Johnny Belinda (1948)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Jean Negulesco

Writers:

Irma von Cube (screenplay) and
Allen Vincent (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

14 September 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

She was alone with terror - and torment!

Plot:

In post-war Cape Breton, a doctor's efforts to tutor a deaf/mute woman are undermined when she is raped, and the resulting pregnancy causes scandal to swirl.

Plot Keywords:

Doctor | Mute | Sign Language | Deaf Mute | Island

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 3 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Jane Wyman	...	Belinda McDonald
Lew Ayres	...	Dr. Robert Richardson
Charles Bickford	...	Black McDonald
Agnes Moorehead	...	Aggie McDonald
Stephen McNally	...	Locky McCormick
Jan Sterling	...	Stella McCormick
Rosalind Ivan	...	Mrs. Poggety
Dan Seymour	...	Pacquet - Storekeeper
Mabel Paige	...	Mrs. Lutz
Ida Moore	...	Mrs. McKee
Alan Napier	...	Defense Attorney

Runtime:

102 min | West Germany:95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #12705) | West Germany:16 | Australia:G | Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Fort Bragg, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Jane Wyman's Oscar acceptance speech is reportedly the shortest on record for Best Actress: "I won this award by keeping my mouth shut and I think I'll do it again." 'John Mills' bowed and said nothing after winning Best Supporting Actor for playing a mute in _Ryan's Daughter (1971)_.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The adoption papers from the council misspell the possessive "its" as "it's."

Quotes:

Stella McCormick: He's a... something even you can't pronounce!
Locky McCormick: Probably something not fit to mention.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in El año de la garrapata (2004)

Magnificent in every respect

Most of the previous posts were on the mark. I thought every aspect of the movie was magnificent. A great deal of thought, care, and attention went into the production and filming of "Johnny Belinda." Wyman was unforgettable. Everyone else in the cast--down to the smallest role--was superb. The black and white cinematography is stunning, and the location work (I'm assuming the film was not shot in the studio) pays off handsomely. Costuming, props, sets--there's not a false note anywhere. The acting, screenplay, and direction all meld beautifully so that one of the film's greatest achievements is that it never becomes maudlin.

Wyman's Oscar was greatly deserved, but "Johnny Belinda" should have won several more. Throw a dart at the cast and credits list--wherever the dart lands will be a worthwhile Oscar winner.

The reviewer who hailed this as a "forgotten masterpiece" nailed it perfectly. Not only do they "not make 'em like this any more," they only very rarely did before. This is a film crying out to be rediscovered.