THESE THREE

In 1936 when William Wyler made this film of Lillian Hellman's play "The Children's Hour" the subject of lesbianism was strictly taboo on the screen, or at least in a film aimed at a commercial audience so the love that dared not speak its name was dropped in favour of a heterosexual triangle yet it worked and worked beautifully. Hellman herself did the adaptation of her play and the title was changed to "These Three"
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Apart from what appeared to be a somewhat minor adjustment to the plot, (even in the play lesbianism was never really the focal point of the piece but the lie that suggested it), the story remained very much intact; the lives of two women teachers at a private school they run together are destroyed by the malicious lies of an evil and vindictive child. The teachers were very well played by Merle Oberon and Miriam Hopkins and that very fine and hugely underrated actor Joel McCrea was the man in the middle while Bonita Granville was terrific as the little monster.

In 1961 Wyler remade the film under its original title and with the rumour of lesbianism reinstated but despite very good performances from Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine and Fay Bainter, (magnificent as the grandmother; an equally good Alma Kruger was the grandmother here), the remake never quite lived up to this version which is a highly intelligent and very grown-up example of the artistry of the studio system at its very best.