Mrs. Miniver

Mrs. Miniver
File:Mrs Miniver poster.gif Mrs. Miniver promotional poster
Directed by	William Wyler
Written by	Jan Struther (book) George Froeschel James Hilton Claudine West Arthur Wimperis
Produced by	Sidney Franklin
Starring	Greer Garson Walter Pidgeon Teresa Wright Dame May Whitty Reginald Owen Henry Travers Richard Ney Henry Wilcoxon
Cinematography	Joseph Ruttenberg
Edited by	Harold F. Kress
Music by	Herbert Stothart
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release dates	June 4, 1942 (USA premiere)
Running time	134 mins
Country	USA
Language	English
Box office	$5,358,000

Mrs. Miniver is a 1942 drama film directed by William Wyler and starring Greer Garson in the title role. It was produced as a propaganda film aimed at ending American isolation from World War II, and was based on the fictional English housewife created by Jan Struther in 1937 for a series of newspaper columns, Mrs. Miniver.

The film won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Director.

Background

The film adaptation of Mrs. Miniver was produced by MGM in 1942 with Greer Garson in the leading role and William Wyler directing. Under the influence of the American Office of War Information, the film attempted to undermine Hollywood's prewar depiction of England as a glamorous bastion of social privilege, anachronistic habits and snobbery in favour of more democratic, modern images. To this end, the social status enjoyed by the Miniver family in the print version was downgraded and increased attention was given to the erosion of class barriers under the pressures of wartime.

The film exceeded all expectations, grossing $5,358,000 in North America (the highest for any MGM film at the time) and $3,520,000 abroad. In Britain, it was named the top box office attraction of 1942. Of the 592 film critics polled by American magazine Film Daily, 555 named it the best film of 1942.

Plot

File:Mrs.Miniver'42.jpg

Teresa Wright, Walter Pidgeon and Greer Garson

Although not as 'socially privileged' as in the book, the Mrs. Kay Miniver (Greer Garson) of the film version is still presented as living a comfortable life at a house called 'Starlings' in a village outside London. The house has a large garden, with a private landing stage on the river Thames, and a motorboat. Her husband Clem (Canadian-born actor Walter Pidgeon) is a successful English architect (despite his North American accent). They have three children: the youngsters Toby and Judy (Christopher Severn and Clare Sandars), and an older son Vin (Richard Ney) who is at university. They have live-in staff: Gladys the housemaid (Brenda Forbes) and Ada the cook (Marie De Becker).

As World War II looms, Vin comes down from university and meets Carol Beldon (Teresa Wright), granddaughter of aristocratic Lady Beldon (Dame May Whitty) from nearby Beldon Hall. Despite initial disagreements, for example the contrast of Vin's idealistic attitude to class differences and Carol's practical altruism, they fall in love: Vin proposes to Carol at dinner time after young brother Toby has embarrassingly blurted out that he should do so if they are in love. They eventually marry. As the war comes closer to home, Vin feels he must do his bit, joins the Royal Air Force as a pilot, and when qualified is posted to a base near to his parents' home. Clem takes his motorboat to assist in the Dunkirk evacuation. There are scenes of the family during an air-raid, when Mr. Foley (Reginald Owen), the storekeeper and air-raid warden, advises them to close their curtains; and they are shown in their shelter in the garden. Left alone at home, Kay finds a wounded German pilot (Helmut Dantine) in her garden. She feeds him, then calmly disarms him and calls the police.

After the flower show's competition, in which the entry of the stationmaster (Henry Travers) named the 'Mrs. Miniver' rose is judged the winner over Lady Beldon's rose, Kay, with Carol, drives Vin to join his squadron just as an air attack begins. On their return home Kay stops the car: Carol is wounded in an attack from a German plane, but she dies a few minutes after they reach home. The local inhabitants assemble at the badly damaged church where their vicar (Henry Wilcoxon), affirms their determination in a powerful sermon:

