A Patch of Blue (1965)

A blind, uneducated white girl is befriended by a black man, who becomes determined to help her escape her impoverished and abusive home life by introducing her to the outside world.

Director:

Guy Green

Writers:

Elizabeth Kata (novel), Guy Green (written for the screen)

Stars:

Sidney Poitier, Shelley Winters, Elizabeth Hartman

Won 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Sidney Poitier	...	Gordon Ralfe
Shelley Winters	...	Rose-Ann D'Arcey
Elizabeth Hartman	...	Selina D'Arcey
Wallace Ford	...	Ole Pa
Ivan Dixon	...	Mark Ralfe
Elisabeth Fraser	...	Sadie
John Qualen	...	Mr. Faber
Kelly Flynn	...	Yanek Faber
Debi Storm	...	Selina, Age 5
Renata Vanni	...	Mrs. Favaloro
Saverio LoMedico	...	Mr. Favaloro

Storyline

Accidentally blinded by her prostitute mother Rose-Ann at the age of five, Selina D'Arcey spends the next 13 years confined in the tiny Los Angeles apartment that they share with "Ole Pa", Selina's grandfather. One afternoon at the local park, Selina meets Gordon Ralfe, a thoughtful young office worker whose kind-hearted treatment of her results in her falling in love with him, unaware that he is black. They continue to meet in the park every afternoon and he teaches her how to get along in the city. But when the cruel, domineering Rose-Ann learns of their relationship, she forbids her to have anything more to do with him because he is black. Selina continues to meet Gordon despite Rose-Ann's fury, who is determined to end the relationship for good.

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Plot Keywords:

park | tolerance | music box | blindness | racial prejudice | 

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Taglines:

Love is color blind.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 December 1965 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Patch of Blue

Filming Locations:

MacArthur Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$800,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Pandro S. Berman Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Features Elizabeth Hartman's only Oscar nominated performance.

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Goofs

Before Rose Ann walks out the door, Ole Pa yells, "Drop dead!" but his lips don't move at all.

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Quotes

Rose-Ann D'Arcey: I just bet he is. I bet you're learning swell things from that black buck!
Selina D'Arcy: Shut up! Don't you dare say those ugly things about Gordon! He's a lot better than anybody...
Rose-Ann D'Arcey: Don't you tell me to shut up, you ungrateful little chippy!
[smacks her face, she slaps her back and shoves her]
Rose-Ann D'Arcey: Hit me, would ye, your own mother? Is that what you're learning from your black boyfriend?
[slaps her face]
Selina D'Arcy: Ow! Stop it, I hate you!
Rose-Ann D'Arcey: If I ever, If I ever catch you with him again, I'll beat the hell out of you!
Ole' Pa: [...]

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Alternate Versions

Also available in a computer-colorized version.

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Connections

Referenced in Swimming with Sharks (1994)

User Reviews

Not Enough Shelley Winters!

Shelley Winters's platinum-haired, overweight, foul-mouthed Roseanne D'arcy is as much fun to watch as her pouty, midwestern Charlotte Haze in Lolita. As sharp and horrible as a root canal, she marches around the tiny apartment she shares with her daughter and father, ordering Selina about like an indentured servant: "Where's my dinner?" she bellows like a foghorn. Classic. The fight scene between she and her father is not to be missed, as the one-liners fly back and forth like knives. When the neighbors try to intervene, Shelley launches into them like the assault on Normandy, gleefully turning husband against wife.

Sidney Poitier is wonderful as always, as Gordon. As an actor, Poitier can do no wrong; he glides into the room with that curious mixture of animal magnetism and precise diction, sizing up a situation with the efficiency of an accountant. His Gordon Ralfe is realistic and fatherly toward Selina, even as he tries to ignore the underlying romantic tension between Selina and himself.

Elizabeth Hartman's Selina is so fragile that she looks as though she will break any moment. I have a hunch that much of her excellent performance is mined from her real-life depression, if her IMDb biography is accurate.

This is an excellent film, and highly recommended.