Harold_Robbins Based on Marcia Davenport's bestseller, the film obviously omits most of the novel, concentrated on star-crossed lovers Greer Garson and Gregory Peck – Garson is impossibly sweet for most of the film, and Peck too passive, but the last half-hour or so was terrific – Garson showed some 'steel' of her own, Peck found his backbone and told off wife Jessica Tandy. There are some good performances here among the supporting cast – the aforementioned Tandy, who goes from a sweet young woman to a tense, neurotic, demanding wife, and particularly Gladys Cooper and Donald Crisp as Peck's parents, who own the steel mill against which the tale plays out (Crisp's role is sort of a dressed-up version of Mr. Morgan in HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY, which won him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar). Cooper plays the complete opposite of her famous Mrs. Vale-style mother here: she is kind, loving and understanding, and I think the scenes between Cooper and Garson are by far the film's best-acted. There's an outrageously hammy performance by Lionel Barrymore (even for him) as Garson's crippled father that could serve as a textbook example of over-acting – he should definitely have been reigned-in. The exteriors all have that MGM 'soundstage' look to them,and the matte shots of the mill and surrounding city have a particularly artificial appearance.

bkoganbing Marcia Davenport's novel The Valley Of Decision got the full MGM star gloss treatment when it came to the big screen. It was bought for the woman who was probably their biggest female star at the time Greer Garson. And Garson was given up and coming new leading man Gregory Peck in only his third film.The Valley Of Decision bears the unmistakable influence of Edna Ferber as well, no doubt this was who Davenport was trying to imitate. It's a story of an Irish working class lass who came to work as a maid for a wealthy steel family and gets quite involved with them and their problems. Quite the family as well with parents Donald Crisp and Gladys Cooper and their offspring Gregory Peck, Dan Duryea, Marshall Thompson, and daughter Marsha Hunt. Look at the cast and the children are pretty much as you classic movie fans can type them. Only Peck seems to have a real love for the business itself that brought them their wealth and of course he's who Crisp has pinned his hopes on to carry on after Crisp leaves this earth.Garson is the Irish lass of course and she does not exactly go with the blessings of the house. Lionel Barrymore is her father with adapted brogue and all and this is one of the few times Barrymore's wheelchair and paralysis is actually given explanation. He had an industrial accident and even though Crisp's family has given a small pension to live on, Barrymore is full of bitterness and hate. It all boils over and leads to a climatic tragedy. The character of the three sons also plays a part in that same tragedy.Other roles of significance are Preston Foster as a union organizer, John Warburton as the English impoverished Earl who courts and weds Marsha Hunt, and Jessica Tandy the society girl who Peck weds. The novel no doubt needed considerable editing to be brought to the screen, but I get the feeling it was done at the expense of Tandy's character. It's strangely underdeveloped for a major role.In Michael Freedland's book about Gregory Peck, Peck was quoted as saying he learned early on that this was a Garson picture because when he saw the shots of them together, she was always radiant and fully lit while he was in the shadows. Seeing the film, damn if Peck wasn't right. Garson knew her business and she got an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, but lost to Joan Crawford for Mildred Pierce. Peck also was in the Oscar running for Best Actor, but for his second film The Keys Of The Kingdom. Herbert Stothart's musical scoring got the only other Academy recognition with a nomination in that category.The Valley Of Decision shows MGM movie-making at its height and at its best. This was one expensive production and the sets show it as well as the impressive cast list. Definitely one for fans of Greer Garson.

turley57 I viewed this movie and fell in love with the story of a family who owned a Pittsburg Steel Mill. What a great movie where determination and love of the steel mills helped preserve and shape the USA into a world power. The portrayal of steel workers along side the upper class was particularly interesting, because the owners are showed as observers and not really part of the sweat and steel, until Gregory Peck gives an awe inspiring speech about what its like working on the ground floor of a steel mill. I particularly enjoyed Gregory and Greer's on screen relationship and the difficulty of romantic relationships between two different classes. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.

mollyvonne This is a nice movie for fans of paperback romances. Greer Garson, the beautiful Cinderella, finds herself transported to Prince Charming's castle a little prematurely -- ie, mop and bucket still in hand. However, her saintly personality wins over not only the princely Gregory Peck but his entire family. (Suurrrrre...call me a skeptic, but I couldn't help thinking, in that day and age, the steel magnate's son would seduce the kitchen maid all right, only to dump her for the society girl without any remorse whatsoever.) However, since this is a paperback romance, our heroine does not suffer this fate. This is also a Gregory Peck movie, and one of the reasons we love him is that he so convincingly plays a man of integrity. He also seldom appears in a movie without some redeeming social commentary (another reason we love him) and so the subplot of labor/management conflict resolution somewhat prevents the film from becoming a sentimental valentine to Garson, although lines like "Oh, Mary, you're so good!" sometimes provoke a painful wince. Three stars for fans of good escapist romance.