The Miracle Worker (1962)

The story of Anne Sullivan's struggle to teach the blind and deaf Helen Keller how to communicate.

Director:

Arthur Penn

Writers:

William Gibson (screenplay), William Gibson (based upon the stage play by)

Stars:

Anne Bancroft, Patty Duke, Victor Jory

Won 2 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Anne Bancroft	...	Annie Sullivan
Victor Jory	...	Captain Arthur Keller
Inga Swenson	...	Kate Keller
Andrew Prine	...	James Keller
Kathleen Comegys	...	Aunt Ev
Patty Duke	...	Helen Keller

Storyline

Young Helen Keller, blind, deaf, and mute since infancy, is in danger of being sent to an institution. Her inability to communicate has left her frustrated and violent. In desperation, her parents seek help from the Perkins Institute, which sends them a "half-blind Yankee schoolgirl" named Annie Sullivan to tutor their daughter. Through persistence and love, and sheer stubbornness, Annie breaks through Helen's walls of silence and darkness and teaches her to communicate.

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Plot Keywords:

blindness | deafness | based on play | helen keller | tutor | 

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Taglines:

A mighty motion picture experience. . .touch it. . .sense it. . .feel it. . .you can't forget it!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Patty Duke later played Annie Sullivan (with Melissa Gilbert as Helen Keller) in a 1979 TV production (The Miracle Worker (1979)).

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Goofs

Helen went blind at 19 months of age. Therefore, when she finds the hand-held mirror among Annie's things, she wouldn't have known what it was or what it was for; she wouldn't have pretended to check out her own reflection.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Doctor: She'll live.
[Captain Arthur and Kate Keller embrace tenderly and thankfully at the seemingly good news]
Doctor: I can tell you now I thought she wouldn't.
Captain Arthur Keller: I thought too I'd miss my wife's first. It's a battle scar
Kate Keller: Doctor, will my girl be alright?
Doctor: By morning she'll be knockin' down Cap'n Keller's fences again.
Kate Keller: Oh, is there nothing we should do?
Captain Arthur Keller: Put up stronger fences, huh?
Doctor: Just let her get well. She knows how better than we do. These things come and go in infants, never know why. Probably acute ...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in In the Company of Men (1997)

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Soundtracks

Hush, Little Baby
(uncredited)
Traditional Southern lullaby
Music adapted by Don Costa
Lyrics by Arthur Siegel
Sung by Anne Bancroft
Also played in the score

User Reviews

One of the best films ever

I bought this movie after having not seen it for a while, and watching it again was intensely powerful. I had never cried during the "water" scene, but I did this time. The scene in the dining room is magnificently filmed and exhausting to watch...to think Patty Duke and Anne Bancroft performed that scene every night on Broadway! Supposedly they wore multiple layers of padding. I don't know why they didn't create a new category for the Oscars that year, Best Double Performance in Leading Roles. They both richly deserved the Oscars they won, but I really couldn't choose between a leading role and a supporting role in that movie since Duke and Bancroft created such a beautiful and moving partnership. Having read a great deal about Helen Keller, including her own autobiography, I am still always amazed by her story and accomplishments. This movie is a brilliant testament to human strength.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English American Sign Language

Release Date:

28 July 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Miracle Worker

Filming Locations:

Big Sky Ranch - 4927 Bennett Road, Simi Valley, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$500,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,139

Company Credits

Production Co:

Playfilm Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1