Blossoms In the Dust *** (1941, Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon) – Classic Movie Review 12,609

MGM’s carefully crafted, heart-tugging 1941 biographical film Blossoms in the Dust stars Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon in the first of their nine movie collaborations. It sparked Garson’s star career.

Director Mervyn LeRoy’s 1941 MGM American biographical drama film Blossoms in the Dust stars Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon in the first of their nine movie collaborations.

Blossoms in the Dust is a three-hankie weepie, for those who like this kind of thing, and of Oscar-nominated quality too, with Garson in the real-life role of Edna Gladney, the woman who started an orphanage in Fort Worth, Texas, after she lost her own family, both her little boy and later her struggling businessman husband (Pidgeon).

Garson is on fine, heart-tugging form in this handsome MGM production filmed with lovely Technicolor, though the cynical will need nerves of steel, and it was by no means Garson’s most popular picture.

Anita Loos’s carefully crafted script doesn’t let the facts stand in the way of a good story. as many important aspects of Edna Gladney’s life are fictionalised in the film.

Ralph Wheelwright writes the screen story, and Mildred Cram, Dorothy Yost and Hugo Butler make uncredited contributions to the script.

It was one of MGM’s biggest hits of 1941, earning $2,658,000 and making a profit of $552,000, and sparked Greer Garson’s star career.

Blossoms in the Dust won an Oscar for Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Color, and was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Garson), Best Cinematography, Color (Karl Freund, W Howard Greene), and Best Picture.

Garson and Pidgeon appeared in nine movie collaborations: Blossoms In the Dust (1941), Mrs Miniver (1942), The Youngest Profession (1943) in cameos, Madame Curie (1945), Mrs Parkington (1944), Julia Misbehaves (1948), That Forsyte Woman (1949), The Miniver Story (1950), and Scandal at Scourie (1953).

The cast are Greer Garson as Edna Kahly Gladney, Walter Pidgeon as Sam Gladney, Felix Bressart as Doctor Max Breslar, Marsha Hunt as Charlotte Kahly, Fay Holden as Mrs Kahly, Samuel S Hinds as Mr George Kahly, Kathleen Howard as Mrs. Sarah Keats, George Lessey as Mr Keats, William Henry as Allan Keats, Henry O’Neill as Judge Hartford, John Eldredge as Edna’s Fiancé Damon McPherson,  Clinton Rosemond as Edna’s Servant Zeke, Theresa Harris as Edna’s Maid Cleo,  Charles Arnt as G Harrington Hedger, Cecil Cunningham as Mrs Gilworth, Ann Morriss as Mrs Loring, Richard Nichols as Sammy, Pat Barker as Tony, Marc Lawrence as LaVerne, Frank Darien, Will Wright, and Almira Sessions.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,609

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