The Children's Hour

A fairly faithful rendition of Lillian Hellman's study of implied lesbianism in an all-girls school. William Wyler directed both versions of this story, the first being THESE THREE, a much milder adaptation of the play. Hepburn and MacLaine are headmistresses of a private school for young girls. Balkin is the ill-tempered, undisciplined, pre-teen granddaughter of Bainter, the town's leading dowager. Every other word out of Balkin's mouth is false, and when she is punished for one of her lies, she runs to Bainter and tells her that MacLaine and Hepburn have an "unnatural relationship" without fully understanding what she is talking about. The effect of this lie is d...