Gregory Peck & Greer Garson star in this 1945 love story from different economic strata as a town's steel mill evolves through the years. Garson decides to take a job as a domestic in a rich household (the very household which owns the steel mill) even though her father, played by Lionel Barrymore, is seething since he lost his legs in the factory (& now is confined to a wheelchair). Becoming an integral member of the family, Garson finds herself accepted, gaining the eye of Peck even though he is seeing someone his family will easily accept. As the years go on, we see the streamlining of the steel industry (a friend of Garson's family is developing a process to refine the ore more efficiently) & the work force (the employees want to unionize) which plays out as the romance between Peck & Garson asserts itself but due to an unfortunate confrontation between the mill owners & striking employees, people are killed making the lovers rethink their love. The performers are all excellent but due to the volume of the material being tackled, some areas are shorn of their importance (the ending is particularly curt rushing some characters off the screen just so the end credits can roll). Also starring Donald Crisp, as Peck's father, & Dan Duryea as his brother.
Review of The Valley of Decision
