These Three (1936) User Reviews

Powerful, beautifully acted film

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 24 August 2005]

"These Three" is an absorbing film that somehow manages to retain its integrity despite being different from the play, "The Children's Hour," on which it is based. Having seen the later film, "The Children's Hour," about two teachers accused of lesbianism, I wondered how the 1936 film would measure up. The answer: Brilliantly.

Part of the reason for this is, as Lilliam Hellman, the playwright herself stated - the play isn't really about lesbianism, it's about a children's lie. And the vicious, destructive lie of a child is still central here, though now it concerns the supposed affair of Miriam Hopkins and Joel McCrea, who is engaged to marry Merle Oberon, Hopkins' partner in a girls school. Another reason for the film's success is the flawless direction by William Wyler, and last but not least, a sympathetic trio. Hopkins is a standout with her strong, passionate performance.

Bonita Granville, the bad seed, is such an evil, blackmailing brat, that I'm sure when 1936 audiences saw Margaret Hamilton slap her, they broke into applause. I nearly did, and I was watching it alone! It's an unrelenting performance, though she's such a walking horror show, it's remarkable anyone believed her in her "earnest" moments, which were calculated, as only a monster's can be! Highly recommended.

Brilliant performance from Granville

[gbill-74877 · 8/10 · 27 March 2019]

With Miriam Hopkins, Merle Oberon, and Joel McCrea in the leading roles, I wasn't expecting to find them all upstaged by a brilliant performance from 13-year-old Bonita Granville. I knew very little about the film going in, and that was a good thing, as the film went off in an interesting direction. The setup is that Hopkins and Oberon play a couple of friends who start up a school in rural Massachusetts after graduating from college, and McCrea is a doctor who falls for Oberon. Granville's character is one of the challenges they have; she's spoiled, manipulative, a bully, and overall troublemaker in the school. Another is Hopkins' aunt (Catherine Doucet), a featherbrained leech who imposes herself on them. I won't describe the plot further, except to say that there's just enough of an inkling of truth about a rumor that is whispered about - or in the seeds of a possible truth - that it gives the story nuance, and helps enable a deceitfulness which is as clever and realistic as it is maddening (and it is quite maddening). William Wyler exercises the right amount of restraint as director - letting the events and emotions come to us (if that makes any sense), avoiding mundane tedium such as the details of a courtroom scene, and letting a deep cast deliver fine performances, another of which is from 12-year-old Marcia Mae Jones. It really makes me want to seek out 'The Children's Hour' (1961).

Cruel and Heartbreaking Story about the Destructive Power of a Lie

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 12 June 2014]

Karen Wright (Merle Oberon) and Martha Dobie (Miriam Hopkins) are best friends since college. When they graduate, they decide to move to Lancet to the farm that Karen has inherited from her grandmother to build a boarding school for girls. On the arrival, they meet Dr. Joseph Cardin (Joel McCrea) and he helps them to restore the farmhouse working hard. One day Karen meets the influent Mrs. Amelia Tilford (Alma Kruger) that helps them to get students including her spoiled granddaughter Mary Tilford (Bonita Granville). Out of the blue, Martha's arrogant aunt Lily Mortar (Catharine Doucet) arrives at the school and offers to give classes. Meanwhile Joseph proposes Karen and they are engaged to each other.

When the spiteful and compulsive liar Mary, who is a bad influence to the other girls, is punished by Karen after telling a lie, Martha has an argument with her snoopy aunt Lily in another room. Lily accuses Martha of being in love with Joseph and having encountered him in her room. Mary's roommate Rosalie Wells (Marcia Mae Jones) overhears the argument and tells Mary what Mrs. Mortar had said about her niece. The malicious Mary accuses Martha of being the lover of Joseph to her grandmother and Amelia spreads the gossip to the parents of the students that withdraw them from the school. Karen and Martha lose a lawsuit against Amelia and have their lives disrupted with the scandal. Further, Karen calls off her engagement with Joe since she is not sure that he is telling the truth.

