The BBC television adaptation of How Green Was My Valley was one of Stanley Baker's final roles. He died of cancer in 1976, shortly after being awarded a knighthood.
Baker plays Gwilym Morgan. A proud miner and patriarch of the Morgan family.
All of the older children are miners, but the younger brood are not as grateful working in the pits. They want better conditions and pay. It leads to a family argument.
The youngest son Huw is badly injured and might not get to walk again. With the help of the kindly Reverend Gruffydd (Gareth Thomas) who recognises Huw's academic abilities. He gets a chance to learn and regain the ability to walk.
The first episode was surprisingly swift. It painted the picture of the Morgans. The women kept the house and fed the men folk.
The younger Morgans were discovering love for the first time, the eldest boy Ivor gets married to Bronwen in this episode.
It also highlighted how closely knit the communities could be. It could also be divided easily. Gwilym did not like being challenged by his sons and threw them out of the house.
Then there was the importance of religion. The late night wedding celebrations were interrupted by a firebrand elder of the church who had to be put down by Reverend Gruffydd.