These Three (1936) :
Movie Review -
Not as sensational as the original play due to the Movie Code, yet a pathbreaking attempt for child-centric films with a heterosexual change. Lillian Hellman's "The Children's Hour" (1934) has sensational writing and a taboo-breaking concept that still stands the test of time. However, due to movie codes in the early talkie era, even a genius like William Wyler had to compromise on its sensationalism. These Three takes the story from The Children's Hour and replaces lesbian romance with heterosexual romance and also adds a happy ending, which was quite mandatory those days. I think it might have left Wyler restless to put out a compromised version of a sensational topic, and that's why remade it again in the 1960s, when movie codes were less strict. I have seen the 1961 cinematic adaptation too, and it's a classic because it represents everything from Hellman's play. Instead of a gunshot, it was hanging, and the last walk, were two specific changes. But that doesn't mean "These Three" is a weak film. Considering the 30s moviemaking, I can allow myself to say that this was a pathbreaking attempt. Especially because it had a child as one of the major central characters. It's mind-shattering to see that someone dared to make such a child-centric film at that time. We all have that perception in our minds that a child-driven film has to be light and funky, but this film broke that perception. Moreover, the solid performances by Miriam Hopkins, Merle Oberon and Joel McCrea leave you speechless. I must say, the screenplay was adopted smartly, if you have to look at the kind of romantic films that were made in those days. Most of my favourite Wyler movies came in the post-'40s, but These Three and Dodsworth have to be my top favourites from the '30s. Kudos to the visionary filmmaker and the way he set his own evolution as per contemporary filmmaking.
RATING - 7.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Not as sensational as the original play due to the Movie Code, yet a pathbreaking attempt for child-centric films with a heterosexual change. Lillian Hellman's "The Children's Hour" (1934) has sensational writing and a taboo-breaking concept that still stands the test of time. However, due to movie codes in the early talkie era, even a genius like William Wyler had to compromise on its sensationalism. These Three takes the story from The Children's Hour and replaces lesbian romance with heterosexual romance and also adds a happy ending, which was quite mandatory those days. I think it might have left Wyler restless to put out a compromised version of a sensational topic, and that's why remade it again in the 1960s, when movie codes were less strict. I have seen the 1961 cinematic adaptation too, and it's a classic because it represents everything from Hellman's play. Instead of a gunshot, it was hanging, and the last walk, were two specific changes. But that doesn't mean "These Three" is a weak film. Considering the 30s moviemaking, I can allow myself to say that this was a pathbreaking attempt. Especially because it had a child as one of the major central characters. It's mind-shattering to see that someone dared to make such a child-centric film at that time. We all have that perception in our minds that a child-driven film has to be light and funky, but this film broke that perception. Moreover, the solid performances by Miriam Hopkins, Merle Oberon and Joel McCrea leave you speechless. I must say, the screenplay was adopted smartly, if you have to look at the kind of romantic films that were made in those days. Most of my favourite Wyler movies came in the post-'40s, but These Three and Dodsworth have to be my top favourites from the '30s. Kudos to the visionary filmmaker and the way he set his own evolution as per contemporary filmmaking.
RATING - 7.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.