Blossoms in the Dust

Blossoms in the Dust
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Mervyn LeRoy
Produced by	Irving Asher Mervyn LeRoy
Written by	Anita Loos
Starring	Greer Garson Walter Pidgeon Felix Bressart
Music by	Herbert Stothart
Cinematography	Karl Freund W. Howard Greene
Editing by	George Boemler
Studio	Loew's
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date(s)	July 25, 1941 (1941-07-25)
Running time	99 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Blossoms in the Dust is a 1941 American film which tells the true story of Edna Gladney who takes it upon herself to help orphaned children to find homes, despite the opposition of the "good" citizens who think that illegitimate children are beneath their interest. It stars Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Felix Bressart, Marsha Hunt and Fay Holden.

The movie was adapted by Hugo Butler (uncredited), Anita Loos and Dorothy Yost (uncredited) from the story by Ralph Wheelwright. It was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and produced by Irving Asher.

Cast

• Greer Garson - Edna Kahly Gladney
• Walter Pidgeon - Samuel 'Sam' Gladney
• Felix Bressart - Doctor Max Breslar
• Marsha Hunt - Charlotte Kahly
• Fay Holden - Mrs. Kahly
• Samuel S. Hinds - Mr. George Kahly
• Kathleen Howard - Mrs. Sarah Keats
• George Lessey - Mr. Keats
• William Henry - Allan Keats
• Henry O'Neill - Judge Hartford
• John Eldredge - Damon McPherson, Edna's Fiancé
• Clinton Rosemond - Zeke, Edna's Servant
• Theresa Harris - Cleo, Edna's Maid
• Charles Arnt - G. Harrington Hedger
• Cecil Cunningham - Mrs. Marcus Gilworth
• Lucky Frye - one of the children,also in "Gone With the Wind"
• David Clyde - Frederick, Kahly's Butler

Story

The 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 and her adopted sister, Charlotte, 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 replace him with 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.

Sam's business fails, and they must auction off all their possessions. The local women take over the day care center, and Sam and Edna mve to Fort Worth, Texas, where he has a job in a mill. Edna starts a home for orphans and illegitimate children, and works hard to find them appropriate homes, matching parents to child by interests and inclinations. When a young woman comes to try to donate a large sum of money, Edna worms the young woman's story out of her, and discovers she is in a similar situation to poor Charlotte. After insisting the girl's fiance won't care that she is illegitimate, she decides to campaign to have the word illegitimate removed from Texas birth certificates.

After succeeding in her quest, Edna faces one more trial—the little crippled boy she has raised from an infant and nursed back to health finds a new home at last. She is reluctant to let him go, but at last realizes it is for the best, and, as she tends to the two newest foundlings, brought to her door by a policeman, the music comes up and the End title card comes on the screen.

Awards

It won an Academy Award for Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Color (Cedric Gibbons, Urie McCleary and Edwin B. Willis), and was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Greer Garson), Best Cinematography, Color and Best Picture.

External links

• Blossoms in the Dust at the Internet Movie Database
• Blossoms in the Dust at AllRovi
• Blossoms in the Dust at the TCM Movie Database
• Blossoms in the Dust at Turner Classic Moves Spotlight