The Stars Look Down (film)

For other uses, see The Stars Look Down (disambiguation).

The Stars Look Down
Theatrical poster
Directed by	Carol Reed
Produced by	Isadore Goldsmith Maurice J. Wilson
Written by	A. J. Cronin (novel & screenplay) J.B. Williams
Starring	Michael Redgrave Margaret Lockwood Emlyn Williams Nancy Price
Music by	Hans May
Cinematography	Mutz Greenbaum Ernest Palmer
Editing by	Reginald Beck
Studio	Denham Studios
Distributed by	Grand National Pictures (UK) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (US)
Release date(s)	24 February 1940
Running time	110 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

The Stars Look Down (1940) is a British film based on A. J. Cronin's novel of the same name, initially published in 1935, which chronicles various injustices in a mining community in North East England. The film, co-scripted by Cronin and directed by Carol Reed, stars Michael Redgrave as Davey Fenwick and Margaret Lockwood as Jenny Sunley. The film is a New York Times Critics' Pick and is listed in The New York Times Guide to the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made.

Differences between the American and British Releases

The American version added an opening and closing voice-over narration by Lionel Barrymore and changed the main and end titles, while the departing scenes and dialogue at end between Davey and his mother were cut completely. In the original UK version, opening credits appear against documentary-style establishing shots of the pithead and the men emerging from underground and walking down towards the pit owner to begin their strike. The US version used a plain background for the main title and an explanatory voiceover that lessens the graphic impact of the original. The US version ends with the rising camera above the pit as the Lord's prayer is spoken after the disaster with added verses of the prayer heard and a final shot of heavenly clouds added with a longer voiceover. The original UK release has the first lines of the Lord's prayer heard only as the camera rises to the black sky above the pit, it then fades in to the final scenes as Davey's mother is downstairs preparing her son's packed sandwiches for his return to work at the pit. Davey emerges down the stairs dressed not in work clothes, but a suit. He tells his mother he is going to work for the union. 'You are all I have left now…' says his mother who takes an apple and gives it to Davey for the train journey. He goes to the front door and turns back to his mother who stands impassively at the hearth. The final shot is an exterior of the cottage with Davey leaving while his mother is watching framed closely in the window. Her shoulders droop in a sigh of resignation and it dissolves quickly to the end credits.

Cast

• Michael Redgrave as Davey Fenwick
• Margaret Lockwood as Jenny Sunley
• Emlyn Williams as Joe Gowlan
• Nancy Price as Martha Fenwick
• Allan Jeayes as Richard Barras
• Edward Rigby as Robert Fenwick
• Linden Travers as Mrs. Laura Millington
• Cecil Parker as Stanley Millington
• Milton Rosmer as Harry Nugent, MP
• George Carney as Slogger Gowlan
• Ivor Barnard as Wept
• Olga Lindo as Mrs. Sunley
• Desmond Tester as Hughie Fenwick
• David Markham as Arthur Barras
• Aubrey Mallalieu as Hudspeth
• Kynaston Reeves as Strother
• Clive Baxter as Pat Reedy
• James Harcourt as Will
• Frederick Burtwell as Union Official
• Dorothy Hamilton as Mrs. Reedy
• Frank Atkinson as Miner
• David Horne as Mr. Wilkins
• Edmund Willard as Mr. Ramage
• Ben Williams as Harry Brace

Filming locations

A week of filming was undertaken at Great Clifton and St Helens Siddick Colliery at Workington in Cumberland, followed by seven weeks of shooting at London's Denham and Twickenham Studios, where an elaborate mine-head was simulated. Also there is a shot at derwent crossings looking towards mossbay pig iron works in workington and the train station used was workington central on the workington to cleator moor line

Later the set was moved to Shepperton Studios for another week of shooting. The original set of the mine-head was used to make up a huge composite set of 40,000 square yards, then the largest exterior set ever constructed for a British film. The set consisted of an exact replica of the Workington mine where the location work had been done, including a pit-head complete with cage, ramp, outer buildings, and rows of miners' cottages. To ensure authenticity, pit ponies from the Cumberland mines were used and the miners' costumes consisted of clothes purchased from colliery workers.

Bibliography

• Jerry Vermilye, The Great British Films (Citadel Press, 1978) pp 49–51 ISBN 0-8065-0661-X

See also

• E le stelle stanno a guardare
• The Stars Look Down (TV serial)

External links

• The Stars Look Down at the Internet Movie Database
• The Stars Look Down is available for free download at the Internet Archive more
• British Film Institute synopsis
• New York Times overview
• Movie subtitles
• Britmovie website
• Film review and images
• The Stars Look Down at Silver Sirens
• The Stars Look Down at Turner Classic Movies
• The Stars Look Down at AllRovi