The Children's Hour

Play trailer

The Children's Hour

1961

1h 49m

Drama

LGBTQ+

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

80%

Tomatometer

10 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Longtime friends Martha (Shirley MacLaine) and Karen (Audrey Hepburn) run a boarding school for girls. When an unruly child, Mary (Karen Balkin), is punished for lying, she concocts a story that Karen and Martha are having a lesbian relationship. When the story spreads, parents withdraw their children from the school. The women's lawsuit for libel hits many snags when they lack witnesses to speak for them. All the stress adversely affects Karen's engagement to Joe Cardin (James Garner).

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Julianne Bell

The Stranger (Seattle, WA)

Apr 7

Prepare to sob and to feel more hatred for a child than you ever thought possible.

Go to Full Review

Joe Muldoon

Battle Royale With Cheese

02/28/2023

The Children’s Hour is a biting (though somewhat muted) condemnation of the corrosive natures of homophobia and hatred, and its all-too-inevitable conclusion seals it as a crushing –and necessary– piece of cinema.

Go to Full Review

Janet Graves

Photoplay

11/18/2020

Audrey and Shirley manage to give emotional scenes shattering impact, but they're operating against handicaps.

Go to Full Review

Alison Hunter

ONE

05/18/2020

The beautiful black-and-white photography, the score, the impeccable acting and, above all... that master director, William Wyler -- all combine to make a film classic. And when you've seen it, you've seen a landmark in homophile history.

Go to Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

08/29/2014

C+

Heavy-handed and can't shake its languor.

Go to Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

08/09/2010

B+

Though well-acted by Shirley MacLaine and Audrey Hepburn, this second version of Lillian Hellman's play about the malice of lies is not as powerful as the first, in 1936, also helmed by William Wyler.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Alejandro E

@Alex970 11h

A bitter, uncomfortable warning about just how damaging lies and gossip can be, in equal measure. What stands out most are the performances by Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine.

See more

Kim P

@RT98672688 May 31

The only thing special about this overwrought melodrama is the scandalous gossip that so easily destroys the future of 3 decent people. The considerable acting skills of MacLaine, Hepburn and Garner are totally wasted on this clumsy and predictable story. The willingness of grown adults to believe what would be very difficult to believe in that time period, particularly when the spreader of the story is an incorrigible brat, is mind-boggling. This film could have at least been decent. It could have been...but it's not.

See more

Farah R.

@Farah Feb 25

As a drama about the devastating power of a lie, The Children's Hour is a cautionary tale that’s way ahead of its time in terms of themes deemed socially acceptable. That’s probably why the film relies on the powerhouse performances of MacLaine and Hepburn to tell its dark yet impactful story.

See more

Ed .

@RT01276001 Aug 29

Proof that children should be seen and not heard. Some should not even be seen.

See more

Kalissa H

@kali_416 Jun 21

Wonderful movie, sad ending. The final scenes are great.

See more

Dee I

@Denishka 05/05/2025

Love this film, happened upon it some years ago when I was off work and by chance on TV. It is a film ahead of its time in many ways, Audrey gave an outstanding performance. One of my favourite films

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

William Wyler

Director

Audrey Hepburn

Karen Wright

Shirley MacLaine

Martha Dobie

James Garner

Doctor Joe Cardin

Miriam Hopkins

Mrs. Lily Mortar

Fay Bainter

Mrs. Amelia Tilford

Satyricon

76%

74%

Satyricon

Watchlist

Suddenly, Last Summer

68%

82%

Suddenly, Last Summer

Watchlist

The Young Philadelphians

71%

81%

The Young Philadelphians

Watchlist

The Night of the Iguana

75%

85%

The Night of the Iguana

Watchlist

Advise and Consent

79%

88%

Advise and Consent

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Longtime friends Martha (Shirley MacLaine) and Karen (Audrey Hepburn) run a boarding school for girls. When an unruly child, Mary (Karen Balkin), is punished for lying, she concocts a story that Karen and Martha are having a lesbian relationship. When the story spreads, parents withdraw their children from the school. The women's lawsuit for libel hits many snags when they lack witnesses to speak for them. All the stress adversely affects Karen's engagement to Joe Cardin (James Garner).

Director: William Wyler
Producer: Robert Wyler, William Wyler
Screenwriter: John Michael Hayes, Lillian Hellman
Distributor: United Artists
Production Co: United Artists, Worldwide Media, Mirisch Company
Genre: Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 19, 1961, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Runtime: 1h 49m