Simply Perfect

Don't listen to the negative reviews

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

. . . to an alleged Oscar "Best Picture" foisted off upon the World by Fake Movie News Pioneer Darryl F. Zanuck of 20th Century Fox. Zanuck had commissioned future Real Life Witch Hunter director John Ford to romanticize the Deplorable Lot of Welsh coal miners and to glorify Big Coal (which was and is, Then, Now, and Always, the world's most unnecessarily dangerous and poorly Unionized Worker Exploitation Racket among the many scams run by Labor-killing Corrupt "Conservative" Capitalism). After rigging an election to bestow Tinseltown's highly-coveted Gelded Statuette upon the mawkish HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY, Zanuck and Fox insured a minimum of 100,000 MORE Coal Miner Murders World-Wide, according to a recent Socioeconomic Report. Zanuck smugly thought that HIS would be Cinema's Last Word about Coal. However, it did not take long for Warner Bros. to courageously cast its most famous Progressive Party Activist--Bette Davis--as a Hellcat Heroine fighting against the Coal Killer Realities glossed over by Ford's Fakey Fairy Tale. Davis' character in THE CORN IS GREEN, Miss Moffatt, is NOT content to sit on her Welsh Tuffet, frittering her curds a whey. Instead, she charges into the Coal Pit, dragging out miner Morgan Evans kicking and screaming until she's smoothed away the rough edges of his 40-carat diamond mind. "Make the light come into the dingy, black-dust tunnels, and some day save the children!" Moffatt orders Morgan as she sends him off to Crusade against Big Coal Flaks like Zanuck and Ford.

I portrayed Miss Moffatt in acting class. This was scene work from The Corn Is Green. I had the lead part.I had to learn to know the character of Miss Moffatt. She is a strong-willed school teacher who wishes to increase the educational opportunities of children in the historic Welsh coal mining times in which child labor is exploited. There are no child labor laws here.I, as Miss Moffatt, am interested particularly in the education of Morgan Evans. He is my Teacher's Pet. He is illiterate, plus ignorant in the ways of the outside world. He is backward but promising. Perhaps I can instill in him a yearning to read, write and learn unlimited subject matter.My scene study included sitting on top of the hill of Moel Hiraeth in Wales, thinking about Morgan's future and how I can motivate him to want to eventually go to college. I believe that he has the intelligence needed, but that he has to work toward developing that ability.This time period is toward the end of the nineteenth century. Children do not necessarily have compulsory education, and they work all day in dangerous, filthy and unprotected environments earning small pay for their parents. Child labor laws were to come later in history, at least in the early twentieth century for the United States. Children, later, were raised to value education as a preliminary for the work world.I was told that Ethel Barrymore had played Miss Moffatt on Broadway. Later, I saw this film of The Corn Is Green starring Bette Davis.Morgan Evans in this movie is snarly and obnoxious. In my scene study, my play partner portrayed Morgan as more sympathetic. We never got to the part about Bessie Watty, she of the conniving ways and big mouth. Bessie Watty would have been a rival for Miss Moffatt's affections, since my director told me to portray Miss Moffatt as also romantically interested in Morgan Evans.In the Bette Davis movie, Morgan Evans is tall and rather cute -- after all of that coal soot is cleaned from his face. He is way younger than Miss Moffatt, but what the hey. He becomes a hunk, and for a stereotypical old maid school teacher perhaps he would be her only chance.The Corn Is Green: when you are down in a coal mine, you can look up and perhaps see a hole through which the sun shines. You can see yellow corn growing there, growing down into the coal mine. The long stalks are green. The corn husks are green. The green young man grows into the mature man, a citizen of the world. Or at least, so Miss Moffatt thinks.Ten out of ten.Smashing.Powerful.

I've loved this movie since I first saw it, although there's one thing that bothers me about the story.That Miss Moffat should have even suggested to Morgan that he not come to see her or his illegitimate child again, and make Oxford his sole involvement for the immediate future, seems to have been extremely presumptuous on her part, maybe even heartless.That Morgan should have conceded to her wishes, portrays him as being somewhat of a wimp, and certainly not the devoted, dedicated person Moffat's efforts have led him into becoming. Moffat, through her pronounced influence over Morgan, seems almost to have given him with one hand, and to have taken away with the other. The result is that he becomes more of a scholar, but less of a human being.Yes, Miss Moffat is the staunch, devoted teacher who has "discovered" Morgan as her "diamond in the rough", and it is without question that she has his best interests at heart, in identifying his talents to him and guiding him in their development. But it is equally certain that there is a bit of selfishness involved here, too, on her part. She wants both him, and herself to succeed, academically - regardless of the cost. And that cost, as it turns out, is to have him abandon his own flesh and blood in pursuit of the "higher goals" she has set for him. She has, in effect, exerted a masterly form of "mind control" over Morgan, which has effectively distorted his basic, just instincts, i.e. his access to paternal love. This development, near the end of the film, always leaves me with a bitter taste in my mouth.