"These Three" is a cruel and heartbreaking story that shows how destructive the power of a lie may be. William Wyler is among my favorite directors and this film is a little gem with a magnificent screenplay. In 1961, he remade this movie changing the title to "The Children's Hour" and using the theme of lesbianism instead of a triangle of love, and a tragic ending. Both movies are worthwhile watching and it is hard to pointy out which version is the better. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Infâmia 1936" ("Infamy 1936")

Love & Lies

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 16 August 2003]

Three innocent people have their lives shattered by malicious gossip.

THESE THREE is a vividly acted, excruciatingly dramatic look at how unrequited love & evil lies can undermine relationships and destroy reputations. Lillian Hellman authored the script (and altered the emotional bias) from her original play, The Children's Hour and director William Wyler created a film which never lets up in its emotional intensity. The viewer feels terribly for the three protagonists as they suffer unjustly and equally powerless to do anything about it.

Teachers Miriam Hopkins & Merle Oberon both love doctor Joel McCrea. One will win him, the other will hurt quietly. All three act at a perfect pitch, each performer complementing and supporting the other two, most especially when their characters experience the devastation created by a wicked student (played with chilling persuasion by Bonita Granville).

Two fine character actresses now in danger of being forgotten have important supporting roles. Catherine Doucet plays Hopkins' silly, vindictive aunt, a vain woman completely capable of doing the wrong thing every time. Alma Kruger plays Granville's wealthy grandmother, proud & patrician, she is seduced into doing much harm through her unwise love.

In a small role, Walter Brennan is a joy as a rustic taxi driver. Marcia Mae Jones is quite compelling as a child struggling against enormous iniquity. Marvelous Margaret Hamilton, as Kruger's no-nonsense hatchet-faced housekeeper, gets to deliver one of cinema's most satisfying face slaps.

Movie mavens will recognize an uncredited Greta Meyer as a Viennese waitress.

A chilling look at what a lie can do

[Southpaw-9 · 10/10 · 12 August 1999]

"These Three" is an extremely effective look at the damage a lie can cause. Bonita Granville gives a tour-de-force performance as Mary Tilford, a vicious student who ruins the lives of her two schoolteachers (Merle Oberon and Miriam Hopkins) by telling a lie about their private lives. Based on a play by Lillian Hellman (whose original plot dealt with lesbianism, which was changed for the film version to get past the censors), "These Three" is still a very good film. Miriam Hopkins also stands out as one of the victimized teachers. All in all, one well-acted and well-directed drama.

Like Great Classic Films? View This Great FILM !

[whpratt1 · 10/10 · 3 October 2003]

Anyone who loves great Classic films and great veteran actors of the real silver screen, view this film and see acting at its very best. Bonita Granville (Mary Tilford)"Nancy Drew Films" made you despise and hate her horrible role as a real BRAT! Merle Oberon, "The Lodger" '45 gave a great supporting role with Joel McCrea(Dr. Joseph Cardin) "The Virginian" '46. Miriam Hopkins(Martha Dobie) "Wise Girl"'37 showed her great beauty and charm as a love sick woman. If you look real close, you will see Margaret Hamilton (Agatha) "Wizard of Oz"'39 as a wise old housemaid who gets after the Brat (Mary Tilford). Last but not least, you can catch Walter Brennan(Taxi Drive)"Sea of Lost Ships"'54, driving a bomb of a cab in the very beginning of this great film classic. Enjoy this great FILM.

Best Child Acting in Film, Hands Down

[oceanchick · 6/10 · 21 August 2009]

This comment may contain general spoilers.

I swear this has to be the BEST child acting i've ever seen in a classic film in years, and i watch so many classics it's ridiculous. Sure, Mickey Rooney was a capable actor but sometimes I feel he IS acting. With the children in These Three, I was dumbstruck. William Wyler had his hands full w/ child actors in this film and Kudos w/ a capital K to Bill for pulling the best out of everyone.

Bonita Granville as Mary Tilford does a mind-blowing job grasping a tremendously dramatic role and she did it so believably and without force that her blackmailing threat to Rosalie and the confrontation scene w/ grandmother, and bulk of cast, I got goosebumps. She carried the part very much like Bette Davis in Of Human Bondage in her famous "wipe my mouth" scene. She did the scene so delicately, so conniving, with such convincing facial expressions and tonal inflections that I was spellbound. Marcia Jones as Rosalie was quite good herself to the point it makes me wonder what the poor girl was threatened with before the scene was shot.

