Customer Reviews

Blossoms in the Dust [VHS]

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3 star:		(3)
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So states Greer Garson in this stunningly put together masterpiece, the type of moving production not seen in Hollywood these days.

The film marked the first of the eight legendary teamings of Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon and even though their effort of the following year "Mrs. Miniver' is probably the most famous, here they are both in their prime and Greer delivers what I honestly feel is her best performance. She plays Edna Gladney a real life woman from Fort Worth Texas who was responsible for setting up the famous Texas Children's Home and Aid Society.

"Blossoms in the Dust", which refers to the little infants playing in the Texan dust, chronicles her life from the tragic suicide of her foster sister Charlotte who is revealed to be a foundling prior to her marriage, to her own her marriage to Sam Gladney (Pidgeon), a wheat grower from Texas, through their life together, the tragic loss of their own son, to her widowhood and her wonderful work with the unwanted infants in Texas. It is a totally inspiring account of her struggles to overcome prejudice and break down bureacracy and importantly to have the word "illegitimate" stricken from official records and birth certificates. The famous statement exclaimed by Greer Garson during her campaign "there is no such thing as an illegitimate child, only illegitimate parents" will definately stay with you long after the film has ended and I feel it gives all of us food for thought on this matter.

As stated before Greer Garson is the heart and soul of this production. The 1940's witnessed her golden age of stardom in such unforgettable MGM films as "Goodbye Mr. Chips", "Mrs. Miniver", "When Ladies Meet", "Mrs. Parkington", and "Valley of Decision" What a marvellous list of classics which makes you wonder just what is Hollywood really doing these days! Greer displays such total warmth in the role but at the same time is quite commanding as Edna begins her personal crusade to right this terrible wrong against orphans making her a believable character. I like the way that at times Edna displays a slight selfish streak which is wonderfully honest and how any of us would react in situations like the moving interlude when she must part with little Tony near the conclusion of the film. Her chemistry with Walter Pidgeon, as always is magical and they made up one of the most enduring screen teams in Hollywood history . Their interactions are a delight to witness and it is easy to see that they were close friends in real life as well so convincing is their working with each other. Felix Bressart so wonderful as one of Garbo's communist pals in "Ninotchka" is a joy in the role of Max , the doctor who spends a lifetime helping Edna with the children and in the process becomes her closest friend and confidant.

The film marked another directing triumph for Mervyn LeRoy responsible for some stunning work at MGM including one of my favourites "Waterloo Bridge" with Robert Taylor and Vivien Leigh. His sure hand is all over this production and he had a great way about him in guiding very emotional and sentimental dramas such as this.

"Blossoms" was nominated for 4 Academy Awards, including Best Actress and quite rightly won for the stunning technicolour interior decoration. In that respect you would be hard pressed to see a more sumptous production and the exquisite gowns done by Adrian in one of his last assignments at MGM are a sight to behold. It's also a joy to finally see Greer Garson's famous red hair in beautiful colour!!

"Blossoms in the Dust" is a wonderful tear jerking experience and I never fail to be moved by the conclusion of the film when little Tony (Pat Barker, in a beautiful performance) is found a home on Christmas Eve and despite the tearful seperation Edna finds herself suddenly with a new little charge who in the last scene is seen holding her hand through the bars of his cot indicating that life will go on in the infant home. Beautiful stuff and guaranteed to not leave a dry eye in the place

If you enjoy emotional and moving dramas with first class performers and production values you cannot go past "Blossoms in the Dust". They definately dont make fine films like this one anymore!

Greer Garson stars as the real-life heroine Edna Gladney, who helped thousands of foundling children find loving and respectable homes.

After the suicide of her beloved foster sister Charlotte (Marsha Hunt), Edna learns that she killed herself because she discovered that she was a "nameless child".

Soon after, Edna marries her husband (Walter Pidgeon) and has a darling son-only for him to die very young. Edna decides to help other children the way she could never have helped Charlotte, and champions the cause of the foundlings.

Beautifully filmed in Technicolor, this charming turn-of-the-century epic is a fine entertainment, one you will not soon forget.

This is a delightful movie about Edna Gladney, a real-life hero who made a difference through persistence and self-sacrifice, placing children in adoptive homes, establishing orphanages, and hounding politicians. The world could use a few more Edna Gladneys, especially now that the value of human life is at a low ebb. She coined a phrase which I shall never forget: "There are no illegitimate children, only illegitimate parents." Hey, how come Hollywood doesn't make movies like this anymore??

A tastefully acted account of Garson founding a Texas orphanage after she loses her own child. Beautifully filmed in Technicolor, this archtypical weeper from the forties is a glossy yet poignant venture in the heart of a noble woman. Based upon the true story of one Edna Gladney, the woman who began the Texas Children's Home and Aid Society of Fort Worth. In a sensational scene, Garson makes an impassioned plea towards the Texas Senate and you'll feel like cheering when it's over! The "blossoms" of the title refer to children, naturally.

