<P> William Wyler , the original director , saw the screen test of McDowall and chose him for the part . Wyler was replaced by John Ford . Fox wanted to shoot the movie in Wales in Technicolor , but events in Europe during World War II made this impossible . Instead , Ford had the studio build an 80 - acre authentic replica of a Welsh mining town at Brent 's Crags ( subsequently Crags Country Club ) in the Santa Monica Mountains near Malibu , California . </P>
<P> William Wyler , the original director , saw the screen test of McDowall and chose him for the part . Wyler was replaced by John Ford . Fox wanted to shoot the movie in Wales in Technicolor , but events in Europe during World War II made this impossible . Instead , Ford had the studio build an 80 - acre authentic replica of a Welsh mining town at Brent 's Crags ( subsequently Crags Country Club ) in the Santa Monica Mountains near Malibu , California . </P>
where was how green was my valley filmed
where was how green was my valley filmed
Santa Monica Mountains near Malibu , California
Santa Monica Mountains near Malibu , California