User Reviews

This is a short film starring Edmund Gwen as a half-frozen juggler taken in by French monks centuries ago. Gwen is impressed by the decency of the monks and appreciates all they did to save his life. In fact, he's so appreciative that he tries to help out but just doesn't seem to fit in or have skills needed to prepare for the upcoming religious festival of the Virgin. So, in the end, he does what little he can by performing his juggling trick for the Madonna. At first, one of the more cynical monks (Hans Conreid) is taken aback by Gwen's performing in the chapel, but as he and the other monks approach, they see the statue come to life and extend its blessing to Gwen for his simple yet heartfelt gift.

It's a very lovely and sensitively made short that might be seen by some as being too "schmaltzy" (overly sentimental), but I enjoyed it and appreciated the film for its artistry.

*The Greatest Gift* (1942) Director Harold Daniels Writing credits Karl Kamb (Genre: Short/Drama)

Cast (in credits order): Edmund Gwenn....Bartholomew, the Juggler (Cast listed alphabetically): Hans Conried....Father Fabian; Lumsden Hare....Father Cyprian; Robert Emmett O'Connor....Brother Xavier;

In Medieval times a juggler, called by the name of Bartholomew, had little success making a living. On his way to another city for work, he was overtaken by illness and found laying by the side of the road by a group of Monks. They carried him to their monastery to care for him until he recovered and could travel again.

As recovery began to kindly show itself, Bartholomew began to take interest in what was going on around him. He wanted to know why the monks were so busy. For what were they getting ready. He was surprised to learn that while he has been ill, they have been preparing for a Christmas Festival. This was a special service coming up where the brothers would do all they could to glorify their Lady (Mother of their Lord) with their art and expertise.

Each Brother had a specialty. Whether it was cooking, woodworking, painting, sculpturing, they had trained to do it well. Poor Bartholomew tried to help but became more of a hindrance. The day of the Christmas Festival was held for the Lady, and each of the monks offered his gift, but dear Bartholomew still had nothing. ***Spoiler***Frustrated, he began to juggle. As he did his face began to change as years of uselessness and sorrow began to melt away. His juggling continued as her statue began to glow. The love in his heart touched Her and She reached out to touch him.***Spoiler*** A beautiful story for Christmas or Easter.

The Turner Classic Movie Channel occasionally has "A festival of shorts", and I watched some of them tonight. The first one was this film starring Edmund Gwenn, Lumsdale Hare, and Hans Conried. Set in the Middle Ages, Gwenn is a struggling street performer - a juggler. He is trying to get to Italy before the winter snows stuff up the passes of the Alps - there are street fairs in Italy that he can make a living at. But he is ill, and collapses in the snow outside a monastery. The Abbott (Hare) brings him in, and nurses him back to health - despite the snobby suspicions of Conried (he notices that the gold and silver monastic treasures are in a cabinet in the room next to that Gwenn is in, and starts closing the locked cabinet very openly in front of Gwenn). Hare, a kindly man, more than makes up for Conried's negative vibes, but he is willing to dismiss Gwenn's efforts to show his religiosity. Gwenn has no normal method of work or ability to use to show his fervor or devotion. But it saddens him when his juggling tools are belittled (tactfully as it is done) by Hare - but at the conclusion of the short Gwenn demonstrates that one can win divine acceptance of one's love of God by any means that comes from the heart. This is a very sweet short religious film.