I must say, too, that it is great to see Merle Oberon using her face in a way that doesn't make her look demented such as in Wuthering Heights. It was great to see her more natural, less possessed looking w/ her eyes. In this movie, she definitely was reeled in quite a bit and i credit Wyler for that. Miriam Hopkins was as beautiful, soulful and sad as ever.

Overall, I believe the child actor Bonita Granville stole the entire film, but I could feel Marcia's fear of her secret being discovered and punishment to ensue. I could feel Miriam's longing and Merle's calm sense of decency. As I said before, William Wyler managed to get performances that were spot on for the film, keeping the tone, believability and atmosphere as convincing as films of the 30s could be.

The cinematography was done very well, and Gregg Toland, who had his life cut short at 44, was very much a master of lighting and unique camera angles. A feeling of intimacy was established in a lot of the scenes in ways I can say I've never seen shot before. The 3 leads, standing in Ms. Tilford's living room on the day they go to find out what the issue is, standing side by side, and Toland puts the camera behind them. That little subtle angle conveyed so much emotionally that i'm surprised it wasn't mimicked over and over by every DP worldwide. He went on to DP such greats as Intermezzo, Citizen Kane, Little Foxes, and more, where his influential yet extremely subtle camera and lighting from These Three was turned on it's head, showing his extreme versatility.

This is a great film, especially for it's era. I'm a harsh critic, so I give it a 6.

Despite the changes to Miss Hellman's play, the movie is grand!

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 25 March 2007]

In Lillian Hellman's original play, THE CHILDREN'S HOUR, the scandal involved lesbianism--certainly NOT a topic they were allowed to address in Hollywood in the strengthened Production Code era. Starting around 1935, Hollywood bowed to pressure to clean up the movies and feature more wholesome images. While today some see this as a totally negative thing, you must understand that nudity, violence, crudeness and very adult topics were frequently used in films and there was no rating system. So, kids might go to the theaters and see rather graphic nude swimming scenes (TARZAN AND HIS MATE and BIRD OF PARADISE are good examples) or Frank McHugh giving someone "the finger" (PARATROOPER). As a result, SOME sort of system needed to be created, though I will admit some of the resulting products from Hollywood were a bit bland. In regard to THE CHILDREN'S HOUR, there was no way the studios would be allowed to discuss homosexuality during this era, so they changed the allegations to promiscuity between a man and a woman. This did NOT appreciably alter the play nor its impact and reportedly Miss Hellman was happy with the film despite this minor change--minor in that it resulted in only minor alterations to the script and kept the overall message intact.

The resulting film, THESE THREE, was produced by David O. Selznick, directed by William Wyler and starred Miriam Hopkins, Merle Oberon and Joel McCrea. With this terrific combination of talents and the Hellman script, it certainly isn't much of a surprise that the film was excellent throughout--and one of the better pictures of the 1930s. About the only negative at all about the play was the performance of young Bonita Granville. While generally very good (earning her an Oscar nomination), it was at times also a tad over-the-top--and she acted so histrionic that you wonder what sane person would believe all of her lies!!! If this had been toned down just a bit (making her a little more subtle), the film would have earned a 10. As it is, it's still a terrific film with an original and wonderful script.

I cannot tell a lie--brilliant!!

[Doylenf · 11 January 2003]

This version of Lillian Hellman's play "The Children's Hour" is by far more satisfying than the Audrey Hepburn-Shirley MacLaine remake in the 1960s which retained the lesbianism theme while revolving around a child's lie.

Instead, this earlier William Wyler version changes the slanderous lie to a heterosexual one--and none of the power is lost in the telling of a tale about a manipulative young girl's lie that destroys the lives of three innocent people.

The acting is all on an extraordinarily high level here--everyone, from Merle Oberon to Miriam Hopkins to Joel McCrea and especially little Bonita Granville (as a liar who even stoops to blackmail to keep her lie afloat). As the terrorized girl, Marcia Mae Jones is every bit as adept as the others in making the entire story a convincing one.

