Dorothy is a Teacher

 

Primary schoolteacher Jane Richards (Dorothy Dandridge) starts her first job at a rural school and becomes interested in C.T. Young (Philip Hepburn), a youngster with a history of underachievement in the school - now in 4th grade, C.T. has been left back in every grade. Determined to find something that will interest this child, Jane begins to find ways to draw him out. Our film this week is Bright Road (1953).

A gentle story that tells the story of the growing relationship between a young boy and his teacher, this is an effective film that features many outstanding performances.  First and foremost is Dorothy Dandridge in her first major role as the schoolteacher who won't give up on this neglected child. So many films about teachers and students portray adversarial relationship. This one does not. Ms. Dandridge plays a teacher who wants to understand her students' needs, not just teach at them. Ms. Dandridge had worked for years with her sister, Vivian as part of The Dandridge Sisters, a singing trio (the other member was Etta Jones). She worked again with Vivian here - Vivian worked as a hairdresser for the cast, then filled in as Miss Nelson, one of the other teachers (AFI catalog).

 

Also remarkable is Philip Hepburn as the youngster who seems unable to learn. C.T. is never rude, but he does feel that the classroom is a distraction from the world, and that adults don't really help him all that much - he is more interested in his bees (a source of income for him and his family), in caterpillars, and in his younger siblings. It's a sad commentary that none of his prior teachers realized that the child was hungry - it's clear that the teachers know that C.T.'s father is a part-time laborer, but only Miss Richards puts this together. What does make this film different from other films about educators is that C.T. comes from a loving family. They may be poor, but his parents and siblings are caring people, who all love one another.  This was Mr. Hepburn's only film - he made two more appearances on television, then left the business. 

Barbara Ann Sanders (later Barbara Randolph) also had a short film. She's lovely as Tanya Hamilton, C.T.'s best friend.  She would later go on to a successful career as a singer, working with a number of singing groups. She'd later appear in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), her final film appearance. She died in 2002 at the age of 60.

Harry Belafonte (Mr. Williams) in his first film role, has a relatively small part in the film - he's excellent in his few scenes. He brings authority to the principal, a caring man who is intrigued by the intensity of his new teacher.  Mr. Belafonte even gets to sing a bit in the film. Later in his career, he would become a film producer - his HarBel Productions did Odds Against Tomorrow (1959), in which he also starred.

Other performances worth mentioning are Maidie Norman as Tanya's mother. She has only one scene (with Ms. Dandridge); it's a touching and sad moment that is beautifully done by Ms. Norman.  Robert Horton (Dr. Mitchell) plays a dedicated doctor who is called to aid a sick child.  He's very good in the part. It's also interesting that he is the only white actor in the film, nor is it called out that his practice is dedicated to a Black community.

The director of the film, Gerald Mayer, was the nephew of Louis B. Mayer, and spent most of his career in B films. He would eventually work successfully in television (TCM article).

The New York Times review by Bosley Crowther was lukewarm - he enjoyed the story, such as it was, but had expected more social commentary. We found this a warm and enjoyable film, that tells the story of a struggling community well.  We'll leave you with a trailer: