Blossoms in the Dust (1941)

Edna marries Texan Sam Gladney, operator of a wheat mill. Edna discovers by chance how the law treats children who are without parents and decides to do something about it. She opens a home... See full summary »

Director:

Mervyn LeRoy

Writers:

Anita Loos (screenplay), Ralph Wheelwright (story),

Stars:

Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Felix Bressart

Won 1 Oscar. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Greer Garson	...	Edna Gladney
Walter Pidgeon	...	Sam Gladney
Felix Bressart	...	Dr. Max Breslar
Marsha Hunt	...	Charlotte
Fay Holden	...	Mrs. Kahly
Samuel S. Hinds	...	Mr. Kahly
Kathleen Howard	...	Mrs. Keats
George Lessey	...	Mr. Keats
William Henry	...	Allan Keats
Henry O'Neill	...	Judge
John Eldredge	...	Damon
Clinton Rosemond	...	Zeke
Theresa Harris	...	Cleo
Charles Arnt	...	G. Harrington Hedger
Cecil Cunningham	...	Mrs. Gilworth

Storyline

Edna marries Texan Sam Gladney, operator of a wheat mill. Edna discovers by chance how the law treats children who are without parents and decides to do something about it. She opens a home for foundlings and orphans and begins to place children in good homes, despite the opposition of "conservative" citizens, who would condemn illegitimate children for being born out of wedlock. Eventually Edna leads a fight in the Texas legislature to remove the stigma of illegitimacy from birth records in that state, while continuing to be an advocate for homeless children.

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Plot Keywords:

children | orphan | mill | birth | illegitimacy | 

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Taglines:

The stirring saga of a childless beauty...who was determined to be a mother!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 July 1941 (USA)

Also Known As:

Blomster i skygge

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Loew's

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first of five consecutive Best Actress Oscar nominations for Greer Garson; she would win the following year for Mrs. Miniver.

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Quotes

Edna: Do I look like a hussy?

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Connections

Referenced in Hollywood Hist-o-Rama: Greer Garson (1961)

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Soundtracks

"We Three Kings of Orient Are"
Written by John H. Hopkins
Played as background music on Christmas Eve

User Reviews

A new addition to my list of favorites!

The movie is excellent! It's a wonder I've not seen it until now. Greer Garson was excellent in her role as Edna Gladney. I was obliged to research her via the internet as I'd not heard about her work or the home in Fort Worth. I especially appreciated the not so subtle anti-abortion message during the Senate scene. I also found the attitudes of "conservative" society portrayed in the movie surprisingly similar to contemporary sentiments on social issues from that segment of society.