The power of a lie to destroy others has never been more effectively played out than it is here. Under William Wyler's direction, the screenplay has been expanded with enough outdoor scenes to keep the film from seeming like a filmed stage play.

Joel McCrea has never been more effective in a sympathetic role. He and Merle Oberon are impressive and wholly believable as the young lovers. Miriam Hopkins has a difficult role and she handles it brilliantly. Bonita Granville fully deserved her Oscar nomination as the monstrous girl, sparing nothing to make her one of the most hateful brats in screen history.

Well worth watching for some brilliant performances and a compelling story.

Spellbinding performances and timeless situations.

[sultana-1 · 10/10 · 24 May 2001]

Bonita Granville, in a remarkable performance, spreads vicious gossip and malicious rumors while never losing the affect of childhood innocence. Hopkins is 100% believable as the defiant teacher on the spot and Oberon complements her lead with a rather understated performance. Alma Kruger is wonderful as Granville's mother. In an amusing irony, the teachers finally find peace and self-respect in 1936 Germany !!! Nevertheless, this is an excellent film all around.

So Much Better Than "The Children's Hour"

[glmoritz · 8/10 · 4 August 2005]

I have seen "The Children's Hour" with Shirley MacLaine, Audrey Hepburn and James Garner a couple of times, and I realize that it is truer to the original play and had a definite shock value in 1961. But "These Three" is far more engaging. Miriam Hopkins (generally not one of my favorites), Merle Oberon and McCrae are far more appealing and the performances of Bonita Granville and Marcia Mae Jones are among the best child performances I've ever seen. Granville, who was also good as Bette Davis' thoughtless niece in "Now, Voyager" a few years later, makes a better young villainess than Patricia McCormack in "The Bad Seed."

The original 'Children's Hour'

[HotToastyRag · 7/10 · 2 July 2021]

Did you know The Children's Hour was a remake? The original was titled These Three, and due to the Production Code, Lillian Hellman's plot had to be altered. In 1936, lesbianism was a no-no, so instead, one woman is accused of having an affair with her friend's fiancé. That was scandal enough!

Merle Oberon and Miriam Hopkins run a girls' boarding school and live in separate rooms upstairs. Merle is engaged to Joel McCrea, and he frequently comes over for visits. When one disgruntled pupil, Bonita Granville, gets angry at Miriam, she lies and spreads it around that she saw Joel disappear into the wrong bedroom one night. It's vicious and mean-spirited, and it shows how awful some children can be. While both film adaptations are very good, it's hard for me to watch them because Bonita's character is so awful. Children can be careless creatures without awareness for the damage they do. Those who believe kids to be sweet, innocent cherubs haven't seen this movie.

A fun fact about the film: In the remake, Miriam Hopkins played her own aunt! Shirley MacLaine took her part, and Miriam played the self-centered aunt. It was fun to see her come out of the woodworks to act in the remake, and she was joined by another silver screen veteran: Fay Bainter.

Hellman's brilliance as a writer shines through ...

[bethelagcy · 9/10 · 27 September 2006]

Everyone told Sam Goldwyn that he had to be crazy to buy the film rights to this one. At the time (1930s), the lesbian theme of the play would have made a film version impossible to release. But, Goldwyn and Lillian Hellman came up with a version that kept intact the other central theme (the vicious lie told by Mary Tilford, the young girl played by Bonita Granville and the resulting damage to "These Three" lives). Of interest to trivia buffs is the fact that Miriam Hopkins (known by many as a "difficult" actress in her Hollywood years), who played Martha in this version, was brought back to play Martha's aunt (Lily Mortar) in the later (1960s) William Wyler version, which reverted to the original title of THE CHILDREN'S HOUR, and starred Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine. That version also was graced by the brilliant performance of Fay Bainter, who played Mary Tilford's grandmother. Watch her especially closely as she exits, after making her (rejected)apology and offer of restitution. Want a real treat? Read Hellman's script for the Broadway play ... and then watch both film versions, in either order.

