The Valley of Decision

Greer Garson, with a terrific Irish brogue, earned still another Oscar nomination. With the exception of 1940, Miss Garson was nominated for best actress from 1939-1945, a Hollywood record.

The film depicts the old problem of wealth vs. poverty. A pretty and pert Greer goes to work for the family of Gregory Peck. They are lovely, unpretentious people. Her dad, played by the irascible Lionel Barrymore, is a hot head if ever there were. His hot-headedness will ultimately lead to his downfall as the film goes on.

We see wealth and snobbery associated with it, especially by Peck's wife, brilliantly played by a young Jessica Tandy. In a change of pace, veteran movie mother, Gladys Cooper, comes off as a wonderfully, kind sort of matriarch married to the indomitable Donald Crisp.

The ending is great. All I can say is that fairness triumphs over snobbery. Class distinctions just seem to go away.