Hollywood loves a remake, but the history behind The Corn Is Green movie feels different. Most people stumble upon it late at night on Turner Classic Movies and wonder why such a massive star—usually Bette Davis—is wearing a gray wig and teaching coal miners how to read. It's an odd premise on paper. An aging spinster moves to a remote Welsh village, discovers a literal diamond in the rough working in the pits, and dedicates her life to getting him into Oxford.
Honestly, the story shouldn't work as well as it does. It’s based on the semi-autobiographical play by Emlyn Williams, first hitting the London stage in 1938. Williams actually lived this. He was a boy from a Welsh mining family who met a teacher named Sarah Grace Cooke. She changed everything for him.
When you watch the 1945 version of The Corn Is Green movie, you're seeing more than just a period piece. You’re seeing Warner Bros. at the height of its studio-system power. Bette Davis was only 36 when she filmed it, which is wild because her character, Miss Moffat, is supposed to be well into her 50s. She insisted on looking the part. She wore a "fat suit," donned a dowdy wig, and fought the studio to ensure she didn't look like a glamorous movie star playing dress-up.
The Battle of the Miss Moffats
It's impossible to talk about The Corn Is Green movie without comparing the two titans who played the lead role. In 1945, it was Bette Davis. In 1979, it was Katharine Hepburn.
Davis plays the role with a sharp, almost aggressive intellectualism. Her Miss Moffat is a woman who uses her brain as a shield against a world that doesn't know what to do with an independent female. She’s flinty. When she discovers Morgan Evans—played by John Dall in his film debut—she doesn't just want to help him. She wants to colonize his mind. It’s a fierce performance.
Then you have the 1979 made-for-TV version directed by George Cukor. By this point, Katharine Hepburn was actually the right age. Her portrayal is softer, more melodic, and deeply steeped in the Welsh landscape. Cukor actually filmed it on location in Wales, whereas the Davis version was shot entirely on a backlot in Burbank.
Which one is better? It depends on what you want.
If you want the grit of a 1940s drama where the shadows are heavy and the stakes feel like life or death, go with Davis. If you want a lush, atmospheric look at the Welsh countryside with a legendary actress in her twilight years, the Hepburn version wins. The 1979 film actually feels more "real" because you can see the dampness of the stone walls and the mist on the hills.
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Why a Story About Welsh Coal Miners Still Hits
You’d think a movie about a 19th-century literacy project would be boring. It isn't.
At its core, The Corn Is Green movie is about the terrifying, exhilarating power of potential. Morgan Evans is a young man who has been told his entire life that his only purpose is to dig coal until his lungs turn black or a tunnel collapses on him. Then Miss Moffat shows up. She tells him he’s a genius.
That’s a heavy burden.
The movie handles the "savior" trope better than most modern films because it acknowledges the cost. Morgan resents her. He hates that she’s stripping away his identity and his connection to his friends. There’s a scene where he explodes, shouting about how he’s sick of "Greek and Latin" when his hands are covered in dirt. It’s a raw moment that grounds the film in class struggle rather than just sentimental "inspiring teacher" cliches.
The Supporting Cast That Made It Work
While the leads get the glory, the 1945 film wouldn't be half as good without Joan Lorring. She played Bessie Watty, the girl who almost ruins everything by seducing Morgan. Lorring was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and she earned it. She’s the perfect foil to Miss Moffat’s rigid morality.
Then there’s Nigel Bruce. Most people know him as Dr. Watson to Basil Rathbone’s Sherlock Holmes. In The Corn Is Green movie, he plays The Squire. He’s the local gentry who Miss Moffat has to manipulate into supporting her school. His performance provides the much-needed levity in a story that could otherwise feel too somber.
Behind the Scenes Drama
Bette Davis was notoriously difficult on set, but for this film, her passion was fueled by a desire to honor the source material. She had seen Ethel Barrymore play the role on Broadway and was obsessed with it.
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The production was delayed by World War II, and there were constant arguments about the script. The studio wanted more romance. Davis wanted more social commentary. Davis won.
Interestingly, the 1945 film had to navigate the Hays Code, the strict censorship rules of the time. The subplot involving Bessie Watty’s pregnancy had to be handled with extreme delicacy. In the play, it’s much more explicit. In the movie, it’s all about subtext and "shameful secrets," which, honestly, makes it feel even more claustrophobic and tense.
The 1979 Remake: A Different Beast
When Katharine Hepburn took the role, she was 71. This was her tenth and final collaboration with director George Cukor. They were basically cinematic soulmates.
The 1979 version of The Corn Is Green movie feels like a love letter to the theater. It’s slower. It breathes. Hepburn brings a vulnerability to Miss Moffat that Davis lacked. You get the sense that Hepburn’s Moffat needs Morgan Evans just as much as he needs her. She’s lonely.
This version also features Ian Saynor as Morgan Evans. Unlike John Dall in the original, Saynor was actually Welsh. This adds an authenticity to the accent and the cadence of the dialogue that the 1945 version lacks. When Saynor speaks, you hear the music of the valleys.
Legacy and Where to Watch
Is The Corn Is Green movie still relevant? Absolutely.
In a world where the "education gap" is still a massive talking point, the story of a kid from a forgotten town fighting his way into an elite institution resonates. It’s the original Good Will Hunting or Educating Rita.
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You can usually find the 1945 version on Prime Video, Apple TV, or through the TCM app. The 1979 version is a bit harder to track down—often relegated to DVD or boutique streaming services—but it’s worth the hunt for Hepburn’s performance alone.
There was even a 1990 stage revival and various TV adaptations in other countries. The story is universal. It’s the "Pygmalion" myth but with more soot and higher stakes.
How to Experience The Corn Is Green Properly
If you're going to dive into this, don't just put it on in the background while you fold laundry. It’s a dialogue-heavy film. The "action" happens in the debates between characters.
- Watch the 1945 version first. It sets the standard for the Hollywood melodrama. Pay attention to the lighting; the way the schoolroom is filmed makes it look like a sanctuary.
- Read about Emlyn Williams. Knowing that he actually escaped the mines because of a woman like Miss Moffat makes the ending hit ten times harder.
- Compare the endings. The way Davis handles the final sacrifice is vastly different from how Hepburn plays it. Davis is a martyr; Hepburn is a mother.
Ultimately, The Corn Is Green movie isn't just about a teacher and a student. It’s about the friction that happens when two different worlds collide. It’s about the fact that once you open your mind, you can never really go back to the "safety" of the dark.
For anyone interested in the Golden Age of Hollywood or the evolution of the "inspirational teacher" genre, this is required viewing. It’s sharp, it’s a bit cynical, and in the end, it’s surprisingly hopeful.
Next Steps for Film Buffs:
Check out the 1945 film on a platform like TCM or Criterion Channel. If you've already seen it, track down the 1979 Hepburn version to see how location filming changes the entire emotional weight of the script. After that, look into the career of Emlyn Williams—his play Night Must Fall is another masterpiece of tension that couldn't be more different from this one.