Blossoms in the Dust Reviews

BLOSSOMS IN THE DUST is the true story of Edna Gladney, the woman who began the Texas Children's Home and Aid Society of Fort Worth. It was a noble deed and a noble effort to make a biography about a woman who was virtually unknown outside Texas, but the picture was long, overly teary, and didn't excite too many people at the box office, although it did make money. Garson and Hunt are adopted daughters of a Wisconsin couple. Garson is about to get married, then meets Pidgeon, falls in love, and plans to go with him to Texas where he has a flour mill. Marsha is also about to get married but when it is learned that she's illegitimate, her fiance's parents say no. She promptly commits suicide. Garson and Pidgeon move to Texas, she has a child, then learns she can't have any more. Their little boy dies and Garson now needs a reason to live so she devotes herself to establishing the home cited above. Pidgeon dies after a series of business failures and Greer continues working for the Home. She succeeds in having the word "illegitimate" stricken from birth certificates and establishes herself as a Texas legend. The "blossoms" in the title refer to the children. Garson has one sensational scene with all the stops pulled out--sort of like something Capra would do. She makes an impassioned plea to the Texas Senate and when it's over, you'll want to cheer. The film won an Oscar for Best Color Interior Decoration, and was nominated for Best Picture (losing to HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY), Best Actress (Garson lost to Joan Fontaine in SUSPICION), and Best Cinematography.