Sidney Goes to the Park

Blinded in an accident as a small child, Selina D'Arcey (Elizabeth Hartman), lives with her prostitute mother, Rose-Ann (Shelley Winters) and her alcoholic grandfather, Old Pa (Wallace Ford) in a small apartment. She keeps the home clean and to bring in some money, strings beads for Mr. Faber (John Qualen) who visits a few times a week.  But Selina yearns to get out of the apartment; when Mr. Faber offers to bring her to the park one day, a new world opens for Selina, especially after she meets Gordon Ralfe (Sidney Poitier). The week, we discussed A Patch of Blue (1965).

On some levels, it is sad that this movie still resonates so clearly with us, since it is so much about racism. When you see the way Rose-Ann lives, as compared to Gordon and his brother Mark (Ivan Dixon), and then hear her refer to Black people as trash, it's all you can do to not scream.  Rose-Ann D'Arcey is probably one of the ugliest characters in any film. She makes trash look good, quite frankly. But as we learn from her, and from Gordon's conversations with his brother, race is ever-present barrier to this story of love and friendship.

To say that Sidney Poitier is magnificent in the part is an understatement.  His characterization of Gordon walks a very thin line - we can see his growing love for Selina, but it is mixed with pity, anger, and regret. Does he love Selina romantically? It's hard to tell, because Mr. Poitier tries very hard to subdue any romantic feelings for this lost lamb.  Of course, the race issue is key, but there is more to it - he knows that this is a girl who has no concept of life and love. Her feelings may be gratitude; his may be pity.  The romance needs time to see if it is durable and Gordon is careful to keep the barriers firmly in place.Likewise Elizabeth Hartman makes Selina both naive and worldly at the same time. Her vision taken from her when her mother tried to throw acid into her husband's face, but hit 5-year old Selina instead. She's been kept at home as a servant, taught nothing, raped as a teen-ager by one of her mother's clients, and been beaten and verbally abused by her mother. Ms. Hartman wore specially designed contact lenses to obscure her vision (AFI catalog); she invests the character with an intelligence that is admirable. We know that she has taught herself to maneuver within her small world. As it expands, so too does her ability to broaden her own confines. 

Shelley Winters won her second Oscar (Best Supporting Actress) for her work in this film.  She said that she always tried to find "something to like in the characters I've played, but not this time...I really hate this woman" (TCM article). Ms. Winters pulls no punches in her portrayal of this despicable woman. She's willing to put herself out there and make Rose-Ann the monster she needs to be in order to display the utter ludicrousness of this woman's bigotry.  It was a well-deserved award for a performance that digs into the depths of cruelty to create a masterful performance. One does wonder how Rose-Ann managed to convince social services to allow her to keep her child!

The film is blessed with other fine performances.  John Qualen's Mr. Faber is a gentle soul. His affection for Selina ("my best worker") is sincere.  With his small gesture - taking her into the park a few times a week (where she can work in the fresh air) - he opens the door for her transformation. The character's goodness becomes even more apparent the further we get into the film, but Mr. Qualen's touch is one of kindness.

It's always a pleasure to see Ivan Dixon in any role, and he is excellent as Gordon's brother. A hospital intern who has had to struggle to get into his chosen profession, he worries that Gordon is over his head in taking on the responsibility for a poor, white, blind girl. Mr. Dixon got his acting start on Broadway, in The Cave Dwellers; later, he would appear in A Raisin in the Sun, a part he would recreate for the film version. He would continue to act in films and on television (notably as a regular in Hogan's Heroes for five years). He also became a director, primarily in series television. He died in 2008 of kidney failure - his alma mater North Carolina Central University has named their theatrical troupe The Ivan Dixon Players.

Elisabeth Fraser (Sadie) plays Rose-Ann's literal partner in crime. She's almost as bad as Rose-Ann. It's a small, but important role as Sadie sets in motion the final act, in which Selina's future hangs by a thread.  

