Johnny Belinda (1948)

Director:

Jean Negulesco

Writers:

Irma von Cube (screenplay) and
Allen Vincent (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

14 September 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

She was alone with terror - and torment!

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Village | Doctor | Mute | Sign Language | Deaf

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 13 nominations

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Barbara Bates	...	Gracie Anderson (uncredited)
Monte Blue	...	Ben (uncredited)
James Craven	...	Interpreter (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Man on Jury (uncredited)
Al Ferguson	...	Man Reciting Lord's Prayer (uncredited)
Frank Hagney	...	Man Reciting Lord's Prayer (uncredited)
Creighton Hale	...	Bailiff (uncredited)
Jonathan Hale	...	Dr. Horace M. Gray (uncredited)
Lew Harvey	...	Man Reciting Lord's Prayer (uncredited)
Holmes Herbert	...	Judge (uncredited)
Charles Horvath	...	Church Attendant (uncredited)
Douglas Kennedy	...	Mountie (uncredited)
Colin Kenny	...	Man Reciting Lord's Prayer (uncredited)
Blayney Lewis	...	Dan'l (uncredited)
Alice MacKenzie	...	Farm Woman (uncredited)
Larry McGrath	...	Man Reciting Lord's Prayer (uncredited)
Ray Montgomery	...	Tim Moore (uncredited)
'Snub' Pollard	...	Man on Jury (uncredited)
Jeff Richards	...	Floyd McQuiggen (uncredited)
Richard Walsh	...	Fergus McQuiggen (uncredited)
Joan Winfield	...	Mrs. Tim Moore (uncredited)
Ian Wolfe	...	Rector (uncredited)
Frederick Worlock	...	Prosecutor (uncredited)

Directed by
Jean Negulesco

Writing credits
Irma von Cube		(screenplay) (as Irmgard VonCube) and
Allen Vincent		(screenplay)
Elmer Harris		(from the stage play by)

Produced by
Jerry Wald	....	producer

Original Music by
Max Steiner

Cinematography by
Ted D. McCord		(director of photography) (as Ted McCord)

Film Editing by
David Weisbart

Art Direction by
Robert M. Haas		(as Robert Haas)

Set Decoration by
William Wallace		(set decorations)

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist
Betty Delmont	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Frank McCoy	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Frank Mattison	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mel Dellar	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Lee White	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Frank Durlauf	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Harry Goldman	....	props (uncredited)
Frederick Kuhn	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Charles Lang	....	sound

Special Effects by
Edwin B. DuPar	....	special effects (as Edwin DuPar)
William C. McGann	....	special effects director (as William McGann)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dave Brodie	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
William Classen	....	grip (uncredited)
Ellsworth Fredericks	....	second camera (uncredited)
Paul Ivano	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)
Clair Sealey	....	best boy (uncredited)
George Stout	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Jack Woods	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Milo Anderson	....	wardrobe
Marie Blanchard	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Patricia Davidson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)
Frank Ricci	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Sam Marks	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Murray Cutter	....	orchestral arrangements
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Max Steiner	....	conductor (uncredited)

Other crew
Bruce Carruthers	....	technical advisor
Elizabeth Gesner	....	technical advisor
Harry Wagstaff Gribble	....	producer: stage play
Felix Jacoves	....	dialogue director
Fred Applegate	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Joe Barry	....	location manager (uncredited)
Bob Fender	....	publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros (presents) (A Warner Bros.-First National Picture)

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1948) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1975) (USA) (all media)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• M.P.E.A. (1949) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros First National (1949) (France) (theatrical)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

102 min | West Germany:95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | American Sign Language

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #12705) | West Germany:16 (nf) | USA:Unrated | Australia:PG (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Fort Bragg, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros

Trivia:

Jane Wyman's Oscar acceptance speech is reportedly the shortest on record for Best Actress: "I won this award by keeping my mouth shut and I think I'll do it again." Sir John Mills bowed and said nothing after winning Best Supporting Actor for playing a mute in Ryan's Daughter (1970).

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): The adoption papers from the council misspell the possessive "its" as "it's."

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.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Year of the Tick (2004)

Soundtrack:

Wedding March

The Whole Cast is Amazing

Belinda (Wyman) lives in a small fishing village with her father (Bickford) and her aunt (Moorehead). She has one slight problem though. She's deaf and her guardians never really taught her how to understand and associate with the outside world.

That all changes when a doctor (Ayres) comes to town. He takes a liking to Belinda and begins to teach her sign language. She learns how to read lips and ends up being a very good pupil. But when the doctor goes away on business, he returns to Belinda and finds a shocking discovery while taking her to a doctor in another town.

Stephen McNally and Jan Sterling are supporting characters and they give fine performances. But the real stars here, are the four ones that were nominated for Oscars. Agnes Moorehead is one of the most interesting and mysterious characters, Charles Bickford is the one that you'll be rooting for, Lew Ayres will make you feel special, and Jane Wyman will give you one of the greatest performances of the '40s and possibly of all time.

The film was nominated for twelve Academy Awards. This is a fantastic thing for any film. Sadly, it was only awarded the Oscar for Best Actress. I sometimes wonder what it would have been like if it had had more of a success like it should have had.