(Semi-spoiler below)
There is one reason why this "sham" is better than the more literal 1962 remake of "The Children's Hour": Lillian Hellman. At least producer Sam Goldwyn had the taste and foresight to hire her to bowdlerize her own story!
Perhaps sensing a potential disaster, Hellman reached deep inside for a do-over that would preserve the integrity of her play.
She succeeded in part by playing up the romantic tension to the hilt against the morals of the day. Although "These Three" is as heterosexual as it gets, its details are quite sordid according to its dated upper-middle-class standards.
The adult performances are fine; Miriam Hopkins is indeed the best, but director William Wyler even makes a solid performance of Merle Oberon's haughty reserve. Here, it only reinforces the taboo proceedings.
Hellman really shines in her reconception of the evil child, one of the most disturbing, if infrequent characters in the history of storytelling. She does so more unflinchingly than Hollywood would again attempt until the (inferior) "The Bad Seed" (1956).
Hellman makes the bargain foolproof by way of a unique pathology: the worse things get for Bonita Granville's character, the smoother and more damaging are her lies. This is her unforgettable talent.
"These Three" is not quite a great movie; it's an excellent filming of a stage play. Still, as played by Bonita Granville, Hellman presents one of the most brilliant characters I've ever seen on the silver screen. Can you imagine how much better so many movies would have been with such simple yet ingenious insurance against plot holes?
Of course, extraordinary directing and acting are needed to make such a gambit pay off. Wyler and young Bonita deliver, as others have stated.
There is one reason why this "sham" is better than the more literal 1962 remake of "The Children's Hour": Lillian Hellman. At least producer Sam Goldwyn had the taste and foresight to hire her to bowdlerize her own story!
Perhaps sensing a potential disaster, Hellman reached deep inside for a do-over that would preserve the integrity of her play.
She succeeded in part by playing up the romantic tension to the hilt against the morals of the day. Although "These Three" is as heterosexual as it gets, its details are quite sordid according to its dated upper-middle-class standards.
The adult performances are fine; Miriam Hopkins is indeed the best, but director William Wyler even makes a solid performance of Merle Oberon's haughty reserve. Here, it only reinforces the taboo proceedings.
Hellman really shines in her reconception of the evil child, one of the most disturbing, if infrequent characters in the history of storytelling. She does so more unflinchingly than Hollywood would again attempt until the (inferior) "The Bad Seed" (1956).
Hellman makes the bargain foolproof by way of a unique pathology: the worse things get for Bonita Granville's character, the smoother and more damaging are her lies. This is her unforgettable talent.
"These Three" is not quite a great movie; it's an excellent filming of a stage play. Still, as played by Bonita Granville, Hellman presents one of the most brilliant characters I've ever seen on the silver screen. Can you imagine how much better so many movies would have been with such simple yet ingenious insurance against plot holes?
Of course, extraordinary directing and acting are needed to make such a gambit pay off. Wyler and young Bonita deliver, as others have stated.