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IMDbPro

The Miracle Worker

  • 19621962
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 46m
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
19K
YOUR RATING
Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke in The Miracle Worker (1962)
Official Trailer
Play trailer2:34
2 Videos
89 Photos
  • Biography
  • Drama
The story of Anne Sullivan's struggle to teach the blind and deaf Helen Keller how to communicate.The story of Anne Sullivan's struggle to teach the blind and deaf Helen Keller how to communicate.The story of Anne Sullivan's struggle to teach the blind and deaf Helen Keller how to communicate.
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
19K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Arthur Penn
  • Writers
    • William Gibson(screenplay)
    • Helen Keller(book "The Story of My Life")
  • Stars
    • Anne Bancroft
    • Patty Duke
    • Victor Jory
Top credits
  • Director
    • Arthur Penn
  • Writers
    • William Gibson(screenplay)
    • Helen Keller(book "The Story of My Life")
  • Stars
    • Anne Bancroft
    • Patty Duke
    • Victor Jory
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 113User reviews
    • 48Critic reviews
    • 83Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 2 Oscars
      • 11 wins & 12 nominations total

    Videos2

    The Miracle Worker
    Trailer 2:34
    The Miracle Worker
    The Miracle Worker (1962)
    Trailer 1:47
    The Miracle Worker (1962)

    Photos89

    Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke in The Miracle Worker (1962)
    Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke in The Miracle Worker (1962)
    Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke in The Miracle Worker (1962)
    Patty Duke and Inga Swenson in The Miracle Worker (1962)
    Anne Bancroft in The Miracle Worker (1962)
    Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke in The Miracle Worker (1962)
    Patty Duke in The Miracle Worker (1962)
    Patty Duke in The Miracle Worker (1962)
    Anne Bancroft and Inga Swenson in The Miracle Worker (1962)
    Anne Bancroft in The Miracle Worker (1962)
    Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke in The Miracle Worker (1962)
    Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke in The Miracle Worker (1962)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Anne Bancroft
    Anne Bancroft
    • Annie Sullivanas Annie Sullivan
    Patty Duke
    Patty Duke
    • Helen Kelleras Helen Keller
    Victor Jory
    Victor Jory
    • Captain Arthur Kelleras Captain Arthur Keller
    Inga Swenson
    Inga Swenson
    • Kate Kelleras Kate Keller
    Andrew Prine
    Andrew Prine
    • James Kelleras James Keller
    Kathleen Comegys
    Kathleen Comegys
    • Aunt Evas Aunt Ev
    Maribel Ayuso
    • Undetermined Roleas Undetermined Role
    • (uncredited)
    Dale Ellen Bethea
    • Martha at Age 10as Martha at Age 10
    • (uncredited)
    John Bliss
    John Bliss
    • Admissions Officeras Admissions Officer
    • (uncredited)
    Grant Code
    • Doctoras Doctor
    • (uncredited)
    Michael Darden
    • Percy at Age 10as Percy at Age 10
    • (uncredited)
    Michele Farr
    • Annie at Age 10as Annie at Age 10
    • (uncredited)
    William F. Haddock
    William F. Haddock
    • 2nd Croneas 2nd Crone
    • (uncredited)
    Jack Hollander
    • Mr. Anagnos of Perkins School in Bostonas Mr. Anagnos of Perkins School in Boston
    • (uncredited)
    Alan Howard
    • Jimmie at Age 8as Jimmie at Age 8
    • (uncredited)
    Judith Lowry
    Judith Lowry
    • 1st Croneas 1st Crone
    • (uncredited)
    Helen Ludlam
    • 3rd Croneas 3rd Crone
    • (uncredited)
    Beah Richards
    Beah Richards
    • Viney - Keller Maidas Viney - Keller Maid
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Arthur Penn
    • Writers
      • William Gibson(screenplay) (based upon the stage play by)
      • Helen Keller(book "The Story of My Life") (uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Although Patty Duke had been playing Helen Keller in the play for more than a year, she almost didn't get the part in the film adaptation. The studio felt that being a teenager, she looked too old to play a seven-year-old. However, they decided to use Duke after deciding to use Anne Bancroft, who played Duke's original Annie Sullivan in the play.
    • Goofs
      Anne Bancroft plays Annie Sullivan with a slight Irish accent. The real Sullivan was born in Agawam, Massachusetts and had no such accent.
    • Quotes

      Annie Sullivan: Pity? For this tyrant? The whole house turns on her whims! Is there anything she wants she doesn't get? I'll tell you what I pity: that the sun won't rise and set for her all her life, and every day you're telling her it will! What good will your pity do when you're under the strawberries, Captain Keller?

    • Connections
      Edited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Le contrôle de l'univers (1999)
    • 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 reviews113

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    Enormously moving
    Powerfully directed by Arthur Penn and supported by two Oscar-winning performances, The Miracle Worker dramatizes the early years of Helen Keller, the blind and deaf mute who became a famous author and prominent Socialist. Anne Bancroft's first lead role is as Anne Sullivan, Helen's lifelong teacher and friend and her performance is compelling. Patty Duke is also outstanding as Helen, portraying the disturbed child as she works to overcome bad manners and temper tantrums, the result of being overly indulged by her well meaning but ineffective parents. Moving into a small cottage away from her parents, Anne, who was partially blind herself, assists Helen with some tough love and begins to teach her to spell with her fingers.

    Until this point, Helen had no understanding of the meaning of words. This changed when Anne led her to the water pump and spelled out the word water as she pumped the water over Helen's hand. She is said to have learned thirty words the same day and eventually learned to read. In 1904 Helen graduated from Radcliffe College, becoming the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. The film could have easily descended into melodrama, but Penn keeps his focus and the result is enormously moving without being maudlin. The Miracle Worker is a miracle.
    helpful•16
    1
    • howard.schumann
    • Jun 13, 2005

    FAQ5

    • What is 'The Miracle Worker' about?
    • Is 'The Miracle Worker' based on a book?
    • What happened to Annie Sullivan's brother Jimmie?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 28, 1962 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • American Sign Language
    • Also known as
      • Licht im Dunkel
    • Filming locations
      • Middletown, New Jersey, USA
    • Production company
      • Playfilm Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $500,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $4,139
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 46 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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