The Children's Hour (1961)

Two young women (Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine) manage an exclusive boarding school for girls. When a nasty and venomous student (Karen Balkin) is disciplined, she retaliates by telling her grandmother (Fay Bainter) that the teachers are flaunting their lesbian affair in front of the students. The child's malicious lie has far reaching consequences for all concerned. Based on Lillian Hellman's 1934 hit play and directed by William Wyler, who had previously directed the first film version in 1936 under the title THESE THREE. The 1936 film changed the lesbian accusation to one of a love triangle between the two teachers and a man. THESE THREE is an excellent film and unfortunately, THE CHILDREN'S HOUR is often pushed aside in favor of the 1936 film. HOUR remains a potent piece of film making with terrific turns by MacLaine and Bainter and alas, remains as relevant today as it was in 1934. In actuality and why Hellman had no problem with the 1936 film, the narrative isn't about homosexuality but the destruction of human lives based on a child's hateful lie and the film has many similarities to the 1987 McMartin pre-school trial in California which lasted 3 years. The owners and staff were accused of sexual child abuse but all charges were dropped but lives were already irretrievably damaged. With James Garner, Miriam Hopkins (who played MacLaine's part in the 1936 film) and Veronica Cartwright.