The Proud Valley (AKA “The Tunnel”)
Directed by Pen Tennyson
Written by Alfredda Brilliant, Louis Golding et al
1940/UK
CAPAD/Ealing Studios
First viewing/Streaming on Hulu Plus
[box] I shall take my voice wherever there are those who want to hear the melody of freedom or the words that might inspire hope and courage in the face of fear. My weapons are peaceful, for it is only by peace that peace can be attained. The song of freedom must prevail. – – Paul Robeson[/box]
The story is only OK but the singing is glorious.
David Goliath (Paul Robeson) was a merchant seaman but is now wandering through the Welsh countryside in search of work. He takes to singing door to door with a itinerant beggar for awhile. While in town, he wanders by a choir rehearsal and takes the solo part of the missing bass. The conductor has found the key to winning the upcoming choir competition and gets David a job working in the local coal mine. But the mine is soon closed because of safety issues. The conductor’s son comes up with an idea for reopening the mine, which is the lifeblood of the town. So a group of miners set off for London to petition the owner. Their petition has surprisingly good results because the Nazis have just invaded Poland and Britain needs all the coal it can get. Unfortunately, the plan proves to have some unexpected glitches when executed …
This would make a good double feature with How Green Is My Valley. Like that film, The Proud Valley is jam-packed with fantastic Welsh choral singing. In my opinion, it is worth seeing just to hear Paul Robeson sing “Deep River”” (see clip).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE4z9J3diiA
Paul Robeson and choir singing “Deep River”
