Review of The Children's Hour (1961) by Sam I — 19 Mar 2007
The Children's Hour is far from the finest hour of anyone involved and there are several reasons for that. First is the script, overblown and melodramatic and very dated in its attitudes. The performances follow suit with the two main child actors in particular dancing on the last nerve of the audience as they shriek their way loathsomely through the movie.
Many of the adults are little better, theatrical turns come from Fay Bainter and Miriam Hopkins. Shirley MacLaine is better but undoes much good work with a completely OTT confession of love to Hepburn towards the end.
Hepburn, a better dramatic actress than she was ever credited as, is the saving grace; her acting is smaller, she lets her expressive face and eyes do much of the work for her and she's all the better for it.
William Wyler directs perfectly well, even if he does seem notably fond of close ups. But for Hepburn's fine performance The Children's Hour stands in 2007 as an anachronistic look at 1960's attitudes to sexuality and that, sadly, isn't really good enough.
This review of The Children's Hour (1961) was written by Sam I on 19 Mar 2007.
The Children's Hour has generally received positive reviews.
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