This was a surprising little gem to catch on Turner Classics this morning; I had only been aware of the 1993 version and did not know of an earlier one. This is only the third film I've come across utilizing the black and white transformation into color technique, probably best known for it's use in "The Wizard of Oz". The other one I'm thinking about is Abbott and Costello's "Jack and the Beanstalk".

Ostensibly a children's movie, I kept considering why so many scenes were played out in darkness with that horrible crying sound of the young Colin Craven (Dean Stockwell). The old, dark Craven mansion was, in the words of the film, an excellent house for bitterness and not for children, but fortunately, Mary's (Margaret O'Brien) alliance with Dickon (Brian Roper) helped their new friend to find joy in life along with the ability to walk. It still bothers me, even after the picture is over, that the sour Uncle Craven (Herbert Marshall) was willing to subject his own son to a debilitating condition instead of insisting on a cure that could make him a happy young boy again.

That all had to do with the death of his wife of course, ten years earlier due to an unfortunate accident. It's somewhat mysterious that the picture would take the viewer in the direction of a crime implicit in Mrs. Craven's death when there was already enough tension to go around. The virtually abandoned son would have been privy to those whispered conversations as well, adding even more to his imposed misery.

Fortunately it's the youngsters who carry this picture. O'Brien, Roper, and Stockwell form a unique trio, blooming as it were, along with the newly tended garden after the abandonment of a decade. Though the feel good ending seems somewhat forced, it's appropriate that the old Uncle is cured of his own personal demons to redeem himself as a father to the young Colin.

This is a movie I never tire of seeing. Margaret O'Brien is just about perfect in the part of Mary Lennox, an orphan who finds herself in a house full of strange people.

Along the way she finds love in friendship, a love that was never shown to her by her parents.

The book on which this film is based by Frances Hodgson Burnett, was my favourite book as a child and I've given many copies to children over the years. This movie is quite a perfect replica of the book, apart from the injection of a totally unnecessary "crime" element. The characters are multi-dimensional, a wounded father flailing against the world and projecting illness on to his son. The son, Colin, played by a very young and handsome Dean Stockwell, in turn reacting with tantrums and hate to the world around him.

Mary has her own issues, feeling ugly and unloved due to her past in India.

Unhappiness reigns in the Manor House headed up by Herbert Marshall playing Colin's father - a brilliant performance.

There is a teeming cast of well known names to add to the flavour of the film: Dame Gladys Cooper as the housekeeper; Elsa Lanchester as the maid; Reginald Owen as the mysterious gardener.

The black and white filming adds a morbid darkness with the colour sequences in the garden contrasting beautifully.

The only flaw was the settish nature of the scenes, even the gardens are "back lot".

But these quibbles aside, some movies one can get immersed in afresh with each viewing. This is one that takes you in and doesn't let up till the final very satisfying frame.

9 out of 10.

I've only seen two versions of this film--this 1949 version and a made for TV version from 1987. Both films seemed very different from each other and I have no idea which is closer to the original story having never read it. Considering what often happens to books, perhaps neither is very close! Regardless of the case, this is a fine old family film--one that is very watchable for adults as well despite being a "kids' film".

The movie stars an older Margaret O'Brien. Oddly, throughout the film, people tell her she is ugly, but if that was supposed to be the case, Ms. O'Brien just wasn't ugly--maybe she needed some "uglying up". While this DIDN'T seriously impact the film, it was inconsistent and seemed awfully cruel--I would have probably just dropped these lines from the film. In addition, Dean Stockwell starred as the "crippled boy" and Brian Roper played "Dickon". Now at this time, O'Brian and Stockwell were stars so they got higher billing, but Roper did a wonderful job as well--too bad his part and billing got a bit overshadowed.

The story seems, at first, to be about Ms. O'Brian and the death of her parents. While she IS very important to the film and the central character, you soon see that the film is far more than a film about a poor orphan girl. Instead, the focus shifts when she is taken to live with her seriously disturbed uncle. Then, slowly, the story of how he became so mentally imbalanced and how his boy (Stockwell) became an invalid unfolded. This was brilliantly handled and I loved how both O'Brian and Stockwell's characters grew emotionally though the film. I also liked how black and white cinematography was used but when the secret garden came to life, these portions of the film were in vibrant color (much like in the WIZARD OF OZ).

It's a good film that is relatively low on the "sappiness scale"--good story-telling without being too heavy-handed or overly sentimental. Excellent writing, direction and acting--no complaints from this old curmudgeon!