The Stars Look Down

The Stars Look Down is a novel published in 1935 by A. J. Cronin that exposes the hardships faced by an English coal mining community. The story has been transformed into a 1940 motion picture and adapted for television in Italy (1971) and the United Kingdom (1975).

The narrative unfolds in the invented mining settlement of 'Sleescale' along the Northumberland coastline and 'Tynecastle' (Newcastle upon Tyne), mirroring authentic mining towns across the UK. Cronin, a Scotsman, drew upon his experience as Medical Inspector of Mines in the South Wales Valleys during the 1920s.

Covering a period from just before World War I through to the 1930s, the plot traces several life paths: a miner’s son who becomes a political advocate, a miner who climbs the social ladder into business, and the conflicted heir of a colliery owner.

Plot summary

The story centers on three principal characters:

• David (Davey) Fenwick, born into a mining family, pursues a career as an educator before becoming an MP who campaigns for nationalisation to enhance miners’ working conditions.
• Joe Gowlan begins as a coal miner but advances socially through roles such as a bookie’s assistant and by engaging in wartime profiteering.
• Arthur Barras, son of Neptune Colliery proprietor Richard Barras, grapples with his father’s harsh principles but lacks the resolve to challenge them.

Following unsuccessful strikes aimed at improving mine safety, Davey and Joe choose contrasting routes: Davey dedicates himself to political efforts for nationalisation, whereas Joe sides with the mine owners.

• Jenny Sunley, Davey’s socially ambitious wife, along with other characters, enriches the portrayal of community dynamics. Cronin offers a sympathetic depiction of workers while presenting mine owners with nuanced complexity rather than as mere antagonists.

The plot revolves around Neptune coal mine and a disastrous accident. The effects of the Great War are examined through characters’ varied reactions to conscription—ranging from volunteering and evasion to conscientious objection. The novel advocates replacing fragmented private ownership with nationalised mines.

Adaptations

The 1940 film The Stars Look Down is based on Cronin’s novel, co-written by him and directed by Carol Reed. It features Michael Redgrave as the idealistic Davey Fenwick and Margaret Lockwood as his wife, with their relationship receiving greater emphasis than in the book. The American version includes narration by Lionel Barrymore. The film is recognized as a New York Times Critics' Pick and is listed in The New York Times Guide to the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made.

In 1971, Radiotelevisione Italiana produced a miniseries titled E le stelle stanno a guardare, starring Orso Maria Guerrini, Andrea Checchi, Giancarlo Giannini, and Anna Maria Guarnieri, under the writing and direction of Anton Giulio Majano.

Granada Television developed a 13-episode series adaptation of The Stars Look Down in 1975, scripted by Alan Plater and directed by Roland Joffé alongside Alan Grint.

In 2004, playwright Alex Ferguson transformed the novel into a stage production for NTC Theatre Company. Directed by Gillian Hambleton, this ensemble piece featured five actors portraying multiple roles and received critical praise for renewing interest in Cronin’s work.

Appearances in Other Media

In Busman's Honeymoon (1937) by Dorothy Sayers, the character of Lord Peter Wimsey's mother starts reading The Stars Look Down but describes it as "quite gloomy and didactic."

The initial musical number in Billy Elliot The Musical is named "The Stars Look Down," as a tribute to Cronin's work.

The 1954 Japanese motion picture An Inn in Osaka (大阪の宿) prominently displays the cover of a Japanese edition of the novel.

Within William Trevor's short story "The Children," featured in Cheating at Canasta, a child is depicted reading her deceased mother's copy of The Stars Look Down.

The 2002 album Vapor Trails by Rush includes a track titled “The Stars Look Down,” which draws inspiration from Cronin’s novel.

External links

• Vermilye, Jerry. The Great British Films. Citadel Press, 1978, pages 49–51.
• Interview from Scotsman (2002)
• Entry for The Stars Look Down at the BFI Film & TV Database