Audrey Hepburn was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood during the 1950s and 1960s, and she used her influence to make a groundbreaking drama that was way ahead of its time. Many of Hepburn’s best movies are still enjoyed by audiences today, like Roman Holiday and Charade, but she also has some hidden gems.

Certain subjects were considered taboo in Hollywood during the height of Hepburn’s fame. The Hays Code was still technically in effect, although some restrictions were beginning to ease. This allowed Hepburn to star in a movie which would have been unthinkable just a decade or two earlier.

The Children’s Hour Discussed Same-Sєx Relationships When Most Movies Ignored Them

William Wyler’s Melodrama Broke New Ground

The Children’s Hour stars Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine as two school teachers whose lives are destroyed when a student spreads a malicious rumor that they’re actually lovers. It was one of the first mainstream Hollywood movies to even acknowledge same-Sєx relationships with any real nuance and empathy.

William Wyler first tried to adapt Lillian Hellman’s play in 1936, but censorship at the time forced him to change the story drastically. Instead of the accusation of a same-Sєx relationship, Wyler’s These Three focused on a heteroSєxual love triangle. The fact that The Children’s Hour could face the topic head-on in 1961 shows how much had changed in Hollywood.

Hepburn delivers a strong performance in The Children’s Hour, but it’s MacLaine who steals the show. Without giving too much away, it’s fair to say that she has the more eye-catching moments, and she rises to the occasion as she did so often throughout her career.

How The Children’s Hour Is Still Relevant 64 Years Later

Large Parts Of The Story Could Still Happen Today

Naturally, there are some elements of The Children’s Hour which now seem a little dated, but for the most part, it remains a surprisingly timely drama. The idea that peoples’ lives can be turned upside-down by prejudice, even when the accusations are false, is sadly too relevant.

There have been several theater revivals of The Children’s Hour in the 21st century, including a 2011 adaptation in London starring Keira Knightley and Elisabeth Moss. The story still has the power to resonate with audiences decades later, despite the progress that has been made to combat homophobia over the years.

By the end of the 1960s, the New Hollywood era had begun, and stories like The Children’s Hour didn’t seem so shocking anymore. While it was unique at the time, Hollywood gradually evolved to accommodate more queer films, although it would be many more years before such stories could have happy endings.