User Reviews

Directed by Mervyn LeRoy, with a screenplay by Anita Loos that was based on a story by Ralph Wheelwright, this slightly above average biographical drama is noteworthy as the first film to pair Greer Garson with Walter Pidgeon; they made eight movies together!

Garson earned her second Best Actress Academy Award nomination playing Edna Kahly Gladney, who assisted homeless children with finding homes and fought the Texas legislature to remove the label 'illegitimate' from birth certificates. Pidgeon plays 'Sam' Gladney, an entrepreneurial businessman who'd charmed the Wisconsin born former Miss Kahly away from her fiancé (John Eldredge) and courted her through the mail for a year while establishing himself in the Texas wheat industry. He returns to Green Bay to marry Edna with her father's (Samuel Hinds) approval. Fay Holden plays Mrs. Kahly.

Felix Bressart plays a pediatrician, Dr. Max Breslar, who delivers the Gladney's first and only child and becomes a family friend and confidant. Marsha Hunt plays Edna's adopted sister Charlotte at the beginning of the story. When faced for the first time with the stain of illegitimacy per her would-be in-laws (Kathleen Howard and George Lessey), Charlotte commits suicide, an act which (along with the death of her own son, some 7 years later) would powerfully affect and influence Edna's future actions. William Henry played Charlotte's fiancé.

Henry O'Neill makes a brief appearance as Judge Hartford, who recuses himself in a civil case involving a greedy ex-father (Marc Lawrence) so that Edna can attend the legislative session that's to decide on the illegitimacy issue. Clinton Rosemond plays the Gladney's longtime servant Zeke; Theresa Harris plays their maid Cleo.

After the Gladneys settle in Texas, and the tragic death of their 5 year old son (Richard Nichols), Sam and Max convince Edna to stop trying to forget the tragedy and direct her energy from parties to the needs of parenting. Though she resists adopting a needy foundling girl, Edna opens a home to care for the children of twenty mothers who must work during the day. Unfortunately, a downturn in the wheat industry forces the couple to the brink of bankruptcy. Soon, however, Edna discovers some unwanted children and opens another facility to care for these homeless orphans; she funds her cause by going door-to-door for donations and eventually travels the state of Texas, gratefully collecting enough nickels and dimes to support it - her Texas Children's Home and Aid Society.

Sam dies but Edna, with help from Max, works on. Pat Barker plays Tony, an orphan who serves as a surrogate son of sorts for Edna. One day, a young woman named Helen (Mary Taylor), who's found herself in a situation (of stigma) similar to Charlotte's, opens Edna's eyes to the need to strike the word 'illegitimate' from the state's birth records. Her fight carries her to the Texas legislature (Harry Hayden, Selmer Jackson, Clarence Kolb, Emory Parnell, Douglas Wood, and Will Wright are among those who appear uncredited as Senators), where she's successful.

One last tear-jerking sequence plays out at Christmas-time when a couple, who'd recently lost their own child (Byron Shores and Fay Helm, uncredited), wants to adopt Tony; Edna, initially, resists despite Max's advice and counsel.

The film was nominated for Best Picture by the Academy; its Color Art Direction-Interior Decoration won the Oscar and its Color Cinematography was Oscar nominated.

As with most Hollywood movies of most eras, this film's portrayal of Edna Gladney is far from accurate. But then again, that wasn't the point, was it? What was the point? A starring vehicle for Greer Garson. I am one of those people who believe that Garson was one of the greatest of the actresses around in the 1940s and into the 1950s. So that's the reason I watched this film; I love Greer Garson. And despite the inaccuracy of the film in terms of biography, Garson doesn't disappoint in her portrayal.

I suppose the general topic -- illegitimacy -- was a problem for this film, even in the 1940s. That may be a reason for some of the inaccuracies about the main character and her story. So, just take it as a movie script, not a biography; that way it's a great story.

In addition to Garson in the main role, Walter Pidgeon is here as her Texan husband. This was their first film (of many) together. They fit together well, and Pidgeon was excellent in the role. Felix Bressart -- a wonderful character actor -- plays the doctor who helps Garson develop homes for illegitimate orphans. He doesn't disappoint either. Pat Barker as the child Tony is remarkable, but it seems as if this was his only screen role.