Ill effects of gossip

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 26 April 2015]

I'm sure that Lillian Hellman when she sold the screen rights for The Children's Hour she had to know that her play about lesbianism would be totally changed by Hollywood. The Code was firmly in place now and even a subject that might be just hinted at would be forbidden now. For the three decades homosexuality could at most be discreetly hinted at.

Bearing that in mind These Three now changed to be just a heterosexual triangle with Merle Oberon, Joel McCrea, and Miriam Hopkins was a decent drama about the ill effects of gossip. And the gossiper received an Oscar nomination.

Oberon and Hopkins are teachers at a girl's school and Oberon is keeping company with Doctor Joel McCrea. But one night quite innocently McCrea is seen with Hopkins where they live by one of the girls. Bonita Granville had been chastised earlier on so now the evil little teen starts some gossip and as a result These Three have to defend themselves against something non-existent. That's usually the worst thing you ever have to defend yourself against, something totally made up.

William Wyler directed this one with sensitivity and taste. And he lived long enough to direct the real version of The Children's Hour in the Sixties. Miriam Hopkins appears in both in different roles.

Bonita Granville got an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress in the first year Supporting players were categories. But she lost to Gale Sondergaard playing a wicked adult in Anthony Adverse.

It's a good film but not as good as The Children's Hour. How could it be?

Rumours

[dbdumonteil · 8/10 · 28 September 2007]

I have a tendency ,unlike the other users,to like the remake best (made by Wyler too) .Probably because Lilian Hellman's play included hints at lesbianism,a subject which could not be treated in the thirties ,when Wyler was one of the specialists of the female melodrama.That's why I think that the 1963 movie was more exciting ,and still is ,still in 2007.I'm not sure that all the parents would accept a gay teacher ,but a ménage à trois has lost its scandalous side.

However "these three" is another Wyler's must,well acted by Merle Oberon ,Joel McCrea and Miriam Hopkins ,the latter being my favorite .Wyler is a master when it comes to tell a story.His depiction of the tiny school,of the manor are lovely.Maybe the horrid child overplays a bit -she is more convincing in the remake- but her young pal ,being blackmailed and afraid of being sent to a reform school ,is a good young actress.The scene when the two women meet McCrea for the first time is charming.

Powerful Children's Hour Variation - These Three

[arthur_tafero · 7/10 · 19 March 2022]

Lillian Hellman was quite an insightful writer. Writing a play that could have easily been thrown on the enormous pile of soap operas produced by Hollywood, and turning it into a work that seriously examines the interaction of teachers and students within a boarding school is not an easy task. But Hellman accomplished this task with style. Outstanding performances by a radiant Merle Oberon, a soulful Miriam Hopkins, and an earnest Joel McCrea make this not only the Queen of Soaps, but a fine drama as well. Bonita Granville steals much of the film as Mary. Add a star if you are a fan of complex soaps.

Early Hays Code "Forbidden Love" Story

[StrictlyConfidential · 5/10 · 11 November 2018]

Now more than 80 years old - "These Three" (from 1936) lets you clearly see just how Hollywood actually handled a "forbidden love" story once the tyrannical "Hays Code" was in effect. Like - Hello!?

Believe me - This particular "love triangle" situation (involving 2 beauties and one hunk) never, ever speaks out its name. Ever. Nope. Not even once.

These Three's story is nothing but an exercise in total sexual innuendo that skirts around, and around, and around its subject matter (ho-hum!) to the point of becoming downright nerve-racking from the perspective of the frustrated viewer.

These Three's screenplay was written by Lillian Hellman. It was directed by William Wyler.

Great acting

[pajjote2001 · 10/10 · 6 September 2007]

My favorites are actually Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Katharine Hepburn and Gary Cooper. So having These Three as a favorite movie may not make sense since none of these stars are in this film. BUT - the film is great - simply put. Joel Macrea, Miriam Hopkins and Merle Oberon were superb actors. And that Bonita Granville - the villainous child - is incomparable.

I've watched this movie many times and each time is an experience. Highly recommended. The plot may be outdated, nevertheless ,if you are able to go past that realizing this was afterall done in the 1930's, you will fall for the film like I have.

