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Johnny Belinda (1948 film)

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Johnny Belinda
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJean Negulesco
Screenplay byAllen Vincent
Irma von Cube
Based onJohnny Belinda
1940 play
by Elmer Blaney Harris
Produced byJerry Wald
StarringJane Wyman
Lew Ayres
Charles Bickford
Agnes Moorehead
CinematographyTed McCord
Edited byDavid Weisbart
Music byMax Steiner
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release date
  • September 14, 1948 (1948-09-14)
Running time
102 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1,631,000[1]
Box office$4.1 million (US/ Canada rentals)[2]
$6,987,000 (worldwide)[1]

Johnny Belinda is a 1948 American drama film, directed by Jean Negulesco, based on the 1940 Broadway stage hit of the same name by Elmer Blaney Harris. The play was adapted for the screen by writers Allen Vincent and Irma von Cube.

The story is based on an incident that happened near Harris's summer residence in Fortune Bridge, Bay Fortune, Prince Edward Island. The title character is based on the real-life Lydia Dingwell (1852–1931), of Dingwells Mills, Prince Edward Island. The film dramatizes the consequences of spreading lies and rumors, and the horror of rape. The latter subject had previously been prohibited by the Motion Picture Production Code. Johnny Belinda is widely considered to be the first Hollywood film for which the restriction was relaxed since its implementation in 1934, and as such was controversial at the time of its initial release.

The film stars Jane Wyman, Lew Ayres, Charles Bickford, Agnes Moorehead, Stephen McNally, and Jan Sterling. Wyman's performance earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress.

It was filmed on location in Fort Bragg, California.[3]

Plot

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Belinda MacDonald is a deaf-mute young woman living on Cape Breton Island on the east coast of Canada. She is befriended by Dr. Robert Richardson, a physician who recently moved to town. The doctor realizes that, although she cannot hear or speak, Belinda is very intelligent. She lives on a farm with her father, Black MacDonald, and her aunt, Aggie MacDonald. The family raises cattle and sheep and makes a living grinding wheat into flour at their small mill. Her father and aunt call Belinda "Dummy" and resent her because her mother died giving birth to her. Dr. Richardson teaches Belinda sign language, and she learns to read. Over time, his affection for her grows.

Dr. Richardson's secretary, Stella, is attracted to him, but the doctor does not reciprocate her feelings. After Stella figures out that he is attracted to Belinda, she starts to resent both of them.

One of the family's customers, Laughlin "Locky" McCormick, meets Belinda when he stops by the MacDonald farm. Locky is dating Stella at the time. He gets drunk, goes to the farm where Belinda is alone, and rapes her. This results in her pregnancy. Belinda gives birth to a boy, whom she names Johnny. The people in town shun the MacDonald family and Dr. Richardson, as they gossip that he must be Johnny's father. Dr. Richardson tells Black that he is willing to marry Belinda in order to quiet town gossip. Black rejects this idea, as he believes that Dr. Richardson does not truly love Belinda. Boycotted by locals, the doctor leaves the community and takes a position in a Toronto hospital. He writes to Belinda suggesting he will return for her and Johnny.

Locky goes to the MacDonald farm under the pretense of purchasing ground barley but really wants to get a look at baby Johnny. He boasts about the infant, saying, "spittin' image of his father," revealing to Black that he is the father of the child. Black follows Locky and threatens to expose him to the town. They have a fight on a seaside cliff, and Locky throws Black off the cliff into the sea, killing him. Town gossip calls it an accident and does not suspect Locky. They celebrate his wedding to Stella.

Belinda and her aunt Aggie try to operate the farm but struggle to pay the bills. Farmers boycott their flour mill. The town, at the urging of Locky, declares Belinda unfit to care for the child and awards him to Locky and Stella. They come to take Johnny. Belinda makes Stella realize that she is a smart and competent mother who will never give up her baby. Stella tells Locky that the mother should keep Johnny, but he demands the baby, telling his wife that it is his son. When he goes to retrieve the boy, Belinda kills him with a shotgun. She is arrested and goes on trial for murder. At the trial, Dr. Richardson testifies that she was protecting her property and family. The court dismisses this as the doctor's love for her and is ready to sentence Belinda to execution, but Stella blurts out that Locky had confessed the truth about the rape to her on the day he was killed. Belinda is set free, and she, Johnny, Dr. Richardson, and Aggie leave together.

