Mrs. Miniver (1942)

Director:

William Wyler

Writers:

Arthur Wimperis (screenplay) &
George Froeschel (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

1 December 1942 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War

Tagline:

VOTED THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER MADE!

Plot:

The Minivers, an English "middle-class" family experience life in the first months of World War II. While dodging bombs...

Plot Keywords:

Rose | Middle Class | Air Raid | Home Front | Wartime Romance

Awards:

Won 6 Oscars. Another 6 nominations

Cast

Greer Garson	...	Mrs. Miniver
Walter Pidgeon	...	Clem Miniver
Teresa Wright	...	Carol Beldon
Dame May Whitty	...	Lady Beldon
Reginald Owen	...	Foley
Henry Travers	...	Mr. Ballard
Richard Ney	...	Vin Miniver
Henry Wilcoxon	...	Vicar
Christopher Severn	...	Toby Miniver
Brenda Forbes	...	Gladys - Housemaid
Clare Sandars	...	Judy Miniver
Marie De Becker	...	Ada
Helmut Dantine	...	German Flyer
John Abbott	...	Fred
Connie Leon	...	Simpson
Rhys Williams	...	Horace
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harry Allen	...	William (uncredited)
Frank Atkinson	...	Man in Tavern (uncredited)
Sybil Bacon	...	Contestant (uncredited)
Frank Baker	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Virginia Bassett	...	Glee Club Member (uncredited)
Louise Bates	...	Miniver Guest (uncredited)
Guy Bellis	...	Barman (uncredited)
Charles Bennett	...	Milkman (uncredited)
Florence Benson	...	Contestant (uncredited)
Art Berry Sr.	...	Man in Store (uncredited)
Billy Bevan	...	Bus Conductor (uncredited)
Ted Billings	...	Man in Tavern (uncredited)
John Burton	...	Halliday (uncredited)
Gene Byram	...	Glee Club Member (uncredited)
Walter Byron	...	Man in tavern (uncredited)
Colin Campbell	...	Bickles, Flower Show Manager (uncredited)
Leonard Carey	...	Chandler, Beldon Butler (uncredited)
Aileen Carlyle	...	Glee Club Member (uncredited)
Herbert Clifton	...	Doctor (uncredited)
David Clyde	...	Carruthers (uncredited)
Tom Conway	...	Man (uncredited)
Edward Cooper	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Alec Craig	...	Joe (uncredited)
Sidney D'Albrook	...	Man in Store (uncredited)
Irene Denny	...	Glee Club Member (uncredited)
David Dunbar	...	Man in Store (uncredited)
Billy Engle	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Herbert Evans	...	Glee Club Member (uncredited)
Mary Field	...	Miss Spriggins (uncredited)
E.L. Fisher-Smith	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Douglas Gordon	...	Porter (uncredited)
Hugh Greenwood	...	Contestant (uncredited)
Bobby Hale	...	Old Man (uncredited)
Eddie Hall	...	RAF Flyer running out the door (uncredited)
Forrester Harvey	...	Mr. Huggins (uncredited)
Harold Howard	...	Judge (uncredited)
Charles Irwin	...	Mac (uncredited)
Colin Kenny	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Peter Lawford	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Eric Lonsdale	...	Marston (uncredited)
Thomas Louden	...	Mr. Verger (uncredited)
Miles Mander	...	German Agent's Voice (uncredited)
Stanley Mann	...	Workman (uncredited)
Aubrey Mather	...	George (uncredited)
Dan Maxwell	...	Man in Tavern (uncredited)
Alice Mock	...	Lady Passenger (uncredited)
Eula Morgan	...	Glee Club Member (uncredited)
Ottola Nesmith	...	Saleslady (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	...	Man in Tavern (uncredited)
John Power	...	Man in Tavern (uncredited)
Clara Reid	...	Mrs. Huggins (uncredited)
Paul Scardon	...	Nobby (uncredited)
Leslie Sketchley	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Gerald Oliver Smith	...	Car Dealer (uncredited)
Vernon Steele	...	Glee Club Member (uncredited)
Vivia Steele	...	Glee Club Member (uncredited)
David Thursby	...	Farmer (uncredited)
Leslie Vincent	...	Carol's First Dancing Partner (uncredited)
Kitty Watson	...	Contestant (uncredited)
Ben Webster	...	Ginger (uncredited)
Tudor Williams	...	Glee Club Member (uncredited)
Arthur Wimperis	...	Sir Henry (uncredited)
Marek Windheim	...	Glee Club Member (uncredited)
Florence Wix	...	Woman with Dog (uncredited)
Ian Wolfe	...	Dentist (uncredited)

