach more authentic Scots accents out of the major characters in this movie. Those that make the attempt are quite awful . Par for the course in those days .

I just watched this fine movie for my first time in 2020, seventy-four years after its production. How is it that it has escaped my notice for these many decades?

Without a doubt, every actor was perfectly selected to play their parts and speak their lines, all of which filled the screen an honest purity of heart. It swept away my heart by its feeling of goodness despite the unveiling of tragic sorrows.

Tom Drake's portrayal of Robert Shannon taught me how very possible it is to maintain civility and charm even while assaults against one's dreams keep attacking at every angle. First off, he kept his faith, even after great tribulation.

My eyes teared throughout most of the movie because of the honesty, decency and kindness that accompanied the words spoken by Robert and others who surrounded his life. The hardest of life's questions and difficulties were no match for his faith in God, and his love for Alison Keith (Beverly Tyler) was never diminished, even for a second, throughout those hard times.

Why this movie did not receive an Oscar is beyond me. It deserves every bit to be esteemed as highly as possible.

The year is 1946. The general subject is the Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor category. The issue is the often unfairness of granting awards when the competition is very close and also when the substantial performance being discussed is more like a Best Actor role rather than one in the Supporting Actor category. The specific subject is Charles Coburn's great presentation in a singularly unknown film of that year entitled The Green Years (TGY).

TGY is a sentimental period family drama from MGM that is truly representative of that studio and era. It is a warm, carefully crafted story from the pen of A. J. Cronin that traces the rite of passage for a poor boy to young manhood. Along the way, he is greatly influenced by the close and deep relationship forged with his great-grandfather--beautifully played by Charles Coburn in one of his most enjoyable and nuanced roles. It is the major part in the film--and might be more accurately described as a "Best Actor" performance but for the fact that Coburn is generally known as a character actor rather than a leading man.

In a different year, Coburn might have gotten an Oscar for this lovely performance--hands down. But we are talking about 1946--the year of The Best Years Of Our Lives and the unique part played in it by Harold Russell as the disabled veteran returning home from WWII to a world he doesn't fully understand and the girl he fears will not accept him as he now is. TGY and Coburn never had a chance. TGY is barely remembered today--and Coburn's endearing role is similarly an often forgotten memory for most people.

I strongly urge folks who are fans of warm old fashioned story telling and classic character acting to seek out TGY, and absorb the many charms of this film in general and the achievement of Charles Coburn in particular. You will not be disappointed. He is truly remarkable.

There are several movies where a young person tries to take on a role that defies generations of others. There is always going to be judgment and jealousy at work. In this one, an orphan who has been raised with mostly kindness by relatives, begins to prosper intellectually. He has done all he can to fulfill his role, but when he finds out he can start the process toward medical, his guardian refuses to sign for him. But Charles Coburn, a great character actor, playing his great-grandfather, steps in and creates duplicity. We have but one life and it is often a cruel one. Some families have been stuck in place for decades, even centuries. When one of them tries to better himself/herself, those in control flex their muscles, using the little power they have attained for no good. This is a reall captivating film with excellent performances. Dean Stockwell does a great job as the young boy.