United Artist (Mirisch Production)
This is the second film version of Lillian Hellman’s play, which had been film in 1936 as “These Three,” also by William Wyler.
Back then, the lesbian issue was muted, though Hellman had always maintained that the work was more about the malice and power of lies.
In Wyler’s well acted version, Audrey Hepburn and Shirley Maclaine play the leads, women who runs a girls school, and James garner is the man who comes between them, as Hepburn’s fiance.
Miriam Hopkins who played one of the leads in 1936, is now cast as the aunt.
Oscar Nominations: 5
Supporting Actress: Fay Bainter
Cinematography (b/w): Franz F. Planer
Art Direction-Set Decoration (b/w): Fernando Carrere; Edward G. Boyle
Costume Design (b/w): Dorothy Jeakins
Sound: Gordon E. Sawyer
Oscar Awards: None
Oscar Context:
This was the last film of Fay Bainter, who had been nominated before. The winner was Rita Moreno for the musical “West Side Story,” which also won the Sound Oscar. Martin Ritt’s “The Hustler” won the Cinematography Oscar (Eugen Shuftan) and Art Direction. The Costume Oscar went to Fellini’s “La Dolce Vita.”