"We in this quiet corner of England have suffered the loss of friends very dear to us, some close to this church. George West, choirboy. James Ballard, stationmaster and bellringer, and the proud winner only an hour before his death of the Beldon Cup for his beautiful Miniver Rose. And our hearts go out in sympathy to the two families who share the cruel loss of a young girl who was married at this altar only 2 weeks ago. The homes of many of us have been destroyed, and the lives of young and old have been taken. There's scarcely a household that hasn't been struck to the heart. And why ? Surely you must have asked yourselves this question ? Why in all conscience should these be the ones to suffer ? Children, old people, a young girl at the height of her loveliness ? Why these ? Are these our soldiers ? Are these our fighters ? Why should they be sacrificed ? I shall tell you why. Because this is not only a war of soldiers in uniform. It is the war of the people, of all the people. And it must be fought not only on the battlefield but in the cities and in the villages, in the factories and on the farms, in the home and in the heart of every man, woman and child who loves freedom. Well we have buried our dead, but we shall not forget them. Instead they will inspire us with an unbreakable determination to free ourselves, and those who come after us, from the tyranny and terror that threaten to strike us down. This is the People's War ! It is our war ! We are the fighters ! Fight it then ! Fight it with all that is in us ! And may God defend the right."

The congregation stand in unity and sing "Onward Christian Soldiers" at the top of their voices, while through a gaping hole in the bombed-out roof in the sky above can be seen flight after flight of RAF fighters in the V-for-Victory formation.

Wilcoxon and director William Wyler "wrote and re-wrote" this key sermon "the night before the sequence was to be shot." The speech "made such an impact that it was used in essence by President Roosevelt as a morale builder and part of it was the basis for leaflets printed in various languages and dropped over enemy and occupied territory."

Cast

• Greer Garson as Mrs. Kay Miniver
• Walter Pidgeon as Clem Miniver
• Teresa Wright as Carol Beldon
• Dame May Whitty as Lady Beldon
• Reginald Owen as Foley
• Henry Travers as Mr. Ballard
• Richard Ney as Vin Miniver
• Henry Wilcoxon as Vicar
• Christopher Severn as Toby Miniver
• Brenda Forbes as Gladys - Housemaid
• Clare Sandars as Judy Miniver
• Marie De Becker as Ada - Cook
• Helmut Dantine as German Flyer
• John Abbott as Fred
• Connie Leon as Simpson

Awards and nominations

It was the Winner of 6 Academy Awards.

Award	Won	Nomination	Winner
Outstanding Motion Picture	Y		Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (Sidney Franklin, producer)
Best Director	Y		William Wyler
Best Actor		Y	Walter Pidgeon Winner was James Cagney - Yankee Doodle Dandy
Best Actress	Y		Greer Garson
Best Writing, Screenplay	Y		George Froeschel, James Hilton, Claudine West, Arthur Wimperis
Best Supporting Actor		Y	Henry Travers
Best Supporting Actress	Y		Teresa Wright
Best Supporting Actress		Y	May Whitty
Best Cinematography, Black-and-White	Y		Joseph Ruttenberg
Best Effects, Special Effects		Y	A. Arnold Gillespie (photographic) Warren Newcombe (photographic) Douglas Shearer (sound) Winner was Gordon Jennings, Farciot Edouart, William L. Pereira, Louis Mesenkop - Reap the Wild Wind
Best Film Editing		Y	Harold F. Kress Winner was Daniel Mandell - The Pride of the Yankees
Best Sound, Recording		Y	Douglas Shearer Winner was Nathan Levinson - Yankee Doodle Dandy

Romantic interest

Soon after filming, Richard Ney, who played Greer Garson's son and 11 years her junior, married Garson.

Radio adaptations

The film was adapted into an episode of the Lux Radio Theater in 1943. That episode in turn was popular enough to inspire a 5 day a week serial, starring radio veteran Trudy Warner on CBS.

Television adaptation

A 90 minutes television adaptation was broadcast on CBS in 1960 with Maureen O'Hara as Mrs Miniver and Leo Genn as Clem Miniver, directed by Marc Daniels.

Legacy

Mrs Miniver is briefly mentioned in a J. D. Salinger story, "Raise High the Roofbeam, Carpenters". In June 2006 it was placed #40 on the American Film Institute's list celebrating the most inspirational films of all time.

External links

• Mrs. Miniver at IMDb
• Television adaptation, imdb
• Mrs. Miniver at AllMovie
• Mrs. Miniver at the TCM Movie Database
• "Where Is Today's Mrs. Miniver?". Retrieved 2008-04-28.
• "Mrs. Miniver Opening Scenes". Retrieved 2008-08-20.
• "Mrs. Miniver and the German Soldier". Retrieved 2008-08-20.
• "The full Cast of Mrs. Miniver". Retrieved 2008-10-09.
• "Mrs. Miniver Script transcript". Retrieved 2008-10-08.