Johnny Belinda (1948)

In post-war Cape Breton, a doctor's efforts to tutor a deaf/mute woman are undermined when she is raped, and the resulting pregnancy causes scandal to swirl.

Director:

Jean Negulesco

Writers:

Irma von Cube (screenplay), Allen Vincent (screenplay),

Stars:

Jane Wyman, Lew Ayres, Charles Bickford

Won 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jane Wyman	...	Belinda McDonald
Lew Ayres	...	Dr. Robert Richardson
Charles Bickford	...	Black MacDonald
Agnes Moorehead	...	Aggie MacDonald
Stephen McNally	...	Locky McCormick
Jan Sterling	...	Stella McCormick
Rosalind Ivan	...	Mrs. Poggety
Dan Seymour	...	Pacquet - Storekeeper
Mabel Paige	...	Mrs. Lutz
Ida Moore	...	Mrs. McKee
Alan Napier	...	Defense Attorney

Storyline

Dr. Robert Richardson, a dedicated young general practitioner, seeks to establish himself in an isolated fishing village on Cape Breton Island off the Nova Scotia coast. The population is poor and the struggling physician generally gets paid for his efforts in barter. When he meets Belinda McDonald, a young deaf mute callously dismissed by family and neighbors as "the dummy," he alone senses her innate intelligence. He overcomes the initial skepticism of her flinty, gruff father and indifferently cold aunt, who operate a hardscrabble grist mill and farm, and devotes himself to teaching the young girl sign language and lip-reading. Hopes are even raised that she might even eventually qualify for a medical procedure that might improve her condition. Her optimism is crushed, however, when she raped by Locky McCormick, a brutish local fisherman. Traumatized, she is unable to communicate the outrage to her family, who are baffled and angry when they learn she is pregnant. The local gossips...

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Plot Keywords:

village | doctor | lip reading | island | mute | 

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Taglines:

There was temptation in her helpless silence...and then torment

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English American Sign Language

Release Date:

14 September 1948 (USA)

Also Known As:

Belinda

Filming Locations:

Fort Bragg, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The original Broadway production of "Johnny Belinda" by Elmer Harris opened at the Belasco Theater and ran for 321 performances.

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Goofs

The adoption papers from the council misspell the possessive "its" as "it's."

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Quotes

Dr. Robert Richardson: Hello, Aggie. You got back all right?
Aggie McDonald: Wouldn't be here if I hadn't, would I?
Dr. Robert Richardson: Is your sister better?
Aggie McDonald: Yes.
Dr. Robert Richardson: Did she have a good doctor?
Aggie McDonald: Don't have any. Doesn't believe in them.
Dr. Robert Richardson: Well, that's the right attitude as long as one can afford it.

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Connections

Referenced in El año de la garrapata (2004)

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Soundtracks

"Come, Thou Almighty King"
(1769) (uncredited)
Music by Felice de Giardini
Words anonymous
First stanza sung by the church congregation

User Reviews

underestimated

I had always written Jane Wyman off as just the ex-wife of Ronald Reagan and the matriarch of the Falcon Crest clan, but this movie really changed my mind about her. I was completely blown away by her performance as a deaf-mute. It is very easy to fall into stereotypes when playing physically challenged roles (especially in 1948), but Wyman underplays her part with great skill. She rises above the melodrama of the film without saying a single word and everything can be seen in her eyes. This film is truly a shining moment in her career.