The superb THESE THREE is William Wyler’s first screen adaptation of Lillian Hellman’s play THE CHILDREN’S HOUR (1934).  Despite the necessary (for the time) deletion of the play’s lesbianism, THESE THREE is far superior to Wyler’s more faithful and permissive remake of 1961, which retained the original title.  THESE THREE proved that the potency of Hellman’s play came not from its daring gay content, but, rather, from the force with which it addressed the power of a lie.  The 1961 film, starring Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine (in the lesbian role), is a shrill and ponderous drama, whereas THESE THREE is poignant, riveting, and intensely charged.

With the possible exception of George Cukor, no director from Hollywood’s Golden Age was as adept as Wyler at bringing plays to the screen.  Look at his versions of DODSWORTH (1936), DEAD END (1937), THE LITTLE FOXES (1941), and THE HEIRESS (1949), among many others, all of which work as model theatrical adaptations and purely cinematic experiences.

The love triangle in THESE THREE was forced into becoming heterosexual because of the Production Code, but the adjustment feels inconsequential when you consider the film’s excellence in every department, most notably in its performances.  Miriam Hopkins (in the formerly lesbian role) and Merle Oberon, both often erratic in their overall effectiveness throughout their careers, were never better in dramatic roles than here as the best friends who open a school together.  When Joel McCrea enters, and both women fall for him (quite sensibly), it sets in motion a plot of destruction engineered by little devil Bonita Granville, truly frightening as a monstrous student. 

Hellman’s own screenplay for THESE THREE is beautifully crafted, chilling in its emotional cruelties but also deeply romantic and affecting.  Stunningly photographed by Gregg Toland, it’s one of the finest films of 1936, yet it didn’t receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination.  With Hopkins and Oberon at their best, and the underrated McCrea topping both women’s performances, THESE THREE is one of Wyler’s finest achievements.  Then there’s the phenomenal supporting cast:  heartbreaking Marcia Mae Jones; formidable Margaret Hamilton, as the servant who gets to slap Granville; glorious Catharine Doucet as Hopkins’ hateful actress aunt; and Alma Kruger as Granville’s grand but foolish grandmother.  

The 1961 film restored the lesbian angle, yet that film plays as much more dated and politically incorrect than THESE THREE does.  In 1936, Hopkins exits the film determined to move on and make a new start; in 1961, MacLaine commits suicide in the manner of many a self-loathing gay character of the 1960s.  With Wyler’s gift for maintaining a light tone in the in-between scenes, thereby creating a feeling of real life being lived, THESE THREE never suffers from the heavy-handed artifice of the 1961 film. 

Before my book SCREEN SAVERS was published in 2007, we decided to cut ten of the essays, making the book about 40 movies instead of 50.  One of the deleted pieces, or “lost episodes,” is about this marvelous movie.  Someday, that essay will see the light of day, and you can read much more about my feelings for this movie, but for now please seek it out.  Savor the effortless gifts of the wonderful McCrea, while realizing that Hopkins and Oberon were better than you thought they were.