Mrs. Miniver
Date: 1942
Director: William Wyler
Production Company: Loew's
Stars: Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Teresa Wright, May Whitty, Reginald Owen, Henry Travers, Richard Ney, Henry Wilcoxon, Christopher Severn, Brenda Forbes, Clare Sanders, Marie De Becker, Helmut Dantine, John Abbott, Connie Leon, Rhys Williams, Harry Allen, Frank Atkinson
Location(s): Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Lanarkshire, Suffolk
Region(s): South East M-Q
Storyline:
The Minivers are an English ‘middle-class’ family who live comfortably with only the occasional reminder of the war. However, as the war and its effects start to impact on their daily lives, life becomes less of an adventure and more difficult. While dodging bombs, the Minivers’ son courts Lady Beldon’s granddaughter and a rose is named after Mrs. Miniver and entered in the competition against Lady Beldon’s rose.
Additional Information:
Ben McHutchion brought this film to our attention together with the location identification for Capture 4.
Screen captures and text uploaded by Richard Lovejoy.
The film takes place in England but was filmed entirely on a set at MGM Studios, 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA. It won 6 Oscars, including Best Picture, and was nominated for 6 more. Besides the bombing of Pearl Harbor it is said that this film galvanised Americans away from neutrality. Indeed, it is said that Winston Churchill considered that the films propaganda value was worth more than a dozen battleships, or words to that effect, for there are so many alternatives it is difficult to know, what he said, if indeed so.
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We are aware that there are films on the site that were added when the criteria for the inclusion of locations was very different from today and, as a result, there may be scenes missing from some productions. Please do not forward additional screen captures to us but bring the detail to our attention, for we do, and are, 're-addressing' these older entries as time allows.
- Capture 1
- 'Now' required
The film opens with an overhead studio shot of an American idea of a busy London shopping center. Included to set the scene.
- Capture 2
- 'Now' required
That fades to a narrower shot, of particularly pedestrians, to focus on Mrs Kay Miniver (Greer Garson) catching a bus after a busy spending spree. A further studio continuity shot.
- Capture 3
- 11 May 2025
Chem Miniver (Walter Pidgeon) takes Kay, and their young family in his new Lagonda LG 45 to meet the elder son Vin from the station. The back projection sees them cross Sonning Bridge, Berkshire, over the Thames and pass the White Hart Hotel, now the Great House Hotel, on Thames Street. A similar location sequence can be seen in ‘Alfie’.
Traffic queueing for the bridge today. (SR)
- Capture 4
- 'Now' required
Bell ringing in the local church for the morning service reveals that the future of the forthcoming flower show looks in doubt given Hitler’s advances in Europe. Church of St Mary, Church Road, Blundeston, Suffolk. Grade l listed.
- Capture 5
- 'Now' required
The bell ringers Mr Ballard (Henry Travers) and Fred (John Abbott) briefly discuss the future. Included for continuity and in support of the fact that this and the two subsequent captures bear no similarity to the Church of St Mary, Blundeston. A studio construction.
- Capture 6
- 'Now' required
Fading to their exiting into the church. A studio construction.
- Capture 7
- 'Now' required
Then further to the assembling congregation. A studio construction.
- Capture 8
- 'Now' required
At 2am all petrol boats of over 30ft are assembled with instructions to make their way to the films ‘Ramsey’. Clem joins the other folk. This and subsequent river sequences, it is said, could be the Thames with various painted Matte backgrounds, as they make their way to Dunkirk. It is also suggested that this sequence could have been shot by MGM’s British Studios crew in Denham who were about to make ‘The Earl of Chicago’.
- Capture 9
- 'Now' required
Following Clem’s return he, Kay and Lady Beldon (May Whitty) go to the station to welcome home Vin Miniver and his bride Carol Beldon (Teresa Wright). Taplow Station, Buckinghamshire also seen in ‘No Trace’, ’Impulse’, ‘Tiger by the Tail’ and many others.
- Capture 10
- 'Now' required
Shortly afterwards Vin is called into action again. Alan Bourke has identified, with supporting evidence, that this is Prestwick Airport near Glasgow in Lanarkshire, or RAF Prestwick as it was in 1942.
- Capture 11
- 'Now' required
Shortly afterwards Vin is called into action again. The same footage, in reverse, also appears in 'A Yank in the R.A.F.' (1941) also a film made in America but presented as the UK. Given Alan's identification of the previous capture, Prestwick Airport near Glasgow, or RAF Prestwick as it was in 1942, it establishes the church as the nearby New Life Church on Monkton Road, Prestwick.