I am a big, big old movies buff - the black and whites...This film is one of the reasons why I'm partial to those bygone years.

not bad

[KyleFurr2 · 7/10 · 15 November 2005]

This movie was directed by William Wyler and he also directed a remake in 1961 that was actually better than this one. This version stars Merle Oberon and Miriam Hopkins as friends who open a school for young girls. Joel McCrea is a local doctor who loves Oberon and they get engaged but Hopkins loves him too and they don't know. Bonita Granville is a spoiled brat at the school who hates to be punished so she decides to get back at Oberon and Hopkins. Granville finds out Hopkins loves McCrea and she starts a rumor that Hopkins slept with McCrea and everyone finds out and takes their kids out of the school. In this version they leave out the part about them being lesbians like they had in the remake and this version has a much more upbeat ending then the remake.

The Goldwyn Touch on Full Display on the Lillian Hellman Adaptation of Her Play

[springfieldrental · 8/10 · 21 July 2023]

Independent producer Samuel Goldwyn had been in the movie business since 1913, yet it took another 23 years before the moniker, 'The Goldwyn Touch,' a term to describe his style of films, first became popular. Using the screenplay of Lillian Hellman, based on her controversial play 'The Children's Hour,' Goldwyn financed the March 1936 critically-acclaimed motion picture "These Three." It's no coincidence that William Wyler, just signed by the producer to a three-year contract, was the director for the Miriam Hopkins and Merle Oberon movie.

Hellman's original 1934 play was a hit on Broadway, but no reasonable producer would think of adapting its plot to the screen, with the Production Code censors guaranteed to chop it to shreds. The story of a private school student accusing two of its female teachers caught loving each other was a taboo subject in Hollywood. The incident was taken from an actual event Hellman's partner, detective writer Dashiell Hammett, found for her in a true crime story book. The only one showing any interest in adapting the play into a film, Goldwyn reported jokingly said when he was sternly warned about the love story, "That's okay; we'll turn them into Armenians." To skirt the censors who jumped in front of the potential controversy by banning the name of the original title or stating any connection to 'The Children's Hour,' Hellman recast the play's plot into a triangular love story with Martha Dobie (Hopkins) and Karen Wright (Merle Oberon) angling for the same guy, local physician Dr. Joseph Cardin (Joel McCrea).

Hellman's working title was "The Lie," centered around a snotty girl who didn't want to attend the new Massachusetts boarding school her grandmother, Amelia (Alma Kruger), a financial supporter of the school, was insistent she attend. The kid, Mary Tilford (Bonita Granville), catches Martha and Dr. Cardin friendly with one another. The juvenile embellishes her story, causing the mortified grandmother to not only withdraw her granddaughter from the school but told others to do the same. A court case filed by the three against Amelia for slander fails, shuttering their school.

"These Three" began director Wyler's working relationship with cinematographer Gregg Toland, whose photography draws out the sentimentality of the love story and its repercussions. Wyler wanted a strong lead to play the doctor, and favored actor Leslie Howard. Unbeknowst to Wyler, Goldwyn already secured the services of McCrea, whom the director considered a lightweight. The description of the director's lack of confidence in the actor got back to McCrea, resulting in quite a chilly attitude on the set between the two.

"These Three's" success proved to be a breakout role for child actress Bonita Granvill. Looking for someone opposite of the charming Shirley Temple, Wyler screen tested and selected Granville, who never had a substantial role before. The twelve-year-old's performance was so startling and convincing she was nominated for the Academy Awards Best Supporting Actress, making her the youngest to ever be nominated for an Oscar up until that time. Granville would have quite an active screen career until the late 1940s, unusual for a childhood actress. She was Nancy the amateur detective in the Nancy Drew series. So intimidated by the girl's acting on the set, Oberon complained to Goldwyn about the child's intensity, supported by McCrae. The producer lamented on the pair's chirping, saying "I'm having more trouble with you stars than Mussolini is with Utopia!" One of the highlights cited was when Margaret Hamilton, the maid in grandma's house, lets loose a massive slap on Mary's face, reportedly sending theater audiences clapping wildly.

