The Children's Hour

Details

Release year: 1961

Storyline

A schoolgirl ruins her two headmistresses with a scandalous lie.

Top credits

Awards

0 wins & 5 nominations

Did you know

• Veronica Cartwright (Rosalie) said in an interview that she and the other children were told not to hang around with Shirley MacLaine on set because she "cursed a lot". They all did, however, because they thought she was "cool" and "very generous". She also became Cartwright's mentor throughout the making of the film.

• The original stage-play was partly inspired by an actual case in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1810. A pupil named Jane Cumming accused her schoolmistresses, Jane Pirie and Marianne Woods, of having an affair. Dame Cumming Gordon, the accuser's influential grandmother, advised her friends to remove their daughters from the boarding school. Within days the school was deserted and the two women had lost their livelihood. Pirie and Woods sued and eventually won, both in court and on appeal, but given the damage done to their lives, their victory was considered hollow.

• William Wyler cut several scenes hinting at Martha's homosexuality for fear of not receiving the seal of approval from the Motion Picture Production Code. At the time, any story about homosexuality was forbidden by the production code.

User reviews

Technical specs

Sound mix

Mono

Aspect ratio

1.85 : 1

Color

Black and White

FAQ

• Why did Audrey Hepburn walk away and not go to her doctor?
• What is "The Children's Hour" about?
• Is "The Children's Hour" based on a book?