The Children's Hour

This is a great movie. This film was certainly ahead of it's time. It was extremely controversial when it came out in the early 60's and has to do with gay rights. It's based on avery famous play from Lillian Hellman and it's directed by WilliamWyler (The Best Years of Our Lives, Roman Holiday, Ben-Her), and it stars Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine, James Garner, Miriam Hopkins, Fay Bainter, Karen Balkin, and Veronica Cartwright. The acting is amazing from everyone but Shirley MacLaine steals the show. This coming from a huge admirer of Hepburn. Heart breaking and wonderfully filmed, the "Children's Hour" is a terrific movie. See it!

I just watched "The Children's Hour" for the first time this evening. I must say that I was very impressed. Hepburn and MacLaine gave brilliant performances as the two headmistresses of a girl's school. The cinema photography was outstanding and the direction and writing were fantastic.

Turner Classic Movies ran this gorgeous film this evening and the comments that were made after the run brought several thoughts to mind. After viewing the movie, I decided to get on-line and see what others had to say about this film.

The one comment that was made tonight was that it was thought that the film didn't really `appeal' to the heightened sensibility of the audiences of the 60's. However, I felt that the movie was timeless in its observations and portrayals of its two main characters. Grant it, homosexuality was NOT the main focus of this movie but it does play a very important, albeit, small role.

In today's society, homosexuality is more widely accepted than it was at the time this play was written. However, there is one area in society that it is still 'taboo' to be gay and that is in the teaching profession. There are STILL, more than 40 years after this movie was made, teachers that cannot be who they really are for fear of losing their jobs, the respect of their peers and the trust of parents. Grant it this is not in every part of the country, in every town, but it is still as thus in small-town America. I know this for fact, as I am the life-partner of a teacher. I know what it is like for him to have to hide who he really is and the torture that he goes through because of it. Children can say some very vicious things and I have seen what it can do to a person first-hand. This is why I feel that this picture is very 'true to life'; because in so many ways this is still the way things are today.

Indeed, more people should see this movie! Maybe people would think before spreading rumors. This is a prime example of what one comment can do to a person's life and how it can snowball.

In this remarkable film, a child's malicious lie destroys the lives of two young teachers. The child lies to avoid school because "everyone there hates me." The lie is believed because it is compounded by idle ramblings. Then it is upheld by a girl who is lying only to protect herself. This piece plays remarkably well today as it shows that children do lie even when they don't really know what they are talking about. Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine are remarkable in this work as they show the emotional upheaval that a simple lie can cause.

It's always a shame when classic movies' breakthroughs have been so overdone that watching the original loses its meaning. I hope when you watch The Children's Hour you can appreciate how groundbreaking and scandalous it was in 1961.

Based on a Lillian Hellman play (that's your cue to prepare yourself for a very heavy movie), Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine play two teachers at an all-girls school. One of the students is a terrible, pot-stirring brat, and she starts a rumor about her two teachers. She claims she saw them kissing, and the aftermath of her accusation wreaks havoc on the good friends' careers and lives. In the original film, the evil-minded child says she saw one woman's fiancé go into the bedroom of the other woman. That was all that could get past the censors in 1936. Audrey Hepburn does have a fiancé, James Garner, but there are no sparks flying between him and Shirley MacLaine. In fact, when you watch the movie for a second time, you can really see the animosity and resentment Shirley feels towards him.

The acting in this movie is fantastic. Fay Bainter's supporting role as the little girl's grandmother is the best of her career. Given very little dialogue, her face speaks volumes during every scene. Miriam Hopkins, another old timer, gets to play Shirley's self-centered aunt - and in a cute casting choice, she played Shirley's role in the original version. This is one of the last movie you'll get to see James Garner do any real acting, before he got typecast as "the scrounger". Shirley really steals the show, though. She knows when to take the backseat, and she knows when it's her turn to shine; when she does, she sends goosebumps up your arms. The Academy made her wait until 1983 to receive an award. Here at the Hot Toasty Rags, we were very happy to award her in 1961 for The Children's Hour.

This is a tough movie to watch, so only rent it when you're in the mood for something heavy. Obviously, moral discussions will abound afterwards, but what gets under my skin the most is the trouble-making child. So often, children and teenagers do damage without realizing the consequences. I hope someday young people will be less selfish and learn to see the bigger picture. Revenge, self-righteousness, and deception are terrible qualities. Hopefully The Children's Hour can teach a valuable lesson.

The themes explored in The Children's Hour are far from dated, so i just can't conspire to other writers who feel this way.

Karen and Martha are best friends who share a home together, they also work at the same all Girls school. Mary Tilford is a spiteful little child, when she is caught out for a lie she is duly scolded. In retaliation she starts casting doubts about the nature of Karen & Martha's relationship, pretty soon the gossip spirals out of control and the ladies are faced with empty classrooms and strained relations at home. A court case is in the air, but just what will be the outcome with a society so quick to frown on something that they deem unnatural?, regardless of it being truth or fiction.

Coming as it did in 1961, The Children's Hour was something of a brave picture, possessing as it does, a plot strand about lesbianism. Yet the film is itself a remake of These Three from 1936, tho also penned by Lillian Hellman {William Wyler directing both pieces}, These Three was built around a heterosexual tryst. The force driving The Children's Hour on is its willingness to explore a then frowned upon topic, whilst simultaneously running a plot arc about the power of a devious tongue, the innocence of youth a cloak shielding bitter intentions. Audrey Hepburn is a wonderful piece of casting, her portrayal of Karen is very restrained, giving the character an aura of worth and gracefulness. James Garner plays Karen's beau, Dr. Joe Cardin, he's a crucial part of the story but Garner never really dominates the screen in the way you feel the character should, however in the face of the films best performance, it's probably understandable that Garner is hardly worth a second glance. That best performance comes from Shirley MacLaine, it's a towering acting job full of wrought emotion and steely determination, it's only during the films last quarter do you realise just how well MacLaine has layered Martha. MacLaine and Hepburn are very different in acting styles, and this makes The Children's Hour a character piece to savour in any decade. 8/10