From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

These Three (1936), adapted by Lillian Hellman herself from her 1934 play
The Children's Hour, directed by William Wyler

Hellman wrote the play based on a true story that took place in Scotland in 1810 brought to her attention by her cmpanion Dashiell Hammett.

Two women, Karen (Merle Oberon) and Martha (Miriam Hopkins) have just
graduated from college and fix up the run down farmhouse Karen inherited
to turn it into a boarding school for girls. They are, er, assisted by
Martha's aunt Lily (Catharine Doucet), who sponges off Martha during long periods in which she is an out of work stage actress.

Joe (Joel McCrea) is the doctor next door who falls in love with Karen
but whom Martha loves secretly; Lily sees this love triangle and is
determined to make trouble.

Lily is overheard by one of the girls, Rosalie, and another girl Mary
(Bonita Granville) decides to spread malicious gossip in revenge against Martha, who won't let her get away with cheating in class and bullying
and manipulating the other children and even her aunt. Martha's
grandmother is a wealthy widow with significant influence, largely
responsible for encouraging other parents to enroll their daughters.
Martha gets her grandmother worked up about the exposed love triangle,
which causes the school to fail as students are withdrawn.

Martha and Karen sue Mary and her grandmother for defamation and losses
but lose at trial as Lily, who actually knows a big chunk of the truth,
won't testify as her acting career has resumed.

23 year old Oberon is breathtakingly beautiful but her performance is
adequate. Miriam Hopkins is quite good. The two rotten character,
Catharine Doucet and Bonita Granville, are truly excellent. Granville is absolutely vile, torturing her roommates, lying and being manipulative,
and throwing fits. At the end of the movie, when Margaret Hamilton
playing the maid slaps her hard, audiences are said to have cheered.

Granville was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting
Actress, the only nomination of her career.

The emotions are higher and more appears to be at stake than in Wyler's
1961 subsequent adaptation that retained the implied lesbian love story
of the play but is uninspiring. Joel McCrea's Joe's character was
rewritten and expanded versus James Garner, his first movie after suing
Warner Bros. for breach of contract for Maverick. Garner is playing
against type; his Joe is unlikeable and weak and won't stand up for
Karen, whom he loves but she may love Martha, when the trouble starts.
Miriam Hopkins plays Lily in this version.
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From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

These Three (1936), adapted by Lillian Hellman herself from her 1934 play
The Children's Hour, directed by William Wyler

Hellman wrote the play based on a true story that took place in Scotland in 1810 brought to her attention by her cmpanion Dashiell Hammett.

Two women, Karen (Merle Oberon) and Martha (Miriam Hopkins) have just graduated from college and fix up the run down farmhouse Karen inherited
to turn it into a boarding school for girls. They are, er, assisted by Martha's aunt Lily (Catharine Doucet), who sponges off Martha during long periods in which she is an out of work stage actress.

Joe (Joel McCrea) is the doctor next door who falls in love with Karen
but whom Martha loves secretly; Lily sees this love triangle and is determined to make trouble.

Lily is overheard by one of the girls, Rosalie, and another girl Mary
(Bonita Granville) decides to spread malicious gossip in revenge against Martha, who won't let her get away with cheating in class and bullying
and manipulating the other children and even her aunt. Martha's
grandmother is a wealthy widow with significant influence, largely responsible for encouraging other parents to enroll their daughters.
Martha gets her grandmother worked up about the exposed love triangle,
which causes the school to fail as students are withdrawn.

Martha and Karen sue Mary and her grandmother for defamation and losses
but lose at trial as Lily, who actually knows a big chunk of the truth,
won't testify as her acting career has resumed.

23 year old Oberon is breathtakingly beautiful but her performance is adequate. Miriam Hopkins is quite good. The two rotten character,
Catharine Doucet and Bonita Granville, are truly excellent. Granville is absolutely vile, torturing her roommates, lying and being manipulative,
and throwing fits. At the end of the movie, when Margaret Hamilton
playing the maid slaps her hard, audiences are said to have cheered.

Granville was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting
Actress, the only nomination of her career.

Ironically, enough for playing herself.

The emotions are higher and more appears to be at stake than in Wyler's
1961 subsequent adaptation that retained the implied lesbian love story
of the play but is uninspiring. Joel McCrea's Joe's character was
rewritten and expanded versus James Garner, his first movie after suing Warner Bros. for breach of contract for Maverick. Garner is playing
against type; his Joe is unlikeable and weak and won't stand up for
Karen, whom he loves but she may love Martha, when the trouble starts.
Miriam Hopkins plays Lily in this version.

--
The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is still on my list.
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