Our Town **** (1940, Frank Craven, William Holden, Martha Scott, Thomas Mitchell, Fay Bainter, Guy Kibbee, Beulah Bondi) – Classic Movie Review 8785

Director Sam Wood’s 1940 nostalgic romantic drama Our Town is a smashing vintage movie.

Thornton Wilder’s 1938 Pulitzer Prize-winning stage play (now a recognized classic of American theatre) about a pre-World War One New Hampshire small town becomes a popular sentimental movie, with co-screen-writer Frank Craven playing the druggist who, as narrator, guides us round Grovers Corner.

The folks include Thomas Mitchell as Dr Frank Gibbs, Fay Bainter as his wife Julia and William Holden (at 22) as his son George, as well as Guy Kibbee as newspaper editor Charlie Webb, Beulah Bondi as his wife Myrtle and Martha Scott (in her début) as his daughter Emily. It will probably come as no surprise to learn that, very soon, Holden is romancing Scott.

Aaron Copland’s music adds a further element of distinction, as do William Cameron Menzies’s production design and Lewis J Rachmil’s art direction. But Our Town’s main delights are the play source material and the splendid character actors.

It was Oscar nominated as Best Picture, one of six nominations but, surprisingly, there were no wins. Also Best Actress (Martha Scott), Best Art Direction, Black-and-White (Lewis J Rachmil), Best Sound, Recording (Thomas T Moulton), Best Music, Score and Best Music (Aaron Copland), Original Score (Aaron Copland).

Also in the cast are Stuart Erwin, Doro Merande, Philip Wood, Ruth Tobey, Douglas Gardner, Arthur B Allen, Charles Trowbridge, Spencer Charters, Dix Davis, Tim Davis, Tom Drake and Dan White.

Our Town is directed by Sam Wood, runs 90 minutes, is made by Sol Lesser Productions/ Principal Artists Productions, is released by United Artists, is written by Thornton Wilder, Frank Craven, Harry Chandlee, based on Thornton Wilder’s play, is shot in black and white by Bert Glennon, is produced by Sol Lesser, is scored by Aaron Copland and is designed by William Cameron Menzies and Lewis J Rachmil.

Although Oscar nominated in her debut it proved Scott’s only Oscar nominated performance.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8785

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com