SCANDAL AT SCOURIE

US, 1953, 90 minutes, Colour.
Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Donna Corcoran, Agnes Moorhead.
Directed by Jean Negulesco.

An attractive Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon vehicle, their last together. With its theme of orphans and illegitimate children, it is similar in theme to their original film together, Blossoms In The Dust. The emphasis is on family warmth, small town life and politics, bigotry between Catholics and Protestants. This dates the film - an advantage for contemporary audiences because the setting takes us back to the turn of the century. Interaction between the Churches has changed considerably since the film was made.

Young Donna Corcoran gives a very spirited and engaging performance. Direction is by Jean Negulesco, a director of competent thrillers in the forties who moved to lavish, lightweight Cinemascope comedies and dramas in the fifties. A pleasing family film - with a touch of sentiment.

1. An attractive family film? portrait of orphans? family life? Love, prejudice?

2. The popularity of this kind of social, family film? The quick sketching of the children? The encounter with the potential parents? hero and heroine parents? love, difficulties, clashes and resolutions? How well handled in this film?

3. Colour photography, atmosphere of Canada at the turn of the century? The musical score and the traditional Greensleeves and Frere Jacques themes?

4. The sense of authenticity about Scourie, the family, Patrick and his political ambitions, his shop? Victoria and her place in the town? The Protestant town and its way of thinking, acting? attitude towards French Canada? The Catholic orphans and their being adopted? The quick encounter of Patsy and Victoria? The adoption? The immediate difficulties? Patrick's stand? The lost children and their being found? Credible for the purposes of the film? How satisfactory were the contrived elements?

5. The opening, with the orphanage - the burning to the ground, Patsy's sense of guilt, the rescue of the children, the nuns and their care, the adoption along the train line? Patsy and her wandering off? The encounter with Victoria? How attractive a little girl, forthright and definite speech, good manners, affectionate? The encounter with Patrick at the shop? The plausibility of her being adopted? Her behaviour at home, fish on Friday, going to Mass, school, the clash with Edward, her winning, the drawing competition, the sequences with Harold her fish (and the origin of his name!)? The picking of the mushrooms, her prayers? Her feeling rejected, and running away? Her being found again? An attractive orphan? and the making of the points about orphans and adoption?

6. Patrick and Victoria? the Greer Garson- Walter Pidgeon style? Their harmony together? The initial encounter and Victoria's plans, the sequences in the shop, the delay to the railway station, Patrick's coming home and finding Patsy? The meal and Patrick's use of large words? His allowing the adoption? The political clashes and his fighting? The burning down of the school and his reaction? His reaction to Vickie's mushroom poisoning? His decision to stand by Patsy and the irony of her runningy away? Victoria and the happiness in having the child in the house?

7. The domestic scenes and their happiness, the optimistic presentation of adoption? The report in the paper and Victoria's reaction in the barber's shop? The political questions and the fight? The visit of the minister? The burning down of the school and Patrick's reaction and decision? The search for the children?

8. The political background of Canada? Newspaper articles, political rivalry? The use of the fire for political purposes?

9. The school sequences kind the kindly teacher? Edward and the clash with Patsy? Edward's adoption, his foster father's telling the story about Patsy and the fires? Edward and his note and the accident? running away?

10. The popular blend of feeling, sentiment, humour? The importance of the religious questions - sectarian differences, their use? The harmony of the priest and the minister and their fishing together? The unity of purpose in religious tolerance? A satisfying, popular human drama?