Miracle Worker The (1962)
Miracle Worker The (1962)
This wonderful tear-jerking & eventually heartwarming compelling true story of the early (the breakthrough) years of Helen Keller and her teacher Annie Sullivan who stubbornly helps the belligerent violent child to overcome the frustration due to her handicaps (blind deaf and dumb) and learned to communicate (e.g. through sign language) is an essential biographical drama which earned Academy Awards for both Anne Bancroft (Best Actress Oscar on her first nomination) as Annie and Patty Duke (Best Supporting Actress on her only nomination) as Helen; both actresses were reprising their roles from the play for which Bancroft had received a Tony Award. The film’s director Arthur Penn (his first nomination) its screenplay (William Gibson’s only recognition from the Academy) adapted from Keller’s own book and B&W Costume Design (also Ruth Morley’s only) were also nominated for Oscars. Victor Jory plays Helen’s stern father Inga Swenson the loving mother that had spoiled her ‘helpless’ daughter to brink of institutionalization and Andrew Prine plays the brother that sometimes suffered from a lack of attention.