Scandal at Scourie

"Scandal at Scourie" is the eighth and final pairing of Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon. Up until this film, this pairing pretty much guaranteed the film would be a success as they were very popular together. However, the film lost money...and I assume at least some of this is due to the atypically nasty character played by Pidgeon...who usually played decent guys.

The story begins in French Quebec. An orphanage has burned down and the nuns are forced to find homes for the kids throughout the neighboring provinces. At Scourie*, in Ontario, a childless mother (Greer Garson) meets one of these children when their train stops in the town. Victoria McChesney (Garson) is so taken with Patsy (Donna Corcoran) that she insists on adopting the girl...even though the child has been raised Catholic and the McChesneys are Protestants. In order to convince the nuns to allow Patsy to remain with them, she promises to raise the child Catholic...while she and her husband remain Protestants. Now today, this all would be no big deal. But in late 19th century Canada, this must have been a big scandal...raising a child of a different faith. What is to become of all this? See the film.

While enjoyed the movie and felt that Garson and Corcoran were wonderful in the story, I was very surprised that MGM would make Pidgeon such an unlikable jerk during much of the film. He plays Garson's husband and seems more concerned about folks' opinions than anything else. And, as a result, the film lacks the likability of the other Garson/Pidgeon pairings. It's a shame, as otherwise I liked the film...though the sound effects they used for the goldfish were strange and alien...which made little sense.

*I looked and there is no city in Ontario by the name of Scourie and assume it was just made up for the movie.

It doesn't get more juvenile than the plethora of 1940s Hollywood movies that depict Caucasians and their conflicts with syrupy sweetness. Don't get me wrong; I'm a sucker for Our Vines Have Tender Grapes and, of course, Pollyanna. But the only thing that really saves this kissy-kissy is director Negulesco.

I recommend this one only for extremely diehard fans of Garson. Her cohort Walter is so-so but effective. Unsurprisingly, the children in the cast propel the storyline.

It's important to consider that the biggest conflict presented is protestant vs. Catholic. And that's not a spoiler. Might seem more than tame now, but it was notable then.

This was the sort of film my parents could confidently send me off to see, knowing that there would be nothing scandalous about it. I saw it just after we'd moved to a southern California suburb from a town near Boston, Massachusetts, and I recall being envious of young Donna Corcoran (who was also billed as Noreen, and whose sibling, Kevin, aka: "Moochie," also enjoyed a career as a child actor, mostly at Disney) getting to emote with such charming people as the leads, Greer Garson and Walter Pigeon, one of M-G-M's favorite pairings, once again playing a loving married couple. (By the way, no matter how I try, IMDb keeps deleting the "d" in Walter's last name in this comment when I try to post it. What's going on?!?)

I haven't seen it since but I do remember that I was aware then that it was an example of Hollywood's backlot artistry, something which, were it to be remade today for TV, for example, might benefit from some location shooting in the actual locale of the story. It's a gentle film made with the care one would expect from the professionals listed in its credits, one of those relics unlikely to be made available on video, and that's really a loss that many of us do regret, however mildly. Turner Classic Movies unearths it from their treasure trove occasionally. Worth keeping an eye out for.

An opening reads, "Near the end of the last century, in the Canadian Province of Quebec an Orphanage burnt to the ground. By the grace of God and the courage of the sisters not one child was hurt. But when the noses were counted, one little girl was missing…." That missing nose belongs to adorable orphan Donna Corcoran (as Patsy), who accidentally set the fire. When she is found, kindly nun Agnes Moorehead (as Josephine) and the other sisters set out to find homes for the children. Stopping in Scourie, they are sad to learn the town is overwhelmingly Protestant. Off on her own again, young Corcoran decides to set her goldfish "Harold" free. He was named after the man in the song, "Hark the Harold Angels Sing". Along comes beautiful Greer Garson (as Victoria). She falls in motherly love with Corcoran...

With many rooms in her mansion, the childless Ms. Garson decides to adopt Corcoran...

But the child is Catholic and may stymie the political career of husband Walter Pidgeon (as Patrick J. McChesney)...

"Scandal at Scourie" could have used a more worldly title. It's a cute family film, immaculately produced by Edwin H. Knopf...

The former box-office favorite is as good as ever - arguably, Garson is even better in her post-1940s roles. The luscious cinematography by Robert Planck and gorgeous soundtrack by Daniele Amfitheatrof give it a storybook quality. "Green Sleeves" and "Frère Jacques" are employed very well. Director Jean Negulesco knows how to use his resources. The scene with Garson running through town to a barber shop is a highlight, and Mr. Negulesco guides Corcoran, freckle-faced Tony Taylor (as Edward) and the children nicely. The message of religious tolerance is admirable. Still, while the ingredients are all present, "Scandal at Scourie" has no real depth. A couple of scenes with Garson and Mr. Pidgeon privately discussing their marriage, faith and presumed inability to have children would have given the film an edge.

******* Scandal at Scourie (1953-05-17) Jean Negulesco ~ Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Donna Corcoran, Tony Taylor

Scandal At Scourie is the eighth and last film starring Walter Pidgeon and Greer Garson and Pidgeon was for once playing a Canadian which was his native country. The two are a married couple and Pidgeon runs a mercantile and is active in local politics. Some of the party bosses are eying him for bigger things.

The two are childless and make a decision to adopt a little girl and you would think such matters would be divorced from politics on both sides of the 49th parallel. But little Donna Corcoran is a Catholic and the Garson and Pidgeon are Protestants. In fact Pidgeon is a deacon in their church. But they promise to continue raising her in the Catholic faith.

The orphanage where Corcoran came from was burned down and another kid adopted from the same orphanage starts spreading the rumor she did the deed. Pidgeon's bottom feeding opponent editor Philip Ober says that he only did this to curry favor with Catholic voters. And then some incidents happen and the film does make you wonder about whether Corcoran is a budding Patty McCormack.

The film's best asset is the matchless chemistry that Greer and Walter enjoyed on the screen. In a couple of years both would be gone from MGM as they and other big studios were getting shed of their big contract stars. Their scenes with each other and Greer's with Corcoran hold the film together.

What is really undefined and weakly resolved is the character of Tony Taylor who plays the other orphan. He confesses to at least one of the other bad acts and there's evidence that he could be a bad seed. But as this is a film aimed at family audiences that's all badly papered over by the script.

Scandal At Scourie does not come up to the standards of Mrs. Miniver or Madame Curie, that's Pidgeon and Garson at their best. But it still is a decent family film and today's audience would still enjoy this tale of turn of the last century Canada.