Rarely, if ever, do I rate the child as the star of a film, but Bonita Granville is very, very good as the odious, obnoxious, hateful, spiteful, spoiled "Mary" in this story of two teachers - Merle Oberon and Miriam Hopkins - who fall for the doctor - Joel McCrea. When these old friends try to discipline the ghastly child for persistent lateness, she flees to her wealthy grandmother and concocts a story designed to destroy their careers and their happiness. It's a simple story, well told, that conveys clearly the perils of telling lies. The lead performances are super, and well supported by Catherine Doucet; Alma Kruger as the doting grandmother and "Miss Gulch" herself - Margaret Hamilton - as the maid who sees through the child right from the outset. There are some fairly hefty alterations to Lillian Hellman's original play; the relationship between the women is entirely platonic in the film which was not the case on stage, but that's no great surprise given the commercial necessities of the time and it is still well worth a watch.
2022-03-28
