While this film wasn't wretched, it also certainly wasn't anything remarkable.
Written and filmed long before Poldark, the two have numerous similarities though Poldark is superior in every way, namely because it isn't constrained by time or the Hays code.
Despite her father (Lionel Barrymore) being paralyzed because of a mill accident, Mary Rafferty (Greer Garson) takes a job as a maid in the home of the mill owner, William Scott (Donald Crisp) and immediately falls in love with the middle son, Paul (Gregory Peck). While the family takes Mary in and she quickly becomes indispensable, they do not support her relationship with Paul. And when they finally come around, it's too late. The mill goes on strike and thanks to youngest son Ted's (Marshall Thompson's) alcoholism a wretched fight ensues, leaving Mary wrecked as she blames herself for the death of both their fathers so she refuses to marry him.
Fast forward ten years later, Paul is unhappily married to the prim, proper and lifeless Louise Kane (Jessica Tandy, who was young once) while Mary is a happy business owner thanks to the tireless support of Mrs. Scott (Gladys Cooper) who is dying but leaves her share of the mill to Mary so it can be saved for Paul as Paul has dedicated his entire life to making the mill better.
In the end, the mill is saved and Paul kicks Louise out, paying her off to divorce him and leave their young son, Paulie (Dean Stockwell) behind, leaving with Mary, so hopefully they can find their happy ending.
The premise is similar to Poldark, though here, the innovations Paul develops for the mine are overshadowed by the romance while ultimately falls just short. Sure, Peck is handsome and delightful, but Garson is a bit standoffish at times and the chemistry is average at best. Still, I found the bare bones plot good and I actually would be super interested in a remake, a reimagined innovative interruption of this work as I feel that it deserves it. Grade: B
Side Notes:
-Dean Stockwell would later play Peck's son again, to better success in Gentleman's Agreement.
-Garson received her fifth straight Oscar nomination for this film.
-This film has five stars that either already had Oscars or would eventually win them.
-Donald Crisp played an opposite character than his Oscar-winning role How Green Was My Valley, where he portrayed a mine worker.
-It is great that Barrymore still continued to have a vivid career even though he was in a wheelchair, there actually needs to be more roles like his in current cinema.
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