{"id":35744,"date":"2016-01-13T10:43:44","date_gmt":"2016-01-13T17:43:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=35744"},"modified":"2021-01-19T11:55:27","modified_gmt":"2021-01-19T18:55:27","slug":"these-three-1936","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=35744","title":{"rendered":"These Three (1936)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;They&#8217;ve got secrets, Grandma &#8212; funny secrets!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Poster-199x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"199\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-35745\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Poster-199x300.jpg 199w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Poster-85x128.jpg 85w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Poster.jpg 297w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 199px) 100vw, 199px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen the spoiled granddaughter (Bonita Granville) of a socialite (Alma Kruger) becomes angry at her boarding-school headmistresses (Merle Oberon and Miriam Hopkins) and seeks revenge, she spreads malicious lies about a love triangle between Oberon&#8217;s fiance (Joel McCrea) and Hopkins, and involves her innocent classmate (Marcia Mae Jones) in the deception. Meanwhile, Hopkins&#8217; self-absorbed, histrionic aunt (Catherine Doucet) does nothing to help her niece during the time of crisis.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Boarding School<\/li>\n<li>Bonita Granville Films<\/li>\n<li>Evil Kids<\/li>\n<li>Joel McCrea Films<\/li>\n<li>Love Triangle<\/li>\n<li>Merle Oberon Films<\/li>\n<li>Miriam Hopkins Films<\/li>\n<li>Morality Police<\/li>\n<li>Play Adaptation<\/li>\n<li>Revenge<\/li>\n<li>Teachers<\/li>\n<li>Walter Brennan Films<\/li>\n<li>William Wyler Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary writes that this &#8220;compelling adaptation of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Children%27s_Hour_(play)\">Lillian Hellman&#8217;s play <em>The Children&#8217;s Hour<\/em><\/a>&#8221; still &#8220;seems bold&#8221; despite the fact that &#8220;Hellman did away with the play&#8217;s lesbian theme&#8221;. He notes that the film&#8217;s &#8220;strength lies in its exploration of several interesting females (young, middle-aged, and old) and their relationships with one another: we can compare the friendship of Oberon and Hopkins with that of Granville and her outcast pal Jones&#8221; (though I would argue their power-driven interactions hardly constitute a &#8216;friendship&#8217;) &#8220;and the [strained] relationship between Hopkins and&#8230; Doucet with that of Granville and Kruger&#8221;. (McCrea is the &#8220;only male with a large part&#8221;.) <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Oberon-McCrea.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Oberon-McCrea.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-64473\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Oberon-McCrea.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Oberon-McCrea-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Oberon-McCrea-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Oberon-McCrea-360x270.png 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I agree with Peary that this probably represents one of Oberon&#8217;s &#8220;finest performances&#8221;, and the rest of the cast is top-notch as well &#8212; most notably Doucet as &#8220;Aunt Lily&#8221;:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Doucet2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Doucet2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-64474\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Doucet2.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Doucet2-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Doucet2-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Doucet2-360x270.png 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and Granville and Jones in key juvenile roles. Indeed, Granville&#8217;s sociopathic Mary Tilford gives <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=2070\"><em>The Bad Seed<\/em><\/a>&#8216;s Rhoda Penmark a run for her money (not an easy feat), and Jones effectively radiates the soul-crushing fear felt by a young girl caught in the grips of a vicious bully. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Jones2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Jones2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-64471\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Jones2.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Jones2-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Jones2-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Jones2-360x270.png 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> Director William Wyler re-adapted the play in 1961 as <em>The Children&#8217;s Hour<\/em>, starring Shirley MacLaine and Audrey Hepburn, and utilizing &#8220;the lesbian theme&#8221; &#8212; but many feel this earlier outing is the better adaptation. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bonita Granville as Mary Tilford<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Granville.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Granville.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-35746\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Granville.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Granville-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Granville-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Marcia Mae Jones as Rosalie<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Jones.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Jones.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-35749\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Jones.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Jones-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Jones-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Catherine Doucet as Aunt Lily<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Doucet.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Doucet.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-35748\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Doucet.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Doucet-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Doucet-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Gregg Toland&#8217;s cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-35747\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Cinematography.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Cinematography-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/These-Three-Cinematography-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as an early Wyler classic. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Important Director<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0028356\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1936\/03\/19\/archives\/heralding-the-arrival-of-these-three-at-the-rivoli-charlie-chan-at.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/brightlightsfilm.com\/lesbian-vanishes-three-lillian-hellmans-adaptation-childrens-hour-1936\/#.Vo9JwhUrIU0\">Bright Lights Film Journal Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cinematicthreads.com\/review.php?id=870&#038;ltr=T\">Cinematic Threads Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/92794\/these-three\/#articles-reviews?articleId=18608\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.timeout.com\/london\/film\/these-three\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;They&#8217;ve got secrets, Grandma &#8212; funny secrets!&#8221; Synopsis: When the spoiled granddaughter (Bonita Granville) of a socialite (Alma Kruger) becomes angry at her boarding-school headmistresses (Merle Oberon and Miriam Hopkins) and seeks revenge, she spreads malicious lies about a love triangle between Oberon&#8217;s fiance (Joel McCrea) and Hopkins, and involves her innocent classmate (Marcia Mae Jones) in the deception. Meanwhile, Hopkins&#8217; self-absorbed, histrionic aunt (Catherine Doucet) does nothing to help her niece during the time of crisis. Genres, Themes, Actors,&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=35744\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35744","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35744","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=35744"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35744\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64475,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35744\/revisions\/64475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=35744"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=35744"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=35744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}