The Children's Hour
“Can an ugly rumor destroy what's beautiful?”
Synopsis
An unruly student at a private all-girls boarding school scandalously accuses the two women who run it of having a romantic relationship.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2018-05-31
Top Cast
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Audrey Hepburn
Karen Wright
Shirley MacLaine
Martha Dobie
James Garner
Joe Cardin
Miriam Hopkins
Lily Mortar
Fay Bainter
Amelia Tilford
Karen Balkin
Mary Tilford
Veronica Cartwright
Rosalie Wells
Mimi Gibson
Evelyn
Debbie Moldow
Student
Diane Mountford
Student
William Mims
Mr. Burton
Sally Brophy
Mrs. Wells
Hope Summers
Agatha
Jered Barclay
Grocery Boy (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien
Funeral Assistant (uncredited)
Leoda Richards
Parent at Piano Recital (uncredited)
Harold Miller
Parent on Visitor's Day (uncredited)
Pete Kellett
Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
December 19, 1961
Wide Cinema Exhibition
July 2, 2008
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$3.6M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$3M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.83x
-$600K deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- William Wyler
- Screenplay & Story
- John Michael Hayes
- Original Score
- Alex North
- Original Title
- The Children's Hour
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 48m
- Production Budget
- $3.6M
- Worldwide Gross
- $3M
- Production Studios
- The Mirisch Company, United Artists
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
William Wyler
John Michael Hayes, Lillian Hellman
Alex North
Franz Planer
Robert Swink
Walter Mirisch, William Wyler
Department Leadership Roster
Robert Swink
Editor
Franz Planer
Director of Photography
John Michael Hayes
Screenplay
William Wyler
Director
Alex North
Original Music Composer
William Wyler
Producer
Dorothy Jeakins
Costume Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Tous publics — Universal audience.
Suitable only for 12 years and over.
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Children's Hour.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Children's Hour.
Watched Movies
Letterboxd's Top 500 Films
Letterboxd's Top 500 Films. Ranks narrative feature films by average member rating (minimum 25,000 ratings). Excludes documentaries, shorts, and TV series. Letterboxd 官方 Top 500 电影榜单： 根据用户平均评分排名的剧情长片（最低2.5万评价门槛）。已排除纪录片、短片及剧集。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:35:27 UTC+8)*
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LGBTQ+
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Children's Hour
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Children's Hour about?
An unruly student at a private all-girls boarding school scandalously accuses the two women who run it of having a romantic relationship.
Who directed The Children's Hour?
The Children's Hour was directed by William Wyler.
Who stars in The Children's Hour?
The principal cast of The Children's Hour includes Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine, James Garner, Miriam Hopkins, Fay Bainter.
When was The Children's Hour released and how long is it?
The Children's Hour was released in 1961 with a total runtime of 1h 48m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Children's Hour?
The Children's Hour had a reported production budget of $3.6M and grossed $3M at the worldwide box office (0.83 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for The Children's Hour?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Children's Hour was composed by Alex North.
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Children's Hour?
The Children's Hour holds official age classifications: DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.); GB: 12 (Suitable only for 12 years and over.); US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).