This is not one of Garson's films which will wind up on my DVD shelf, but I enjoyed it.

Edna Gladney, 1881 – 1961, was among a handful of selfless saints of the 20th century who gave their lives to helping others, especially the needy, downtrodden, abandoned and unwanted. Gladney was a native of Wisconsin who moved to Texas and married a businessman there. Although much of her family and early life are highly fictionalized in the film (she did not have an adopted sister who committed suicide, nor a son who died as a boy), she was moved by the plight of orphans, abandoned children and those born out of wedlock as "unwanted." She unselfishly dedicated the rest of her life to helping and caring for such children. The acting and portrayal as scripted in this film are fantastic. Edna Gladney was a great person and Greer Garson gave tremendous heart to her role.

As the film shows, Edna Gladney had her detractors for her humanitarian efforts. There were some in society then who looked on orphans and abandoned children as outcasts, misfits and something less than human. Nor was her work easy. She struggled for many years to raise the funds to support her Texas home for children. She met apathy among many in the public, and endured the criticism of those who opposed helping the downtrodden. Today, Gladney is recognized as a true hero and humanitarian.

Movies were also made about two other such heroes with similar stories in the 20th century. Father Edward Flanagan was a priest who founded Boys Town near Omaha, Nebraska, to take in boys from the streets and the courts. Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney starred in a 1938 movie about Boys Town. Then, in the middle of the century, a young nun from Albania left a comfortable teaching position in a religious order in India, with no money or resources, and began ministering to the dying on the streets of Calcutta. By the time she died in late 1997, Mother Teresa's order of nuns ran more than 600 centers for the poorest of the poor around the world. Two films have since been made about Mother Teresa.

In watching "Blossoms in the Dust" recently, it struck me how history seems to repeat itself and how so many in society fail to learn from the lessons of our past. That includes the press and our education systems that miss or gloss over past events or great achievements. A real recent example was the criticism of the late Mother Teresa from some who accused her of self-interest and selfish motives for her work. Imagine that! Yet, none of those accusers have opened a single food kitchen, hospice for AIDs patients, or home for orphans or the dying.

Thankfully, most people are not too quick to dismiss the good of such modern day saints as Mother Teresa, Father Flanagan, and Edna Gladney. And, of course, those are only a few of the many who lived in the last century whose inspiring life stories serve as good examples to spur all of us on to give and to help others. Thanks to the writers and the film industry leaders who brought these inspiring stories, and others, to the screen.

This is a wonderful movie about a modern day hero with an excellent performance by Greer Garson.

This is one of about 9 films that Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon made together and all of them are well worth watching. MGM found an excellent combination of the two actors and usually had the best writing and direction in their films--and this one is no exception.

The story is about Sam and Edna Gladney. The couple had one child who was tragically killed and the couple couldn't have any more kids. So instead, they invested their lives caring for orphans and other needy children. It's all very inspirational and sweet--and, believe it or not, it reminded me of such Garson/Pidgeon films as "Madame Curie" in style as well as what will ultimately happen to poor Walter! Well made all around. Some might find it all a bit too sweet, but I enjoy a film like this now and again.

Blossoms in the Dust was nominated for Best Picture in 1941, a year which included the likes of Citizen Kane, perhaps the greatest film ever made, and The Maltese Falcon. Why do I point this out? Because Blossoms has no business being on the same list as those films nor some of the other '41 nominees. How the brass at MGM ever thought this would make for interesting biopic is beyond me. The story of Edna Gladney, who committed her life to finding homes for "foundling" children, hardly makes for a compelling on-screen drama. Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon are both decent actors, and they try their best to make the film work, but there is next to no chemistry between them and the film overall just doesn't work. There is a lack of emotional depth throughout the film as events such as the suicide of Gladney's adopted sister, the death her son and, ultimately, her husband take place. Garson is pleasant enough in the film, but her performance is just not Oscar-worthy (she was nominated for Best Actress) and she hardly radiates the screen as she does in the following year's winner, Mrs. Miniver. Blossoms is an "OK" enough film, but it is quite possibly the worst of 1941's nominees. If it had not been nominated, no one would ever really care about it.

