Fiori nella polvere

A good film for a Sunday afternoon, or any other time if you're busy on Sunday.

None of the scenes are dragged out, even the death scenes are treated briefly. Nothing is going to get in the way of the narrative, beginning with a woman overcoming bereavement by taking in the unwanted children an orphans of Texas.

The film then goes on the challenge the very language we use when it comes to these children, with Edna Gladney rejecting the words 'orphan' and 'illegitimate'.

'There are no illegitimate children, only illegitimate parents', she boldly announces to the Texan senate.

And so Gladney's local endeavour becomes a political, state-wide one, and though she never falters in her moral drive, her initial loss is evoked once again in the most cherished of her foundlings.

Fast-paced, fade-outs and an all round good story.

Much of this movie is fiction, but the fact remains that Edna Gladley was a pioneer in the field of nursery care and adoption and her work to strike the description "illegitimate" from birth certificates as well as insure that these children could inherit from their adoptive parents has changed many lives for the better. Edna was born in Milwaukee; her father died when she was very young; she never had an adopted sister who was herself illegitimate. Because Edna suffered from respiratory disease she was sent to Fort Worth, Texas, when she was seven years old to live with her aunt and uncle. She and her husband Sam were married in Gainseville after which they moved to Wolfe City where they bought a mill to manufacture Gladiola brand flour. They were childless.

Edna began her work in helping impoverished and homeless children soon after moving to Wolfe City where she started a crusade to clean up the county poor farm during which she arranged to have homeless children moved to the Morris Children's Home and Aid Society in Fort Worth. She joined the Society's Board in 1910. She then made trips to settlement houses in Chicago and New York City to study their methods; when she returned she set up a day nursery for working mothers (the movie has her setting up the nursery first when in fact this happened seven or eight years after she became involved in child welfare issues).

As in the movie, Sam's business failed in 1924 whereupon they moved to Fort Worth where Edna continued her work in child welfare. In 1927 she was named superintendent of the Texas Children's Home and Aid Society. Sam died in 1935 after rebuilding his business. Edna spent the rest of her life advocating for children, concentrating on placing homeless and abandoned children with adoptive families. She also expanded the Society to provide health care for unwed mothers and an adoption service for their children. The Society later bought a maternity hospital that it named the Gladney Center.

I loved Greer Garson in this movie, she is strong, brave and gracious. I just wish the director and producers of this movie had used a script that portrayed the real life of Edna Gladney rather than resorting to the fictitious adopted sister who kills herself and inventing a non-existent son who dies in an accident to explain her motives. Edna was her own person who was genuinely involved in her life's work from her early 20s until she died in 1961 -- the movie didn't need these made-up people to explain why she became involved in child welfare issues.

"Blossoms in the Dust" is a biographical message movie about the plight of illegitimate children in the early 20th century and the stigma they faced from the get go because of the sins of their parents.

This film might as well have been called "The Greer Garson Show," because it is all about her. She plays Edna Gladney, a woman who made a crusade of finding loving adoptive homes for outcasts. She's lovely and committed in the role, and earned a Best Actress Oscar nomination for it. I believe this was the first time she was paired with Walter Pidgeon, and he's pretty good too as a cocky Texan who charms her and then marries her, but he very definitely stands in Garson's shadow for most of the film.

Cedric Gibbons, Urie McCleary, and Edwin B. Willis won the Oscar for their color art direction, and this is one of the rare films from the early days of Technicolor that looks gorgeous rather than garish. The film was also nominated for Best Picture and Best Color Cinematography.

Grade: B+

Review Date 1/15/2018

PLEASE BEWARE OF SOME REVIEWERS THAT ONLY HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW. WHEN ITS A POSITIVE THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE PRODUCTION. NOW I HAVE NO AGENDA! I REVIEW MOVIES & SPECIALS AS A WAY TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT I HAVE SEEN! I HAVE DISCOVERED MANY GEMS IN MY QUEST TO SEE AS MANY " C H R I S T M A S " MOVIES AS I CAN.

Now Someone keeps reporting my reviews. I guess they are jealous because I do tell the truth. I want to point out that I never make snide remarks about actors weight or real life sexual orientation. If there acting is terrible or limited "I talk about that". If a story is bad "I will mention that" So why am I being "picked on"? IMDB? When one of my reviews gets deleted IMDB will not even tell me what someone found offensive. Well on to this review.

I have never herd of this film it was part of 4 DVD pack of what Warner Brothers Stated as " Four Holiday Classic Films".

Well if it was never in the pack I would never would have watched it. I think Warner Brothers thinks this film qualifies as a "Christmas Movie" because the first scene and last ends on "Christmas". Truth be told both scenes together are no more then about 10% of the screen time. he story is a highly fictionalized telling of the story of Edna Gladney, an early advocate for the rights of illegitimate children in Texas.

Edna Kahly (Greer Garson) and her adopted sister, Charlotte (Marsha Hunt), are to be married. But, when Charlotte's mother-in-law-to-be discovers that Charlotte was a foundling, she declares the wedding must not occur, and Charlotte kills herself from shame. Meanwhile, Edna falls for a brash cashier, Sam Gladney, at the bank, and eventually marries him and moves with him to his home state of Texas.

Sam Gladney has a flour mill in Sherman, Texas, and at first the couple has an idyllic life, though after a difficult delivery Sam is told Edna must have no more children. Several years later, their son dies, and Sam's effort to ease the pain she still endures by trying to get her to adopt a foundling fails. But the little girl's story touches Edna's heart, and she starts a day care center for the children of working women.

The film is good not great but it is highly enjoyable. It is also a study on how this country treated children who came into this world with a single mother. It also shows how adoption was looked down upon. Very sad.

Now what is great about this film is that it does keep you glued. It also shows a young girl becoming a full fledged woman who takes on the government and forces them to look at what labels do to people and how labels follow you from cradle to grave.

Not for everyone. Most people under 40 might get bored. Adults who like to see a story unfold will be in for a treat.

Well worth watching!

Blossoms in the Dust is a Excellent Powerful Moving True Story Drama. As others have noted--since it is a true story film--this is an added plus. One reason to see this film alone is Greer Garson. Her acting is superb. She is one of my all time favorite actress's of yesteryear. Walter Pidgeon is wonderful also. Some others that have commented on this film have said that it was fine but their one negative was that the phrase "Darling" was used to much. Yes this is true--but hey folks this was a very common popular word used a lot in the 30's & 40" films.-No big deal--at least it is clean & for all family member's. This great story is basically about Edna-played by Garson who marries Sam-played by Pidgeon-an operator of a wheat mill. They have a son who is killed when he is young. Edna discovers by chance how the law treats children who are without parents & decides to do something about it. She opens a home for foundlings & orphans & begins to place children in good homes-despite the opposition of conservative citizens-narrow minded back them of this subject matter-who would condemn illegitimate children being born out of wedlock. She them fights for them through the court. This is a great classic film.