Tag Archives: classic films

Musical Monday: The Proud Valley (1940)

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It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

The Proud Valley, poster, Paul Robeson, 1940. (Photo by LMPC via Getty Images)

This week’s musical:
The Proud Valley (1940) – Musical #801

Studio:
Ealing Studios

Director:
Pen Tennyson

Starring:
Paul Robeson, Edward Chapman, Simon Lack, Rachel Thomas, Edward Rigby, Dilys Thomas, Janet Johnson, Charles Williams, Jack Jones, Dilys Davies, Clifford Evans, Allan Jeayes, George Merritt, Edward Lexy

Plot:
American David Goliath (Robeson) leaves his ship when he arrives in Wales. He hops on a freight and ends in a small town. Hearing a choir, conducted by Dick Parry (Chapman), David stops to sing outside to sing along. Dick Parry is stunned by David’s beautiful voice and hopes he will sing with the miner choir in competition. Dick also invites David to come stay with his family and helps him get a job with him in the coal mines. When disaster strikes the mines and closes them down, David helps by walking with the miners to London to get them open and working again.

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Running Lines: Mixing Quotes into Your Lingo

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If you’re a classic film fan, it’s almost a given that many people you greet in your daily life won’t know what you’re talking about. Topics like the cool pre-code you watched last night or how you’re still angry that Gloria Swanson didn’t win the Academy Award for “Sunset Boulevard” are most likely met with a blank stare.

Even still, classic films are so immersed into our daily life and thoughts, that it’s hard not to casually quote a film in your daily speak. I don’t mean outrageous and obvious quotes that would get you called into Human Resources. (See: Standing on your desk and shouting “Look at me, Ma! Top of the world!” or ending a meeting with “Frankly, my dear I don’t give a damn.”)

For me, there are simple, catchy film quotes that I slip into my conversations on the sly; fully knowing that no one around me will understand that I’m referring to a film.

Here are six examples of a few of the movies I quote regularly:

Battleground (1949)

Plot: The 101st Airborne Division is fighting in Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.

"That's for sure, that's for dang sure" —Battleground (1949) (Comet Over Hollywood/Jessica P screen cap)

“That’s for sure, that’s for dang sure” —Battleground (1949)
(Comet Over Hollywood/Jessica P screen cap)

The division is made up of various personalities from all over the United States. One of the soldiers, Abner Spudler (Jerome Courtland) is supposed to be a little more country than the rest and repeatedly says “That’s for sure, that’s for dang sure,” when he agrees with someone.

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