--of Greer Garson's many films with Walter Pidgeon. Greer Garson was an odd sort of movie star. For one thing she always seemed to be about 10 years older than the parts she was cast in, making me wonder if maybe she lied about her age when Louis B. Mayer first found her in the UK. (Mayer had made one last scouting trip to Europe right before war broke out, and sailed back home not only with Greer Garson but with Hedy Lamarr in another stateroom! Not a bad haul!) She had to be lit carefully otherwise her long face took on the aspect of a friendly horse. And once she was established in Hollywood, she displaced Norma Shearer as the "queen of the MGM lot," effectively kicking Norma upstairs and into retirement, but basically because Mayer was tired of catering towards Shearer and he saw Garson as the ideal replacement.

In BLOSSOMS IN THE DUST we see something of the way she might really have looked, for she was born to act in Technicolor, and the compositions of the furnishings, costumes and even the interior decoration are all astonishinly lovely. For its day, BLOSSOMS was sort of a scandalous picture. I suppose MGM felt it could get away with a pinch of "naughtiness" if they had Garson to give that naughtiness the "ladylike" touch she was famous for. Another of her Pidgeon pictures was actually titled, "SCANDAL AT SCOURIE." In real life, she was responsible for two scandals, she married her own "son" (the actor who had played her son in MRS MINIVER), and also going on and on and on for the world's longest acceptance speech when she picked up the Oscar for the same film. Her speech in BLOSSOMS to the Texas legislature is long, but watching it you can see why Americans loved her. She represented a fantasy of England, a fantasy so broadly based that she could play a Texan (Edna Gladney), preposterous as it seems, and get away with it, just as she later got away with playing Madame Curie (!!)

The story is sentimental but we don't watch Greer Garson movies for slapstick value nor for biting social commentary, we watch them to provoke tears which she always does, simply and certainly as cutting up an onion. She's great and this is one of her very best pictures.

We watched Blossoms in the Dust for the first time ever 5/3/2002 and we thoroughly enjoyed it.The acting from Greer Garson was first class and she played such a warm, generous person that it made us realise what a lovely world it would be if every one was as loving as the character she played.
The final scenes of the film was very moving especially when she woke up Tony to give him away to his new adopted parents. It must have been moving for her even though she was acting. Pat Barker who played the child Tony was also wonderful and he caused a few tears in our home, what a sweetheart!

This is a real gem movie . The supreme magnetism of this immortal actress Greer Carson (one of the top ten Northamerican actress ever) makes a must for all the cinema lovers .
She founds an orphanage in Texas since she loses her pwn child. The blame and the redemption will open for her a new gate with unssupected possibilities .
The film os so overwhelmong acted that you miss even the plot is dated . When you watch in screen both acting giants as Pigdeon and Mrs. Carson, try to find an answer : Would you be able to find a couple actually which could match with that one?
A haunting film directed with broad gusto by Melvin Leroy who would give us years later The bad seed .
Fundamental film of the forties . A must in your collection.

As always, Greer Garson portrays the epitome of womanhood. She is beautiful, gracious and benevolent. Walter Pidgeon really over played his role and he usually does. They were a great team as they appeared in "Mrs. Miniver."

I love old movies, This is definitely a good one. My husband and I are adopting and our adoption agency suggested we watch this. It really gives you insight to how adoption was once viewed. I am so glad I bought/watched this. And I am so glad that adoption has changed to what it is today! Please adopt a child!

Having worked for 28 years in child placement, and having created www.opendoption.org in 1996, I have seen and heard of a lot of adoption history. I have heard thousands of adoption stories. All of them are touched by the experiences described for the first time in a major movie in 1941 with Blossoms in the Dust. It is a true classic!

Yes, there is a tremendous variety of adoption stories. Some may see "Blossoms in the Dust" and find it's relation of some adoption experiences as unrealistic compared to the ones they had. I am certain they are right. I am also just as certain that there are some touched by adoption that had experiences very similar to those in this classic. Adoption stores are as varied and different as is the human race. This movie hits the basics very well. To have been this sensitive and creative in 1941 was a powerful achievement.

For adoption practice in 2009 this movie has powerful messages: Birth mothers never forget is probably the most central, and the damage done by secrets kept from the adoptee is probably the second most critical one present.

If you are touched by adoption you owe it to everyone you know to get a copy of this classic and then invite the ones closest to you to watch it with you some quiet evening at home. Warn them that this movie is, as of 2009, 67 years old! They need to remember that as they work to translate the related experiences. It is worth the effort.