The reviews for "These Three" were universally positive. Film critic for the Spectator Graham Green wrote glowingly, "I have seldom been so moved by any fictional film. After ten minutes or so of the usual screen sentiment, quaintness and exaggeration, one began to watch the incredulous pleasure of nothing less than life." Goldwyn's public relations department soaked up all the accolades, writing the producer's knack for "something that manifests itself gradually in a picture; the characters are consistent; the workmanship is honest; there are no tricks and short cuts; the intelligence of the audience is never insulted." That was "The Goldwyn Touch," a trait he successfully carried throughout the remainder of his movie career.

Critics universally claim the 1936 version of Hellman's play is far better than the 1961 remake Wyler made after the Production Code was relaxed, allowing the inference of the female lovers at the school instead of injecting a man into the love story. The modern update, with Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine and James Garner has been described as "flat," a label the 1936 film has never been accused. Besides Wyler, the only other person associated with the two movies was Miriam Hopkins, who played Martha's aunt, Lily. The 1961 film was the actress' first screen appearance in nine years.

Not as sensational as the original play due to the Movie Code, yet a pathbreaking attempt for child-centric films with a heterosexual change.

[SAMTHEBESTEST · 7/10 · 5 March 2023]

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.

True Lies

[lugonian · 10/10 · 21 July 2008]

THESE THREE (Samuel Goldwyn/United Artists, 1936), directed by William Wyler, based on "The Children's Hour" (1934) by Lillian Hellman, who also scripted the original story and screenplay, is a powerful drama expertly transferred to the screen with a timely message on how a spiteful teenager's lies can virtually destroy the lives and reputations of innocent people. Being more like something commonly depicted in 1950s cinema such as THE BAD SEED (1956) for example, THESE THREE can be categorized as ahead of its time.

The story revolves around best friends Martha Dobie (Miriam Hopkins) and Karen Wright (Merle Oberon), first presented as classmates graduating from college. While Karen has no living relatives, Martha has her meddlesome aunt, Lily Mortar (Catherine Doucet), a former actress who theatrical manner gets on her nerves. Following their ceremony, the girls decide to work together as teachers by forming their very own school. Taking an old abandoned farm house in Lancet, Massachusetts, Karen has inherited by her late grandmother, they, with the help of Joseph Cardin (Joel McCrea), their neighboring doctor, beekeeper and handyman, help turn a run down building into an established Wright and Dolbie School. The teachers successfully acquire the much needed students to get themselves established. All goes well until Mary Tilford (Bonita Granville), a mischievous child of a rich aunt (Alma Kruger) creates trouble for those around her. Aside from stealing a bracelet belonging to Helen Burton (Mary Louise Cooper) and placing the blame on the innocent Rosalie Welles (Marcia Mae Jones), she fakes heart attacks so not to be punished for her actions, though both Karen and Martha through her as a compulsive lier who needs help and strict discipline. Hearing rumors involving "these three" are enough for Mary to avenge herself on them by stretching the truth out of proportion to her aunt, forcing Rosalie to back up her statements. With Martha and Karen finding their pupils being taken out of school, and the doctor losing his position in the hospital, "these three" join forces in a courtroom battle, to only find their lives and reputations ruined beyond repair.

While the screen adaptation substitutes a romantic triangle over its original premise of Martha and Karen as suspected lesbians from the stage play, the film retains its powerful impact thanks to William Wyler's direction. When Wyler directed its remake, THE CHILDREN'S HOUR (1961) starring Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine and James Garner (along with Miriam Hopkins in the Doucet role), the story was not only brought up to date, but the lesbian theme retained. Comparing both versions, the original is no doubt the best of these two. Although the remake is well acted by the leading players, THE CHILDREN'S HOUR comes off as dreary, depressing and weakened by the lackluster performances by the children, especially Karen Balkin whose tantrums and outbursts can't parallel towards Granville's Academy Award nominated (supporting category) performance as the spiteful Mary Tilford. Before Granville played the lovable teenage sleuth Nancy Drew in four installments for Warner Brothers (1938-39), and other notable roles through her adulthood, she did a similar Mary Tilford portrayal in MAID OF SALEM (Paramount, 1937) as a vengeful girl whose spiteful lies lead to a Salem witch hunt. She proves herself a fine, intense young actress, especially when her motionless eyes show no remorse for her actions.

