Weekend Cinema Spotlight: Three Wise Fools

"Three Wise Fools" (1946)

For those of you that loved "Three Men and a Baby" (1987), "Three Wise Fools" is what I would consider the original version of the latter film. Three over aged and very wealthy bachelors are given custody of a wee little lass by the name of "Sheila O'Monahan" played by the sweet Margaret O'Brien.

Margaret O'Brien

Years before these three bachelors were all in love with the same girl, but none ever proposed to her. Instead she feel in love with a man who was known as "The O'Monahan" played by Warner Anderson. Sheila was raised by her grandparent after her beloved parents had passed on. She had no family relations so her grandmother remembering those three sweet men from her youth hoped they would take her on and raise her.

Little Sheila and her Three Wise Fools

Sheila travels with her man-servant by the name of " Terence Alaysius O'Davern" played by Thomas Mitchell who also played "Uncle Billy" in "It's a Wonderful Life". He is dedicated to this little girl and hopes that these three wise fools can get their acts together and raise her.

Let me not forget to mention who also stars in this unconventional love story---Lionel Barrymore, Lewis Stone, and Edward Arnold. It is beautiful cast and O'Brien can really hold her own with not just three but four veteran actors!

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any videos that I could share with you all from this film, but trust me that its a delightful and super sweet story. It is one of my favorite films because each actor is just truly superb and believable. You see three crusty old men at the beginning of this film and towards the end you see a little girl who has freed them of their old ways and given them each a reason to be happy. All that and an Irish accent and some "little people" (fairies) and this film is just pure magic!

xox