These Three
Overview
Graduating from college, Karen (Merle Oberon) and Martha (Miriam Hopkins) open a school for young girls. Helped by local doctor Joe Cardin (Joel McCrea), they renovate a decrepit house that Karen owns. Karen and Joe fall in love. When local matriarch Mrs. Tilford (Alma Kruger) sends her granddaughter Mary (Bonita Granville) to the school, Karen and Martha's success seems certain. However, Mary is a spoiled child and congenital liar. When disciplined by Karen, Mary throws a fit, then runs away to complain to her grandmother. To bolster her complaint, Mary repeats what she overheard when Martha's aunt (Catherine Doucet) accused Martha of having an affair with Joe. Mrs. Tilford withdraws Mary from the school and informs the parents of the other girls--with disastrous results. THESE THREE is a version of Lillian Hellman's controversial THE CHILDREN'S HOUR. Unable to use the play's lesbian theme, Hellman, who wrote the screenplay, made changes--even reversing the play's tragic end. However, the result is compelling. Director William Wyler and his great photographer, Gregg Toland (CITIZEN KANE), produce many of their trademark compositions, and Merle Oberon gives a moving performance as Karen.
Awards:
Main Cast & Crew:
William Wyler - Director
Miriam Hopkins
Merle Oberon
Joel McCrea
Details
- Format: DVD (Full Frame, Manufactured on Demand)
- Run Time: 93
- Color Format: B&W
- UPC: 888574378707
- Genre: DRAMA
- Rating: Not Rated
- Release Date: February 2016
Movie Reviews
Synopsis:
In this early adaptation of Lillian Hellman's play THE CHILDREN'S HOUR, a vengeful adolescent girl ruins the reputation of two teachers when she lies about their treatment of her.
Notes:
Theatrical release: March 18, 1936.
While the controversial lesbian theme of THE CHILDREN'S HOUR made the play a sensation on Broadway, it caused many problems for the filmmakers. Producer Samuel Goldwyn paid $50,000 for the rights to it, but only with the understanding that the Hays Office would not allow him to use THE CHILDREN'S HOUR as the title or even to publicize that he had bought the screen rights to the play. And it was only after playwright Lillian Hellman persuaded director William Wyler that "It's not about lesbians. It's about the power of a lie. I happened to pick what I thought was a very strong lie" that the filmmakers were able to find a way to film it. Hellman wrote the screenplay herself.
THESE THREE brought together the talents of director William Wyler, producer Samuel Goldwyn, the great director of photography Gregg Toland, and editor Daniel Mandell. THESE THREE was the first of eight films that Wyler made for Goldwyn in what was often a stormy relationship--the others were DODSWORTH, COME AND GET IT--which Wyler finished after Goldwyn fired Howard Hawks--DEAD END, WUTHERING HEIGHTS, THE WESTERNER, THE LITTLE FOXES--also from a play by Lillian Hellman--and THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES. Toland was the director of photography on all but one of these movies--the exception was DODSWORTH. And Daniel Mandell was editor on all but one--with him the exception was COME AND GET IT. In addition, before THESE THREE, Mandell had already edited two earlier Wyler movies--COUNSELLOR-AT-LAW and THE GOOD FAIRY.
During the filming of THESE THREE, producer Samuel Goldwyn and director William Wyler often clashed. Jan Herman, Wyler's biographer, reports one incident: After viewing the scene in which Martha confesses to Karen that in fact she was in love with Joe, Goldwyn said, "I don't understand this scene. What's it all about?" Wyler believed that it was so simple that it could be understood by his young son Sammy, who happened to be there in the projection room with them. He asked Sammy what the scene was about. When the nine-year-old explained exactly what it meant, the furious Goldwyn retorted, "Since when are we making movies for children?"
William Wyler remade the film in 1961 as THE CHILDREN'S HOUR.
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