The Loves of Joanna Godden *** (1947, Googie Withers, Jean Kent, John McCallum, Derek Bond, Chips Rafferty) – Classic Movie Review 7088

The Loves of Joanna Godden UK release poster by John Minton.

Director Charles Frend’s nicely done but mild 1947 Ealing Studios romantic drama, taken from Sheila Kaye-Smith’s novel Joanna Godden, is set in England in the Edwardian period. It is Romney Marsh, between Kent and Sussex, in 1905.

Googie Withers stars as young English sheep-farmer Joanna Godden, an iron-lady who defies the conventions of the era by running the farm she inherits, and also rejects the man she is expected to marry, and arouses the attentions of a trio of lovers (John McCallum, Derek Bond and Chips Rafferty).

[Spoiler alert] But love withers when Googie puts her Romney Marsh farm first and leaves the men to their fate – one of them weds her spoiled younger sister Ellen (Jean Kent).

It is an intriguing tale, slightly reminiscent of Far from the Madding Crowd. But Frend’s direction does not really pack the required punch, although he makes the most of the atmospheric location shooting views of the Romney Marshes, beautifully shot in black and white by Douglas Slocombe, and he ensures that the playing is highly engaging. Googie Withers stars with her real-life husband John McCallum (as her neighbour Arthur Alce, who loves her) and both help to spice up the proceedings, along with the fiery Jean Kent. They are three fine, charismatic stars.

Robert Hamer had an uncredited hand in the direction, taking over shooting some scenes were when Frend became ill. It was shot at Romney Marsh, Kent, England and at Ealing Studios, Ealing, London.

The Loves of Joanna Godden is directed by Charles Frend and Robert Hamer, runs 89 minutes, is made by Ealing Studios, is distributed by General Film Distributors, is written by H E Bates and Angus MacPhail, based on Sheila Kaye-Smith’s novel, is shot in black and white by Douglas Slocombe, is produced by Michael Balcon and Sidney Cole, is scored by Ralph Vaughan Williams and is designed by Duncan Sutherland.

Also in the cast are , Henry Mollison, Sonia Holm, Josephine Stuart, Alec Faversham, Grace Arnold, Ethel Coleridge, Gilbert Davis, Barbara Leake, William Mervyn, Frederick Piper, Edward Rigby, Betty Shale, Ronald Simpson, Fred Bateman, Douglas Jeffries, Ernie Fisher, Charles Whiteley, David Turk and Albert Thompson.

The film starts: ‘The world, according to the best geographers, is divided into Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Romney Marsh. The Marsh lies where Kent ends and Sussex begins. An austere land of windswept distances and scattered communities. Lonely now, but lonelier still in 1905.’

Vaughan Williams re-used the film’s love theme in his Sixth Symphony (1947).

It is available on The Ealing Studios Rarities Collection – Volume 4 DVD.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7088

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