Dedicated to Edna Gladney. Copyright 2 July 1941 by Loew's Inc. Presented by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. A Mervyn LeRoy production. New York opening at Radio City Music Hall: 26 May 1941. U.S. release: 25 July 1941. Australian release: 24 December 1941. 10 reels. 8,947 feet. 99 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: Public-spirited woman campaigns to have birth registration records amended so that the legitimacy (or otherwise) of children is not recorded.

NOTES: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Annual Award for Art Direction in color was shared by Cedric Gibbons, Urie McCleary and Edwin B. Willis (defeating Blood and Sand, and Louisiana Purchase) . Also nominated for Best Picture (How Green Was My Valley), Best Actress, Greer Garson (Joan Fontaine in Suspicion), and Color Cinematography (Blood and Sand).

Number 10 in the annual Film Daily poll of U.S. film critics.

COMMENT: This first of the nine movies Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon made together hardly augured well for Mr. Pidgeon's future career. Not only is his name half the size of Miss Garson's on the film's credits, but his role is rather small. His character dies half-way through, leaving all the dramatic running to the oddly popular Garson. (I can understand that the actress' "grand manners" and air of patronizing refinement could make her popular in some feminine quarters, but I always found her artificial and - if given her head - cloying. She was well cast in Mr Chips and Pride and Prejudice where her roles called for brittle snobbery).

The script has an unfortunate habit of telegraphing its punches well ahead, enabling Greer to glide with ease from one domestic crisis to another. Nonetheless, the drama does come across effectively in some of its key scenes, particularly the address to the Texas Senate (with which scene the film ought to have closed. Instead it drags on for another 20 minutes or so, lovingly tying up a tedious sub-plot about a nursed-back-to-health crippled boy). Partly this is due to the excellent mounting (photography, sets, costumes) and production values MGM have poured into the picture, but mostly to the quality of the support cast.

With the exceptions of Felix Bressart, Clinton Rosemond and Theresa Harris (who seem to be reveling in their ridiculously stereotyped roles), all the support players give interesting, if not fascinating performances. Most of the other roles are brief - limited to one or two scenes - but those players make their mark. One must be singled out for special praise: Marsha Hunt who overcomes a lack of depth in the writing to give Charlotte an appealingly tragic dignity.

LeRoy's direction is competently bland, while other technical credits (especially the costumes and photography - Miss Garson makes a stunning first appearance in a blue costume and picture hat) are highly professional. The only exception is Stothart's unbelievably heavy-handed music scoring with its consistently "Mickey-Mouse" use of "appropriate" tunes like "Two Little Girls In Blue" and "Deep In the Heart of Texas".

It's Greer Garson up against some prune faced old bats who use their own judgments of what they believe is morally right and a feeling about infants that is obviously so wrong. Garson takes on the courts of Texas to have the word "illegitimate" removed from the records of foundlings she seeks to find homes for.

It's up to the individual viewer to judge the facts vs. what is presented in one of MGM's biggest hits of the early 1940's. As the first of many teamings of Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon. She's a real life innovator of the adoption system, but evidence has arisen that this is a semi- fictional account of her life. But in spite of all that she really did. It's up to Garson to prove that old cliché that there is no such thing as illegitimate children, only illegitimate parents.

Garson got a well deserved second Oscar nomination for this, mainly because of her court appearance where she utters those immortal words, rather controversial for a movie made at the height of the Hays code. The typical MGM gloss is added, along with a ton of sentiment through cute babies and adorable adolescents. Yet the film lightly moves from the tragedies of Edna Gladney's loss of her own child (allegedly fictional) and the sudden death of husband Pidgeon.

Also apparently fictional is the discovery that her sister (Marsha Hunt) was illegitimate herself, committing suicide thanks to the cruel way mother-in-law not to be Kathleen Howard university exposed it. Equally prickly Cecil Cunningham plays a pickle pussed society matron who gets in a snit because she can't use her position to go through special channels and avoid the red tape just so she can get a child obviously for not quite noble motives. Three other OKs bats confront Garson over her goals, giving me the impression that the writer associated ugly souls with harsh looks.

Still, in spite of the obvious falsehoods and manipulations of sentiment, I couldn't be impressed. I easily got past Garson having her black handyman build two new cradles for black foundlings, accompanied by allegedly comical responses and stereotypical "black" music. It's the good heart behind this film that makes it work today, especially with a character that Garson obviously enjoyed playing.