Love on the Dole and the Clergy

Walter Greenwood’s unemployment novel Love on the Dole (1933) and subsequent play (1935) and film versions (1941) have not been seen by historians, literary or film critics as having obvious connections to organised religion or its ministers. This article will put that right by exploring the considerable clerical commentary and public debate from all denominations about the significance of Greenwood’s novel and its adaptations at the times of their appearance.