The Little Foxes

A 1941 American drama film directed by William Wyler, adapted from Lillian Hellman’s play. It follows a wealthy Southern family whose siblings scheme to finance a cotton mill.

Lillian Hellman: An American playwright and screenwriter whose plays include The Children’s Hour and The Little Foxes. She wrote the play that became the film’s source.
Adaptation (film): A film derived from an earlier work, such as a play, novel, or true story. The movie transfers Hellman’s stage drama into a screen narrative.
The Little Foxes (play): A 1939 play by Lillian Hellman about a wealthy Southern family’s struggle over a cotton mill. It supplies the film’s characters, plot, and title.
Academy Awards, 14th ceremony: The 1942 Academy Awards ceremony honoring films released in 1941. The Little Foxes received nine nominations, including Best Picture and acting nominations.
Regina Giddens: The ambitious central character of The Little Foxes, who seeks a share of her brothers’ business venture. Her pursuit of wealth drives the family’s central struggle.
Stage-to-screen adaptation: The process of reshaping a theatrical work for performance through film. The production preserves the play’s family conflict while using cinematic staging.
Broadway theatre: The professional theatre district in New York City, associated with commercial stage productions. Hellman’s play premiered on Broadway before its screen adaptation.
Best Actress Academy Award: An annual Academy Award recognizing a leading performance by an actress in a film. Bette Davis was nominated for her performance as Regina Giddens.
Oscar Hubbard: A calculating businessman in The Little Foxes and one of Regina Giddens’s brothers. His plan to finance the mill sets the siblings’ scheme in motion.
William Wyler: An American film director known for films including The Best Years of Our Lives and Ben-Hur. His direction gives the family drama its controlled screen form.

Linked from 6 pages

The Group TheatreBroader topic: Its production demonstrated the company’s capacity for psychologically detailed, socially critical drama.