Directed by
William Wyler

Writing credits
Arthur Wimperis		(screenplay) &
George Froeschel		(screenplay) &
James Hilton		(screenplay) &
Claudine West		(screenplay)
Jan Struther		(book)

Produced by
Sidney Franklin	....	producer

Original Music by
Herbert Stothart

Cinematography by
Joseph Ruttenberg

Film Editing by
Harold F. Kress

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Robert Kalloch		(gowns) (as Kalloch)

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist: Miss Garson

Art Department
Urie McCleary	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director

Special Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special effects (as Arnold Gillespie)
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Max Fabian	....	special photographic effects (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gile Steele	....	wardrobe: men

Editorial Department
John McSweeney Jr.	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Daniele Amfitheatrof	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Murray Cutter	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Paul Marquardt	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leonid Raab	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Ripley Dorr	....	director: St. Luke's Choristers

Production Companies

• Loew's (as Loew's Incorporated)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presents)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1942) (USA) (theatrical)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm & 16mm prints)
• Státní Pujcovna Filmu (194?) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)

Runtime:

134 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G (original rating) | Australia:PG (TV rating) | UK:U | Spain:T | USA:Approved (PCA #8034) | Canada:G (video rating) | Argentina:13 | Finland:(Banned) (1943-1944) | Finland:K-16 (1944) | Finland:S (1964) | Sweden:15

Company:

Loew's

Trivia:

The vicar's speech near the end was reportedly re-written by William Wyler and Henry Wilcoxon the night before it was shot. It was translated into various languages and air-dropped in leaflets over German-occupied territory, was broadcast over the Voice of America, and reprinted in Time and Look magazines at Pres. Franklin Delano Roosevelt's request. This speech has come to be known as The Wilcoxon Speech, in tribute to actor Henry Wilcoxon's stirring delivery of it.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Early in the movie, right after Mrs. Miniver gets off the bus and is rushing up the sidewalk, the camera's shadow falls across her face.

Quotes:

Kay Miniver: I think it's lovely having flowers named after you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Maude: Maude's Good Deed (#1.20)" (1973)

Soundtrack:

Onward, Christian Soldiers

Watch out for the backs of the heads!

What a wonderful film Mrs Miniver still is 58 years later. Like Coppola's 'Gardens of Stone', it deals with war by following the lives of those affected by it, and without showing any combat. It's moving, but unlike many other films of the period, totally unsentimental, though has many warm and winning moments (Pidgeon spanking Garson as the maid walks in, following an eventful morning, to say the least!)

Two sequences particularly clicked on this viewing. The first involves the son/pilot who is recalled to service abruptly when his leave has only just begun. He goes upstairs to get his belongings, the mother and fiancée are left in the room, with the backs of their heads to camera - a most unusual shot 'against the rules' of filming. Then you realise the centre of attention is the space left on the stair by the son - they and we are missing him, awaiting his return, but only for a moment as he must leave again. It's as poignant as the doorway framing scenes in 'The Searchers', and rather subtle.

Another scene is the family in the air raid shelter undergoing a bombing attack. The claustrophobia of the situation, and the bravery and dignity of the powerless family caught there, is focused by a single point of view. The unspoken fear is on the face of Garson, vocalised by the kids who finally awake as the bombardment increases. Long, simple takes perfectly capture the intense atmosphere (and exceptional acting.

When I was young I never appreciated this art of 'invisible' film-making, and just why such directors as William Wyler or Preston Sturges or Billy Wilder do such a good job without you even noticing. The fact their films stand the test of time so well is testament to their wonderful abilities as film-makers.