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

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to writer and director Guy Green, many girls auditioned for the role of Selina. However, as soon as Elizabeth Hartman walked into his office, he knew she was the one.

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Goofs

In a number of interior shots where Selina is wearing sunglasses, you can see her eyes and it's apparent that the actress playing the role isn't wearing the foggy contact lenses that made her look blind in non-sunglasses scenes.

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Quotes

Selina D'Arcy: Not ask just marry! You don't have to ask!

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Alternate Versions

Also available in a computer-colorized version.

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Connections

References Sylvia (1965)

User Reviews

Well-acted and sad.....

This film is sad and effective,touching and indelible. Elizabeth Hartman is very sympathetic in this role as a blind teenager, growing up in a borderline white-trash home, with an alcoholic grandfather,and promiscuous down-at-heel mother,capably portrayed by Shelley Winters.

Sidney Poitier delivers another effective performance here,as a sympathetic friend to Selena (Hartman) who tries to help better her life,even as his brother,a med student tells him to forget it, Selena is a hopeless case from "a human trash heap".

The performances are touching and understated as one feels what it may be like to live as a disabled blind woman. Hartman is trampled and pushed to the ground simply because street people have no time to help her. The world is a cold place, but Poitier offers his friendship and compassion as a small patch of blue in Selena's otherwise dark world. Highly recommended.9/10.

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