{"id":78877,"date":"2021-12-20T22:31:20","date_gmt":"2021-12-21T05:31:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=78877"},"modified":"2021-12-22T09:23:19","modified_gmt":"2021-12-22T16:23:19","slug":"childrens-hour-the-1961","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=78877","title":{"rendered":"Children&#8217;s Hour, The (1961)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;What they are is their own business; but it becomes a lot more when children are concerned!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Poster-200x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-78878\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Poster-200x300.png 200w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Poster-684x1024.png 684w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Poster-86x128.png 86w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Poster-180x270.png 180w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Poster.png 741w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen a vindictive young girl (Karen Balkin) attending a boarding school run by friends Karen (Audrey Hepburn) and Martha (Shirley MacLaine) tells a lie to her grandmother (Fay Bainter) that Karen and Martha are lovers, the entire community erupts in scandal.\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>Audrey Hepburn Films<\/li>\n<li>Boarding Schools<\/li>\n<li>Fay Bainter Films<\/li>\n<li>James Garner Films<\/li>\n<li>Lesbianism<\/li>\n<li>Love Triangle<\/li>\n<li>Miriam Hopkins Films<\/li>\n<li>Morality Police<\/li>\n<li>Play Adaptations<\/li>\n<li>Shirley MacLaine Films<\/li>\n<li>William Wyler Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nWilliam Wyler directed two versions of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Children%27s_Hour_(play)\">Lillian Hellman&#8217;s 1934 play<\/a> about two women whose lives are ruined by a child&#8217;s lie: a 1936 version co-starring Miriam Hopkins and Merle Oberon entitled <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=35744\"><em>These Three<\/em><\/a> (in which all themes of lesbianism were removed), and this more faithful adaptation (keeping the original play&#8217;s name), with Hopkins returning as her original character&#8217;s meddling Aunt Lily: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Hopkins.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Hopkins.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"852\" height=\"514\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-78886\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Hopkins.png 852w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Hopkins-300x181.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Hopkins-128x77.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Hopkins-768x463.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Hopkins-448x270.png 448w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 852px) 100vw, 852px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and James Garner cast as Karen&#8217;s loyal fiance, Dr. Joe Cardin (originally performed by Joel McCrea). <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Garner3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Garner3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"852\" height=\"514\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-78887\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Garner3.png 852w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Garner3-300x181.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Garner3-128x77.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Garner3-768x463.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Garner3-448x270.png 448w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 852px) 100vw, 852px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, this updated version was made at a time when homosexuality was still largely considered as &#8220;awful&#8221; as the characters all proclaim it to be. As MacLaine stated in an interview she gave for the documentary <em>The Celluloid Closet<\/em> (1995): <\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;None of us were really aware [of the ramifications of the play&#8217;s central topic]. We might have been forerunners, but we weren&#8217;t really, because we didn&#8217;t do the picture right. We were in the mindset of not understanding what we were basically doing.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Indeed, one waits&#8230; and waits&#8230; to hear <em>any<\/em> of the characters questioning the fact that an implied lesbian relationship would merit such shock and scandal &#8212; but this never emerges; instead, we&#8217;re asked to simply believe that an entire school would be shut down within a few days given rumors about its owners&#8217; sexual preferences. While this may be realistic, it&#8217;s jarring to see it accepted without question: the <em>only<\/em> consideration is whether Balkin&#8217;s rumor &#8212; substantiated by her bullied classmate (Veronica Cartwright) &#8212; is true, not whether it merits a response of any kind. Speaking of Balkin, she&#8217;s much less &#8220;enjoyable&#8221; as a Bad Seed than Bonita Granville was in the original: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Balkin.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Balkin.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"852\" height=\"514\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-78891\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Balkin.png 852w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Balkin-300x181.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Balkin-128x77.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Balkin-768x463.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Balkin-448x270.png 448w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 852px) 100vw, 852px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Bainter, on the other hand &#8212; giving her final screen performance &#8212; is nuanced and note-perfect in a villainous role that she manages to imbue with humanity: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Bainter.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Bainter.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"852\" height=\"514\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-78881\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Bainter.png 852w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Bainter-300x181.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Bainter-128x77.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Bainter-768x463.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Bainter-448x270.png 448w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 852px) 100vw, 852px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and Franz Planer&#8217;s cinematography is gorgeous throughout. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Audrey Hepburn as Karen<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Hepburn.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Hepburn.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"852\" height=\"514\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-78883\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Hepburn.png 852w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Hepburn-300x181.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Hepburn-128x77.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Hepburn-768x463.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Hepburn-448x270.png 448w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 852px) 100vw, 852px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Shirley MacLaine as Martha<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-MacLaine.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-MacLaine.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"852\" height=\"514\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-78884\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-MacLaine.png 852w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-MacLaine-300x181.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-MacLaine-128x77.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-MacLaine-768x463.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-MacLaine-448x270.png 448w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 852px) 100vw, 852px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Fay Bainter as Amelia Tilford<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Bainter2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Bainter2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"852\" height=\"514\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-78893\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Bainter2.png 852w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Bainter2-300x181.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Bainter2-128x77.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Bainter2-768x463.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Bainter2-448x270.png 448w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 852px) 100vw, 852px\" \/><\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li>Franz Planer&#8217;s cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Viewing.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Viewing.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"852\" height=\"514\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-78880\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Viewing.png 852w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Viewing-300x181.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Viewing-128x77.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Viewing-768x463.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Viewing-448x270.png 448w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 852px) 100vw, 852px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"852\" height=\"514\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-78882\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Cinematography.png 852w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Cinematography-300x181.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Cinematography-128x77.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Cinematography-768x463.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Childrens-Hour-Cinematography-448x270.png 448w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 852px) 100vw, 852px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, though it&#8217;s worth a one-time look simply for its importance in the history of LGBTQ-themed cinema. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0054743\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1962\/03\/15\/archives\/the-screen-new-childrens-houranother-film-version-of-play-arrives.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/70824\/the-childrens-hour#articles-reviews\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;What they are is their own business; but it becomes a lot more when children are concerned!&#8221; Synopsis: When a vindictive young girl (Karen Balkin) attending a boarding school run by friends Karen (Audrey Hepburn) and Martha (Shirley MacLaine) tells a lie to her grandmother (Fay Bainter) that Karen and Martha are lovers, the entire community erupts in scandal. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Audrey Hepburn Films Boarding Schools Fay Bainter Films James Garner Films Lesbianism Love Triangle Miriam Hopkins&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=78877\"> 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":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78877","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78877","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=78877"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78877\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78985,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78877\/revisions\/78985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=78877"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=78877"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=78877"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}