(Spoilerific)PLOT/SUBJECT MATTER: Firstly, I'd like to comment on an issue in the film that some reviewers found objectionable – that of the suppression of the Welsh language and culture for British ideals and the English language. I think the film needs to be looked at as is – a commentary, a reaction to this. Knowing but a little about the Welsh way of life in those times, I cannot say for certain, but I think most people, especially the lower classes depicted in the film, had very little opportunity or means to fight the acquisition of the British culture, language and influence. This does NOT make the argument correct. It is merely a sad fact. The film's inhabitants represent a microcosm of this sector, and the audience is meant to see how they were forced into assimilating into a new way of life, regardless of whether or not they wanted to. This is what the film depicts, and it should be judged accordingly.PERFORMANCES: John Dall – Let me say that after watching this movie how surprised I am that John Dall (Morgan Evans) didn't become a major star. He is wonderful, and does a good job with the accent. Dall is another actor who conveys so much with just his eyes or a turn of the head. Watch his reactions to Bette Davis in their big confrontation scene – damn, he's good. Amazingly, The Corn is Green was his first film. I keep missing Gun Crazy whenever it's on, but can't wait to catch it someday. Dall was excellent in Rope as well. Too bad he only made a few films. Here he is formidable as coal miner turned Oxford-bound student, playing the unglamorous role with both subtlety and ease.Bette Davis – gives an outstanding performance here. Once you get past the makeup (she's supposed to be older than she was at the time), the feisty Davis can be seen. She plays the determined teacher with pure conviction. Another strong-willed role for her to sink her teeth into – Davis' forte.Joan Lorring – This was Lorring's first movie, and her reprehensible character, Bessie Watty (what a name!) is one you love to hate. The venom in her eyes! She makes the false, `Oh! I've hurt my knee!' and `I'm in a coma!' lines unforgettable. However, I did feel a little sorry for Bessie because of her mother's comments about never liking her. It's easy to see why she was so cold-hearted. Lorring is great in Three Strangers with Peter Lorre, Geraldine Fitzgerald and Sidney Greenstreet, too. Check that one out.CHARACTER ANALYSIS: Lilly Moffat (Bette Davis) is a flawed character indeed. She is a take-no-prisoners powerhouse. When need arises, she plays both the bull* artist (innocent, helpless woman-folk, to gain the squire's benefaction) and cautious, dangerous protector (threatening Bessie's life to shield Morgan from what she perceives as harm). She stands behind her convictions, rightly or wrongly, 100%. Miss Moffat's motives are often questionable. In the film, she explains them all away, yet this viewer was left with quite some mixed feelings about her character. This is a good thing, mind you, as the film as a whole certainly left a big impression on me due to several unresolved issues. That's one sign of a good movie.Morgan Evans (John Dall) is also a flawed character. Has he sold out, given in, given up, or done the best thing? The film seems to say his choice was correct (he did not waste his potential), yet it is up to the viewer to decide. Dall plays the whole spectrum of the character's conflicts so believably that it is easy to sympathize with Morgan, who is torn between two worlds and two completely different sets of ideals.Davis and Dall have great chemistry together, and all of their scenes ignite a spark. As Lilly and Morgan, it is great to watch two stubborn rams lock horns, then reach a difficult arrangement that perfectly suits no one. An appropriately bittersweet ending to a visceral film.Irving Rapper's direction is superb. The sweeping shots of the countryside and the miners going to and from work, the claustrophobic atmosphere of the tiny school, and the hostile environment of the local public house (great fight scene!) all lend the film a sense of realism.Nigel Bruce is very witty as the Squire (`the impertinence!'), and Mildred Dunnock and Rhys Williams as the hapless Miss Ronberry and Mr. Jones are also very good.One final note: I love the song the coal miners (and Bessie) sing, even though I do not understand the words. A very nice song – I would love to get my hands on a copy. Diolch and goodnight.