The Stars Look Down

1939

1h 50m

Drama

List

90%

Tomatometer

10 Reviews

59%

Audience Score

250+ Ratings

Based on the novel of the same name by A.J. Cronin, this British drama presents the hardships faced by a coal-mining village. Local boy Davey Fenwick (Michael Redgrave) goes off to attend university, with hopes of helping his home town in the political arena, but he returns as a schoolteacher, along with his restless wife, Jenny (Margaret Lockwood). When Jenny's ex-boyfriend, the ambitious Joe Gowlan (Emlyn Williams), reappears, it leads directly to a clash with Davey.

Read More

Read Less

Time Out

Some two decades before the Kitchen Sink cinema of the British New Wave, Carol Reed made this serious, committed film about life in a northern mining community.

Jul 6, 2010

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

There are some gaps where treatment is not on par with dramatic situation.

Jul 6, 2010

Full Review

Theodore Strauss

New York Times

In The Stars Look Down Mr. Reed has made a film to be remembered in this or any other season.

Rated: 4.5/5

May 21, 2003

Full Review

Graham Greene

The Spectator

Since this is the story of a mine disaster his work will inevitably be compared with Pabst's in Kameradschaft : he can bear the comparison.

Sep 11, 2019

Full Review

MFB Critics

Monthly Film Bulletin

The scenario writer has wisely concentrated on a well-knit and straightforward plot. The result is thoroughly holding entertainment.

Jan 28, 2019

Full Review

TV Guide

At once topical and enduring, this powerful drama influenced by the social realism of the British documentary greatly enhanced the growing reputation of Reed, then a young director.

Rated: 4/4

Feb 25, 2013

Full Review

Read all reviews

david l

The Stars Look Down has good performances, great beginning and ending, some sad moments and it is admittedly pretty well crafted and made, but the characterization isn't that good, the emotional intensity isn't as strong as it should have been and the whole film is quite rushed at times and overall forgettable.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Very gripping and a great piece of social realism of a mining community.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A lot like the latter 1941 Oscar winner How Green Was My Valley. Even the same set. BUT, not even close to that film. About coal mines in the same Welsh setting. Similarly begins as a confrontation between mine ownership and the men. The mine is shut down and when opens is dangerous and fails (just like How Green Was My Valley). [img]http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRtvt5M0-j1K4zNmZPMrT6RNYG9ZVTGMqdQsMvKF97Sx2vWKtXMKg[/img] But this one centers on a college bound man who gets not much support from fellow miners. Anti-intellectual stuff. [img]http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSNafjUaTo3xSw-yqRIrqzs_84Xnp6EFVXtQhVtpcUAVzW2f5F39YwJkPKp[/img] The father (and some of the men) hopes that the hardship in the mines and the safety aspects will someday be addressed by the son. Fast paced, well done flick. The accents of the Welsh fortunately are not so thick we can't understand. [img]http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSKXzYtjSqEUBMr3KfgA5x8Lf89TvJ5mSmHJqqWdwL3eM0oAiQ6[/img] The problem for ME in this film is that it doesn't hold my interest. Our college lad gets married to a gal that seems a twit. [img]http://ia600503.us.archive.org/5/items/TheStarsLookDown1940/TheStarsLookDown1940.thumbs/TheStarsLookDown1940_002160.jpg[/img] It therefore sags in the middle of the film. Turns into a romantic triangle from the initial issues of miner abuse. [img]http://ia600503.us.archive.org/5/items/TheStarsLookDown1940/TheStarsLookDown1940.thumbs/TheStarsLookDown1940_002280.jpg[/img] His wife still holds a torch for his new advisary in the movie (now an advisor to the owner). He then loses his wife. [img]http://ia600503.us.archive.org/5/items/TheStarsLookDown1940/TheStarsLookDown1940.thumbs/TheStarsLookDown1940_002880.jpg[/img] The mine owner gave our lad the ability to go to college, but when he is let go from his school teacher job, he comes hat in hand back to the mine owner who gives him a job. Things come to blows between our two old friends/lovers of the same gal in front of the owner (seated). [img]http://ia600503.us.archive.org/5/items/TheStarsLookDown1940/TheStarsLookDown1940.thumbs/TheStarsLookDown1940_003600.jpg[/img] I have no punch line to end this review. It was tough to get through for some reason. The fast talking welsch dialog gets real tiresome. [img]http://ia600503.us.archive.org/5/items/TheStarsLookDown1940/TheStarsLookDown1940.thumbs/TheStarsLookDown1940_004020.jpg[/img] The climactic showdown between our lead star and the directors of the mine. He fails to stop the dangerous problem of water in the mine. [img]http://ia600503.us.archive.org/5/items/TheStarsLookDown1940/TheStarsLookDown1940.thumbs/TheStarsLookDown1940_004080.jpg[/img] NOTES about the film: 1 Oddly, New York Times Critics' Pick and is listed in The New York Times Guide to the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made. 2 The original set of the mine-head was used to make up a huge composite set of 40,000 square yards, the largest exterior set ever constructed for a British film at the time. 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. [img]http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSo-YVlaxSct2Ysd6e682dan478OUOPiHeUuUBFp8zMou3q0Eli[/img] CAST 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 Directed by Carol Reed Produced by Isadore Goldsmith Maurice J. Wilson Written by A. J. Cronin (novel & screenplay) J.B. Williams Narrated by Lionel Barrymore [img]http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSY5x_xe0PvcYyZbDGCZtcvaUZdijJMubxTjFSEksFNQt4w29ls[/img]

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Havn't seen it and heard it's OK

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Not a bad film, although some parts failed to hold my attention for long. I think it ended rather abruptly, but perhaps thats just me being too critical.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Oooh, now this is a truly wonderful precursor to the British social realism that would take off in later years. I challenge ye to watch it and not weep.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/08/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Carol Reed

Director

Michael Redgrave

Davey Fenwick

Margaret Lockwood

Jenny Sunley

Emlyn Williams

Joe Gowlan

Nancy Price

Martha Fenwick

Allan Jeayes

Richard Barras

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

58%

65%

AKA

79%

73%

Last Orders

40%

56%

An Awfully Big Adventure

78%

75%

Nicholas Nickleby

71%

58%

All Creatures Great and Small

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Based on the novel of the same name by A.J. Cronin, this British drama presents the hardships faced by a coal-mining village. Local boy Davey Fenwick (Michael Redgrave) goes off to attend university, with hopes of helping his home town in the political arena, but he returns as a schoolteacher, along with his restless wife, Jenny (Margaret Lockwood). When Jenny's ex-boyfriend, the ambitious Joe Gowlan (Emlyn Williams), reappears, it leads directly to a clash with Davey.

Director: Carol Reed
Screenwriter: A.J. Cronin, J.B. Williams, A.J. Cronin
Production Co: Grand National
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English (United Kingdom)
Runtime: 1h 50m