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:

based on play | tutor | communication | boston massachusetts | 1880s | 

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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

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English American Sign Language

Release Date:

28 July 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ana de los milagros

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Playfilm Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ingrid Bergman claimed in her autobiography that she was offered the role of Annie Sullivan.

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Goofs

The way Annie holds the doll changes after Helen gets back in bed after learning 'milk.'

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Quotes

Annie Sullivan: All's fair in love and war.
Captain Arthur Keller: This is not war.
Annie Sullivan: Well, it's not love!

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Connections

Referenced in Gilmore Girls: Forgiveness and Stuff (2000)

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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

Words

Using the vehicle of the story of a blind and deaf girl's discovery of the meaning of words, this film poetically and emotionally celebrates that singular gift we humans possess: language. It also depicts with deep understanding and identification the glory of that early relationship we all have one way or another, that between child and teacher. There's a line that Annie Sullivan speaks about words being our vision "5000 years into the past" that could apply to this film and play: its words are our vision into the silent and sightless world of Helen Keller.

Unlike many period films shot in the sixties, this one was true to its setting. It hasn't dated a bit. And unlike many films of plays, it never seems stagebound. The black and white camerawork and editing, by people who, strangely, had very limited careers, is superb. The dining room scene is one of the most brilliantly shot and edited sequences I have ever seen. The music is subtle when it needs to be and powerfully effective in the big scenes. The use of flashbacks for Annie's troubled past is done artfully, and in a way true to the emotional content of the memories. The acting by Bancroft and Duke is of course legendary, but the supporting roles are equally well played. But it's probably the director Arthur Penn who is most responsible for the film's success. He saw the play through its journey from live television drama to Broadway to film.