I first saw this film when it came out in 1950 when I was a child and was fascinated by the beautiful landscapes which reminded me so much of my former home in Ireland with its soft and dreamy countryside. I did not know at the time that it had been shot in Shropshire and was not aware that there was such a place as Shropshire. I was living at the time in the smoky outskirts of Manchester which had been despoiled by the worst excesses of the Industrial Revolution which co-incidentally had first seen the light of day in Shropshire of all places. For some reason the Industry moved out of Shropshire leaving behind a few traces such as the mine shafts, one of which figures so tragically in this film and others such as the first ever iron bridge which of course can be found at Ironbridge near where the film was made. Some years later I happened to go on an outing to Shropshire and was told by the people living near Church Stretton that the film had been made at Much Wenlock which was quite near there. I never got to go to Much Wenlock but I regularly visit there in spirit when I watch the film on my video. at this stage I must have seen it about 40 times - I watch old films whilst breakfasting at my home in Ireland to which I finally returned after 29 long years in Lancashire. I have read some of the other comments and I would agree that plot wise it is little more than a run of the mill Victorian bodice ripper. But I must heartily agree with one of the people who commented that this film evokes the quintessential essence of English landscape at its best. If it was a painting it would be by John Constable who captured the special something that Gone To Earth epitomises.
Review of Gone to Earth
