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: 

Katharine's Family Dinner

December marked the fiftieth anniversary of the release of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), and the film was part of the 2017 TCM Presents series. Very much a tale of the 1960s (but still relevant today), the film introduces us to Joanna "Joey" Drayton (Katharine Houghton), a 23 year old woman raised by liberal parents. Joey has returned from her vacation prematurely to her San Francisco home, accompanied by Dr. John Wade Prentice (Sidney Poitier), a highly-regarded physician, who happens to be African-American. The two met in Hawaii and fell in love. As John is about to leave for a three month work assignment with the World Health Organization in Geneva, the pair have arrived to tell Joey's parents, Christina (Katharine Hepburn) and Matt Drayton (Spencer Tracy) of their plans to marry in two weeks in Geneva. What Joey doesn't know is that John feels it is crucial to their future as a couple that Matt and Christina bless the marriage. If they will not, he will remove himself from Joey's life.

As pointed out by TCM host Tiffany Vasquez in her introduction, the film was a bit dated even upon release. John's father (Roy Glenn) states that "in several states" John and Joanna would be breaking the law - however the U.S. Supreme Court had just recently handed down a decision regarding interracial marriage in Loving v. Virginia (brought to the screen in 2016's Loving). Regardless of that momentous decision, Mr. Prentiss was correct about the difficulties that the couple would face - and still (unfortunately) face today. So, while some of the film is a tad old-fashioned, it still can speak to us in the 21st Century. (This Los Angeles Times article on 50th Anniversary of the film is an interesting examination of the film in the our times).

Spencer Tracy was ill when he filmed Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. In fact, both Katharine Hepburn and director Stanley Kramer placed their salaries for the film into escrow in the event Mr. Tracy was not able to complete shooting. Mr. Kramer arranged that Mr. Tracy would only film in the morning, while his energy levels were up to the task (TCM Article). Spencer Tracy died only 10 days after his work was completed. Regardless, his performance gives no hint that he was unwell; he is wonderful as a father facing his own liberal principles against the future happiness of his daughter. Mr. Tracy was posthumously nominated for his 10th Best Actor Oscar. (He lost to Rod Steiger in In the Heat of the Night). 

Another nominated performance was that of Beah Richards, as John's mother (Ms. Richards also lost, to Estelle Parsons in Bonnie and Clyde). Her performance is just wonderful; her love for her son, as well as her fear that her husband will destroy the relationship between himself and his son is evident in every scene. She was a lovely scene with Spencer Tracy that leads to the films penultimate speech from Mr. Tracy. She started working in New York theatre, first off-Broadway (in 1955), then on Broadway (she was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in The Amen Corner). She only made 15 films, most of them playing someone's mother. But it was in television that she made her mark, winning two Emmy awards, and appearing in shows such as I Spy (playing Alexander Scott's mother),  ER (as Peter Benton's mother), and Beauty and the Beast (as Narcissa). Ms. Richards died of emphysema in 2000 at the age of 80. 

Katharine Hepburn suggested that her niece, Katharine Houghton read for the role of Joanna (the studio had Samantha Eggar in mind (AFI catalog)). She's quite good in a part that really is somewhat minor - Joey is the catalyst for the action of the film. She is in the middle of the dialogue between her parents and John, not really part of the conversation. If I have one complaint about the film, it is that Joey is written as almost passive. We know she has some of her mother's fire (her comment about her mother's employee Hilary shows that), but all Joanna can say of herself is that she will be important because her husband is important. I suspect it was not the picture that we were supposed to have of Joanna, but it is very much a sign of the times that Joanna is not all that important. She's not even going to get a say in the decision regarding her future.

Besides the nominations for Mr. Tracy and Ms. Richards, there were other Oscar nominations: Actor in a Supporting Role (Cecil Kellaway), Art Direction, Film Editing, Music (Scoring of Music—adaptation or treatment), Directing, and Best Picture. It won awards for Katharine Hepburn as Best Actress, and for William Rose's Writing (Story and Screenplay—written directly for the screen). This was Ms. Hepburn's second Oscar win - the next year, she would win again for her role in The Lion in Winter and would share the honor with Barbra Streisand, who ALSO won for Funny Girl. The film has also been featured in three AFI lists: It stands as #35 in 100 Years, 100 Cheers, #58 in 100 Years, 100 Passions, and #99 100 Year, 100 Movies, 1998 edition.

I'll close with one of my favorite scenes in the Christina's conversation with the very nosy Hilary (Virginia Christine):