Tim Kidner I don't want to sound mean or be too harsh on this minor film.However, a plainly irritating, "delicate" (as his father calls him) curly blonde schoolboy and a charisma-free Dirk Bogarde, who could have at least sprung up some light accent don't make for great entertainment these days.Michael Horden, however, is perfect as the work-is-all diplomat, who's so far removed from real life by his over protection for his son, that the story becomes about him and of a spent dinosaur of imperialist bigot-ism. Every other review chants on about homophobic this and that, but, any child, boy or girl who is cocooned by an oft absent but overbearing single parent is going to find company, solace and friendship in any stranger who spends any time at all within their sight or grasp. Thus, it's perfectly natural for that child to explore beyond the strict boundaries set out - it's natural exploration. Any adult who sees a change for the better in that child is most likely to quietly encourage it.Jose (Bogarde) is just an everyday Joe and as the Spanish Gardener in question, sees the increasing injustices to the boy and then, to himself. Quietly reliable, he is the opposite to the boy's father and so they click. Interfering house staff, fed up with both master and child do them no favours. The film then proceeds in a routine manner of misunderstanding, injustice and then, not wanting to spoil the ending...The Technicolour is pallid, you don't see much of Spain and so the overall effect is a bit of a non-event but there is a story there and quite a good one at that.

MartinHafer Dirk Bogarde was a wonderful actor. Despite being barely known here in the States, we have begun to see more and more of his films thanks to Turner Classic Movies...and this is thrilling. However, "The Spanish Gardener" is one case where I really think he was wrong for the part. Although a fine performer, here he is miscast as a Spanish man--a Spanish man with barely a trace of a Spanish accent...and a bit of a British one! Why the studio simply didn't hire a Spanish actor is beyond me, but Hollywood also had a tendency to do this as well, so I can't just bash the British film industry.The story begins with an angry and disappointed diplomat (Michael Hordern) in the British foreign service. I say disappointed because his wife recently left him and because he was not given the choice assignment but sent to a relatively insignificant town in Spain. He is going to take his young son (Jon Whiteley) with him instead of sending him to a boarding school. However, the boy is lonely and his father a bit distant. When a new gardener is hired (Bogarde), the boy comes out of his shell and begins to idolize Bogarde--who gives the boy what he needs--his time. Sadly, instead of learning from this, the father becomes jealous and behaves in a petty fashion towards the gardener and forbids him from talking to the boy. Eventually, this leads to a collision course between the father and gardener--one that even lands the gardener in jail! Where exactly the film goes after this is up to you to see for yourself in this charming family drama.It's a shame that in these times, someone watching this sweet film might easily assume that the gardener is a pedophile--and not just a decent man trying to help a very lonely boy. Overall, it's well worth seeing and well acted throughout--even with the odd casting.

moonspinner55 Cold, unfeeling British diplomat in Spain, abandoned by his wife and raising his 8-year-old son alone, has isolated the boy from other children--he even harbors the untrue notion his child is ill to keep him over-protected. The youngster wants to be just like other kids and craves friendship, soon becoming close pals with the handsome gardener his father has hired. Based on the novel by A.J. Cronin, this is odd material for the movies; although it's certainly performed well (particularly by child-actor Jon Whiteley), the relationships at hand are intricate--and the conflicts which arise are a bit uncomfortable. Director Philip Leacock establishes early on that Dirk Bogarde's athletic gardener is heterosexual (by giving him a girlfriend), although there also seem to be insinuations that the boy's hero-worship for his new friend borders on an intimate need. In this instance, some may say the father's desire to keep the two apart is rational from a concerned parent's point of view; however, the father is specifically written not to be a rational man. Becoming enraged like a jealous lover, he has the gardener arrested for stealing and sent to prison! This portion of the film is highly contrived, dismantling the subtle psychology of the situation and turning it into cheap melodrama. Worth-seeing for the acting--and the attempt alone--but the results are not satisfying. ** from ****

lawrence_elliott The "Spanish Gardener" is a warm-hearted film that entertains, teaches and gratifies all at the same time. Dirk Bogarde is a wonderful actor who never got his due as a great interpreter of character on screen. This is a simple film, but what a film it is! Sometimes simplicity is a more powerful conveyor of truth than complex renditions that lose the audience before they can redeem themselves. So much garbage is being produced currently on film today that I wonder why filmmakers don't just sit back and learn from their predecessors, often English directors, who can teach so much just by simply observing how they craft their films?Jose helps form a bond of friendship with a young boy that cannot be broken even by the boy's jealous older father who selfishly guards his young son as a prized possession who must not have contact with anyone. This film reminds me of "A Man Without a Face" (1993) with Mel Gibson, another wonderful film.I cannot recommend this film too highly. It will warm your heart and break it too. But isn't that what films are supposed to do? Touch your heart and get at the universal emotions of people, much like a Beethoven Symphony would, to stir, conquer and triumph! This 1957 film is a victory because of fine directing, acting, story and execution of plot which allows the audience time to absorb and feel the emotions that develop within and between the characters, resolving itself towards a beautifully crafted ending.