Wallace Ford had a long and impressive career. He started on Vaudeville; by 1921, he was appearing on Broadway (he did 11 productions between 1921 and 1939). He started in films in 1929; in 1931 he co-starred with Clark Gable and Joan Crawford in Possessed. He worked steadily in both films and television, frequently as the star, until A Patch of Blue.  This was his final film appearance, and he is marvelous. A drunk, Ole Pa has wasted his life, but he genuinely cares for his grandchild and it is that which radiates through his performance.

The film was based on Elizabeth Kata’s 1961 novel, Be Ready With Bells and Drums (though the book's very downbeat ending was changed).  The film was nominated for 5 Academy Awards (including Actress, Black & White Cinematography, Black and White Art-Set Direction, and Music).

One of the things we enjoyed about the film is that it is a story that you can discuss past the action of the film - what DID happen to Selina and Gordon after we leave them? We'll leave you to ponder that question, as well as a trailer: 

Elliot Flies

One of the real delights of modern technology is being able to see a phenomenal film, with an outstanding score performed by a live orchestra.  I recently had the pleasure of seeing the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra perform John William's entrancing score to E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), as the movie played behind them. This is a film in which the music is intrinsic to the intensity of the film as a whole. Try and picture Elliot and E.T. flying before the full moon without Mr. Williams soaring score - it just wouldn't be as effective. Your pleasure is doubled when the orchestra is sitting there with you, helping to make the film come to life. Not surprisingly, the score is #14 in AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores, with John Williams winning the Oscar for Best Score that year (Mr. Williams has won five Oscars out of 50 nominations), as well as the BAFTA, the Golden Globe, and three Grammys.

The story of an alien, accidentally abandoned on Earth by his colleagues, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, follows the adventures of E.T. and the young boy, Elliot (Henry Thomas) who befriends him. It's a beautiful story that I actually saw when it first opened (I stood on line at the Kips Bay Theatre in New York City to see a preview, and befriended some like-minded gentlemen. We held each others places on line, sat together in the theatre, and cried in all the same scenes. I've never seen them again, but if they ever read this, just know it was a special evening of camaraderie for me).

The beauty of E.T. is the relationships of the children; adults, like Elliot's mother Mary (Dee Wallace) are either oblivious or menacing.  For the children, after some moments of shock, E.T. becomes a friend - they recognize him as someone that is nonthreatening. Yes, E.T. is initially a plaything - witness Elliot's comment to older brother Michael (Robert MacNaughton), "I'm keeping him," like E.T. is a lost puppy; or Gertie (Drew Barrymore) dressing E.T. up like one of her dolls. But in the end, it is the three children and Michael's friends, who risk all to get E.T. home. 

At the 1983 Oscars, E.T. was nominated for 9 awards (including Best Picture and Best Direction for Steven Spielberg). Including the Score award for Mr. Williams, the film won a total of 4 awards, the others for Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, and Visual Effects. But the film was up against Gandhi that year (which won both Picture and Direction). It wasn't until 1993, that Mr. Spielberg finally one a Best Direction Oscar - for Schindler's List, which, to date, is the ONLY one of his films that has one the Best Picture nod. He's won best Direction twice (the other award for Saving Private Ryan in 1999)

Despite that oversight, E.T. is #24 on the AFI 100 Years, 100 Movies list, and it has also been included on the AFI 100 Year, 100 Cheers list (at #6), as well as AFI 100 Years, 100 Quotes (#15 for, what else, "E.T. phone home").

There was a scene in the film in which Elliot is scolded by the school principal that was eventually cut from the film - the principal was played by Harrison Ford. Peter Coyote (Keys) met Spielberg when he auditioned for the part of Indiana Jones; Dee Wallace came to Spielberg's attention through her work in the television show Skag. Producer Kathleen Kennedy spent 6 months interviewing child actors before settling on her cast. (AFI catalog).

Reese's Pieces became quite a "thing" after the film's release; however, the producers originally contacted Mars for permission to use M&Ms. Mars said no - the film would frighten little children. (TCM article). All I can say is I bet there is a Mars executive out there who has been kicking himself for 35 years!

I'll leave you with the scene that perhaps is most emblematic of the effect of Mr. Williams impressive score. It is not just the special effects that make Elliot fly!