Main cast and characters

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Other cast members

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Reception

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Box office

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The film was a huge financial success, earning $4,266,000 domestically and $2,721,000 foreign.[1]

The film was the second most popular movie at the British box office in 1948.[4]

Critical reaction

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Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote that while some of the scenes "were pretty lurid, especially towards the end," that "the best of the film is absorbing, and Miss Wyman, all the way through, plays her role in a manner which commands compassion and respect."[5] William Brogdon of Variety called it "somber, tender, [and] moving," with Wyman's performance "a personal success."[6] John McCarten of The New Yorker thought the screenplay was "far superior" to the script of the original play, and that the actors were "all convincing, particularly Jane Wyman, who is cast as the badgered heroine."[7] The Monthly Film Bulletin called it "a memorable film in which Jane Wyman's performance as Belinda is outstanding."[8] "A powerful dramatic entertainment," wrote Harrison's Reports. "The direction, acting, and photography are of a superior quality, but the outstanding thing about the picture is the exceptionally fine performance by Jane Wyman, an acting job that will undoubtedly make her a foremost contender for the Academy Award."[9]

Content aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports a 91% "Fresh" rating based on 10 out of 11 surveyed critics giving the film a positive review.[10]

Accolades

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Award Category Recipient Result
Academy Awards[11][12] Best Picture Jerry Wald (for Warner Bros.) Nominated
Best Director Jean Negulesco Nominated
Best Actor Lew Ayres Nominated
Best Actress Jane Wyman Won
Best Supporting Actor Charles Bickford Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Agnes Moorehead Nominated
Best Screenplay Irma von Cube and Allen Vincent Nominated
Best Art Direction-Set Decoration – Black-and-White Robert M. Haas and William O. Wallace Nominated
Best Cinematography – Black-and-White Ted D. McCord Nominated
Best Film Editing David Weisbart Nominated
Best Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture Max Steiner Nominated
Best Sound Recording Nathan Levinson Nominated
Golden Globe Awards[13] Best Picture Won[a]
Best Actress in a Leading Role Jane Wyman Won
National Board of Review Awards[14] Top Ten Films 8th Place
Photoplay Awards Gold Medal Actress Jane Wyman Won
Picturegoer Awards Best Actress Won
Venice International Film Festival Golden Lion Jean Negulesco Nominated
Writers Guild of America Awards[15] Best Written American Drama Irma von Cube and Allen Vincent Nominated

The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:

Later versions

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The film was remade first as a 1967 television movie starring Mia Farrow as Belinda, Ian Bannen as her doctor, and David Carradine as the rapist, and in 1982 as another TV remake with Rosanna Arquette as Belinda and Richard Thomas as the VISTA worker. Also, live versions aired on the US network NBC on October 13, 1958, as part of the Hallmark Hall of Fame series[17] and on Australian television in 1959 as part of the Shell Presents series.[18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Glancy, H. Mark (1995). "Warner Bros Film Grosses, 1921–51: The William Schaefer Ledger". Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television. 15: 29. doi:10.1080/01439689508604551.
  2. ^ "Top Grossers of 1948". Variety. January 5, 1949. p. 46 – via Internet Archive.
  3. ^ Landazuri, Margarita. "Johnny Belinda (1948)". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on December 5, 2011. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  4. ^ "The Third Man As Popular Film Of Year". The Sydney Morning Herald. December 16, 1949. p. 3. Retrieved March 4, 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ Crowther, Bosley (October 2, 1948). "The Screen in Review; Jane Wyman Gives a Sensitive Performance as Deaf-Mute in 'Johnny Belinda'". The New York Times. p. 11.
  6. ^ Brogdon, William (September 15, 1948). "Film Reviews: Johnny Belinda". Variety. p. 15 – via Internet Archive.
  7. ^ McCarten, John (October 9, 1948). "The Current Cinema". The New Yorker. pp. 111–112.
  8. ^ "Johnny Belinda (1948)". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 15 (177): 128. September 1948.
  9. ^ "'Johnny Belinda' with Jane Wyman, Lew Ayres and Charles Bickford". Harrison's Reports. September 18, 1948. p. 151 – via Internet Archive.
  10. ^ "Johnny Belinda". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  11. ^ "The 21st Academy Awards (1949) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  12. ^ "NY Times: Johnny Belinda". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2012. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
  13. ^ "Johnny Belinda – Golden Globes". HFPA. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  14. ^ "1948 Award Winners". National Board of Review. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  15. ^ "Awards Winners". wga.org. Writers Guild of America. Archived from the original on December 5, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2010.
  16. ^ "AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores Nominees" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 13, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
  17. ^ "Broadcasting Magazine" (PDF). October 20, 1958. Retrieved January 1, 2017 – via americanradiohistory.com.
  18. ^ "Australian TV is growing up". The Sydney Morning Herald. October 30, 1960. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  1. ^ Tied with The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

Further reading

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  • Leff, Leonard J. "What in the World Interests Women? Hollywood, Postwar America, and 'Johnny Belinda.'" Journal of American Studies 31#32 (1997), pp. 385–405. online
  • Schuchman, John S. (1999). Hollywood Speaks: Deafness and the Film Entertainment Industry. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0252068508.
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