Classic Paul Robeson Film in rare Screening at Wrexham

Wed, 29 Sep 10 09:47:00

Proud Valley, the classic 1940 film starring Paul Robeson, will be shown at a free screening in the Odeon Cinema, Eagles Meadow on Thursday 7 October. The film is being shown by the National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales as part of a two month-long programme of events organised by the National Library of Wales in the Wrexham.

 

In Proud Valley Robeson plays the part of David Goliath, a Black American who arrives in Wales and wins the respect of the very musically oriented Welsh people through his singing. He shares the hardships of their lives, and becomes a working class hero as he helps to better their working conditions.

 

Robeson plays a kind of Afro-American hero never seen in Hollywood, one who combines his political and artistic ambitions in the image of a black working man who achieves kinship across boundaries of race and nationality. Years later, Robeson would remark that, of all his films, this was his favourite because it showed workers in a positive light.

 

During the 1930s he campaigned tirelessly on behalf of Welsh miners, and gave concerts to raise money for victims of the 1934 Gresford mining disaster. After the film, <cite>Robeson</cite> was never forgotten in Wales. In the years that the American government denied him a passport, the Welsh people were among the most vocal and active groups who came to his support.

 

Among the Welsh actors also appearing in the film are Rachel Thomas, Charles Williams, Jack Jones and Clifford Evans whose performances unite to give the film an air of reality.

 

‘We wanted to show a film from the Archive’s collection that people would enjoy seeing and would also be relevant to their own experience', said Iwan Jenkins of the National Screen and Sound Archive, ‘and Proud Valley fits the bill exactly. It shows life in Wales as it was lived by many generations of working people until fairly recently, especially in coal-mining areas, and the sublime voice of Paul Robeson conveys the high points and tragedy of their lives.’

 

The screening of Proud Valley kicks off a series of events over two months in Wrexham. They include:

 

Events

7 October – Film: Proud Valley at the Odeon Cinema, 19:30

 

12 October – What is the National Library? Ysgol Morgan Llwyd, 19:00

 

2 November – What’s in your Attic? Show us archives and tell us your story for the new www.peoplescollectionwales.co.uk website. Llay, 10:00 - 16:00

 

11 November – Open Night with NLW President, Dafydd Wigley. An evening of talks and presentations. Wrexham Guildhall, 18:30

 

11 November – Exhibition Opening of Old Photographs of Wrexham, (following the Open Night). Wrexham Library, 20:00

 

13 November – Family and Local History Open Day. Yale College, 10:00 – 15:00

 

 

Notes to the Editor

The National Library of Wales celebrated its centenary in 2007. The Library’s collections include:

 

• 5,000,000 books and printed material
• 1,500,000 maps
• 800,000 photographs
• 150,000 hours of sound recordings
• 250,000 hours of moving images
• 25,000 rare manuscripts
• 50,000 artistic treasures

 

 

Further information

Siôn Jobbins, NLW Press Office: 01970 632 902  post@llgc.org.uk

For full list of NLW’s events at Wrexham