Memorable, crazy movie

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

This engaging, often very powerful drama was director William Wyler's first big success. While Lilian Helman's controversial play "The Children's Hour" was censored of lesbian themes due to the Production Code, and made into a triangle drama of two women in love with the one man, this is still a marvellous adaptation. It's a compelling, frightening look at how lies and suspicion can ruin several lives. The three leads are Miriam Hopkins, Merle Oberon and Joel McCrea. Oberon was never much of an actress but she was usually passable enough on screen, and here she outdoes herself, thanks to a good director and meaty material. McCrea is her fiancé that she suspects is having an affair with Hopkins, and he too turns in solid work. Hopkins gives a subtle performance that rises to a fever pitch as the accusations fly. However, it's Bonita Granville's poisonous schoolgirl who tells the lie who is truly unforgettable. Her Mary is surely one of the most spiteful little creatures ever put on screen. When Margaret Hamilton slaps her, I bet everyone would applaud! And this is from an actress who was best known as The Wicked Witch Of The West! Wyler worked with cinematographer Gregg Toland in this film as he would in the later "Wuthering Heights", "The Little Foxes" and "The Best Years Of Our Lives", and it's fair to say they work dramatic magic together. Toland was developing his famed deep-focus here, and the "triangle composition" within the shot works very well. Overall, there's not much to fault. It takes a little while to get into it though.

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.

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.

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.