Proud Valley, The
Date: 1940
Director: Pen Tennyson
Production Company: Ealing Studios
Storyline:
David Goliath, a Black American, arrives in Wales and wins the respect of the very musically oriented Welsh people through his singing. He shares the hardships of their lives and becomes a working-class hero as he helps to better their working conditions and ultimately, during a mining accident, sacrifices his life to save fellow miners.
Additional Information:
Screen captures and text uploaded by David Wilson
Also known as The Tunnel’ (US Title)
Contemporaneous with Bob’s location identification Dave Buckley has kindly provided us with his notes and findings with regard to his assessment of the facts. They can be read by clicking here, from which, hopefully, discussion with emanate.
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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
David (Paul Robeson) waits on a stone wall next to a train track. The next capture is part of the same shot which includes a river and Jonathan Horswell of the Railway Movie Database believed that the sequence may be in the Neath Port Talbot area, where a GWR mineral train is seen running alongside the river Neath on the line between Neath and Aberdare via Hirwaun. However a new insight from site visitor Bob seems to have solved this shot. It seems that Paul Robeson is on the A466 at location 51.714597, -2.680621. The GWR locomotive #4593 is travelling south along what was the Wye Valley Railway Line.
- Capture 2
- 'Now' required
The train approaches, with the track running alongside a river. Site visitor Dave Buckley noted that the head code (the position of the lamps at the front of the engine) is GWR for a '(class H) Freight, Mineral or Ballast train or train of empties carrying Through load to destination'. Site visitor Bob appears to have correctly identified the area as coordinates 51.714597, -2.680621. The GWR locomotive #4593 is travelling south along what was the Wye Valley Railway Line. These info means this is near the villages of Catbrook, Whitelye and Hewelsfield.
- Capture 3
- 'Now' required
David goes to grab onto the final wagon as the train continues through the valley. Again site visitor Bob, who by solving the previous two shots also solved this one. It’s the same location at the previous shots if you turn and look the other direction. You can match the tree line in the centre of the shot, as it looks much the same today. Bob also notes that in the foreground to the right of the river, a footpath now replaces the Wye Valley Railway Line.
- Capture 4
- 'Now' required
The train pulls up to a quarry. As far as the story is concerned it is still the same train, because after David gets into the empty wagon in Capture 3, he joins another character in there who is going on the same route. There is a dialogue scene before it then cuts to them arriving at the colliery. Despite the engine being a completely different one, there is no suggestion that they changed trains off camera. Although the film is set in Wales, this seems to be Silverdale Colliery in the village of Silverdale, near Newcastle-Under-Lyme in Staffordshire ST5. The colliery closed in 1998 and now the Silverdale Country Park exists on the site.
- Capture 5
- 'Now' required
The villagers hear the horn sound and rush to the pit. The road to the left is Hafod Lane in Hopkinstown, Pontypridd CF37 2PF. Site visitor Ken Lavender also adds that the road to the right is Troedyrhiw, which means ‘Foot of the Hill. He also notes that the wall has since been reduced in height and a new build house now sits where the end of the terrace used to join the wall. The Hetty Winding House, which is visible in the background, still stands and is maintained by a charity organisation aimed at preserving the heritage of the area and is part of the Great Western Colliery. The winding house itself is situated right next to the A4058 Gyfeillon Road just to the west of Hopkinstown, which also runs parallel to the Rhondda River.
- Capture 6
- 'Now' required
At a local castle the male choir perform, minus their conductor due to the mining accident and have an altered appearance at the Eisteddfod (Welsh word for 'session') of poetry and music. This is the outer main Gatehouse of Caerphilly Castle in Caerphilly, Glamorgan CF83 1JD.
- Capture 7
- 'Now' required
The group of down-on-their-luck miners decide to walk to London to try and appeal to the owners of their mine. Large crowds see them off. They are walking down Swan Street in Llantrisant, Glamorgan.
- Capture 8
- 'Now' required
The path through the crowds is at the bottom of Swan Street with Heol-Y-Sarn at the bottom of the slope in Llantrisant.
- Capture 9
- 'Now' required
A shot of the crowds as the camera looks back up Swan Street in Llantrisant.
- Capture 10
- 'Now' required
The crowds wave and cheer the miners as they disappear over an unidentified hill location.