La Vallée du jugement

I viewed this movie and fell in love with the story of a family who owned a Pittsburg Steel Mill. What a great movie where determination and love of the steel mills helped preserve and shape the USA into a world power. The portrayal of steel workers along side the upper class was particularly interesting, because the owners are showed as observers and not really part of the sweat and steel, until Gregory Peck gives an awe inspiring speech about what its like working on the ground floor of a steel mill. I particularly enjoyed Gregory and Greer's on screen relationship and the difficulty of romantic relationships between two different classes. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.

In Pittsburgh in 1873, plucky Irish immigrant Greer Garson accepts a position as a servant in the mansion of steel magnate Donald Crisp, though her father was crippled in his mill. Inevitably, Greer and Gregory Peck (as the principled second son of the family) find themselves drawn to each other despite class differences, and surprisingly, his parents spprove. But a series of dramatic events -- a steelworkers' strike, three violent killings, a spite marriage, a natural death and a surprising bequest -- all conspire to keep Greer and Greg apart while the audience is left to wonder when and how they can get together.

In a way we don't care since these mismatched stars have no chemistry together. In only his third screen role, Gregory Peck is always competent and is sometimes better than that, but his cool, placid demeanor works against this tale of romance thwarted for over a decade. For her part, Greer Garson was never one to suggest sexual attraction or romantic passion, and she has the further handicap of looking much older than Peck and seeming too old to play her character in the early parts of the film. But by the end, when her character's age has caught up to her, Garson's usual poise and authority seem just right.

If the lack of fireworks between the stars seems like a drawback, it somehow isn't because the narrative is really about the love affair an unhappy woman has with a warm, charismatic family. And here, the producer and the director Tay Garnett make sure the film is enlivened with a talented and varied supporting cast including Donald Crisp, Gladys Cooper, Lionel Barrymore (a hambone as usual), Dan Duryea, Preston Foster, Reginald Owen, Marshall Thompson and young Dean Stockwell.

Of particular interest are two excellent supporting performances. MGM stalwart Marsha Hunt brings some bite and complexity to the role of Peck's sister, a selfish, superficial woman who is nevertheless decent and loving. And though Jessica Tandy spends most of the film in a thankless role as a brittle society girl hoping to snag Peck, by the end of the film she is allowed to give a vivid performance of bravura shrewishness, the kind of thing Agnes Moorehead usually did so well.

Very interesting and entertaining poor-girl meets rich-boy tale of romance between a wealthy Pittsburgh steel mill owner(Gregory Peck) and a beautiful housemaid(Greer Garson). This circa 1870 drama is directed by Tay Garnett and based on a Marcia Davenport novel. A star studded cast makes this a prominent classic. Joining Peck and Garson are Donald Crisp, Lionel Barrymore, Dan Duryea, Marsha Hunt, Marshall Thompson, Preston Foster, Jessica Tandy and Reginald Owen. This movie is deserving of your time. Wholesome and enjoyable watching.

Okay, I'll admit that this movie is a bit heavy-handed at times. Lionel Barrymore's performance as Mary's father is not a subtle performance and the movie is a tad predictable at times. However, despite these minor shortcomings, this is a marvelous romantic flick from Hollywood's heyday and is a great early Gregory Peck vehicle.

Mary (Greer Garson) is a lovely poor lass who goes to work as a housekeeper in the home of the wealthy family (the Scotts) who own the local steel mill. This is problematic, as Mary's father was seriously injured in the mill and bears an intense hatred of the Scotts. It becomes even more problematic as, over time, handsome Paul Scott (Peck) falls for her and asks for her hand in marriage! Yikes! However, this is only about half-way through the movie--what happens next you'll need to find out yourself.

Great performances (not just from the two leads but from capable supporting actors such as Donald Crisp and Dan Duryea), direction, sets and writing make this one of my personal favorites. Watch it!

I sat in awe of this film one chilly October evening in 2001 and I remember the thought going through my mind, "how is it that I've never seen this before?" I adore Greer Garson and her performance as Mary Raffery took my breath away and Gregory Peck has always been at the top of my list of talented and handsome actors. This movie is full of anxiety ridden romance and dramatic acting at its best. With a superb cast and a wonderful story line, I'd recommend this movie to anyone that feels they're able to truly recognize greatness.