Considering Hopkins and Oberon as possible contenders as Academy Award nominees, Hopkins is most notable as the stronger of the two due to her forceful performance. Aside from keeping her emotions to herself over the man she loves, her heated arguments with her aunt, after refusing to testify for her in court, are realistically done. It seems interesting how the script constantly substitutes "Be still" for either "Be quiet" or "Shut up!"

While Hopkins, Oberon and McCrea are the only actors with their names presented in the opening credits, the supporting players, consisting of Walter Brennan who provides the film's lighter moments as a taxi driver who charges a dollar a mile; and Margaret Hamilton as Agatha, the Tilford Maid, in a brief but striking performance with the unruly child, are given the credit they deserve along with other members of the cast. The closing credits does not exist in the old 1986 VHS recording, though available in TV prints. Aside from presentations on commercial TV prior to 1990s, THESE THREE did have exposure on cable television throughout the years, ranging from Turner Network Television (1991-92); American Movie Classics (1992-1993); and Turner Classic Movies (2003-2005).

In closing, THESE THREE is another great movie from the Samuel Goldwyn archives. Nothing in this 93 minute presentation drags and no scenes unnecessary. (****)

Excellent drama

[preppy-3 · 8/10 · 8 November 2012]

Two friends (Miriam Hopkins and Merle Oberon) open up a school to teach young girls. Along the way Oberon falls for a handsome young doctor (a ridiculously pretty Joel McCrea). Unfortunately there's an evil young woman in school (Bonita Granville) who spreads a lie saying that Hopkins and McCrea are lovers behind Oberon's back...and their lives are destroyed.

Cleaned up version of "The Children's Hour" by Lillian Hellman. In the original play the two women were accused being lesbians...but that couldn't be done on the screen in 1936 so they turn it into a love triangle. The play was filmed faithfully in 1962 by the same director. Still this movie is very good on its own. The dialogue is almost identical to the play with minor changes. The acting is great, it moves very quickly, McCrea is impossibly handsome and it just draws you in. Well-directed too. The 1962 version (under "The Children's Hour" title) is good too but this is well worth seeing. Recommended.

A Grabber

[dougdoepke · 29 November 2020]

Plot- Two women college graduates turn an old house wreck into a girls school where both can teach. Trouble is an obnoxious student undercuts the school with wicked gossip. At the same time, both are stuck on the same man, a doctor.

Oh my gosh! Talk about nasty kids. Not since little Patty McCormack in the Bad Seed (1956) have I seen such a wicked little girl. Granville dominates the film as school girl Mary (note the ironic Biblical name), with a penetrating stare, a cunning manner, and a brutal core. If kids were honored with an Oscar, she deserved one. On the other hand, there's a persuasively appealing Martha Mae Jones as Mary's abused victim. In fact I was almost crying with her. Between them, they dominate the film's dramatic effect. Surprisingly, the two marquee actresses, Hopkins & Oberon, are more recessive, supplying two sides of a romantic triangle with McCrea as the male third part. The triangle, however, is dominated by the gossipy part, though the two do intersect at points. Meanwhile, in the background, producer Goldwyn has mounted an impressive production, especially that rat-in fested mansion in the first part.

Speaking of house wrecks, I like the way the movie shows the extensive labor involved in restoring it as a school where Oberon and Hopkins can teach. That way, we get a sense of tragedy when the two lose their hard-won investment. Still, I wonder how McCrea's doctor finds the time to do all the repair work he does. If the flick has a weak point, I think it's McCrea's who's an attractive leading man but much too foot-loose for a plausible doctor's role. All in all, his part appears poorly conceived. On the other hand, who better to get a commanding grip on nasty little Mary than the Wicked Witch of the West, which the great Margaret Hamilton does.

All in all, it's a compelling movie thanks mainly to the two over-arching young actresses. Together, they turn the work into a memorable look at the potential effects of errant gossip. So give it a try.