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The Miracle Worker Overview:

The Miracle Worker (1962) was a Biographical - Drama Film directed by Arthur Penn and produced by Fred Coe.

The film was based on the autobiography The Story of My Life written by Helen Keller at the & 1959 Play Playhouse Theatre, NY 1903 (play performed Oct 19, 1959 - Jul 1, 1961).

Academy Awards 1962 --- Ceremony Number 35 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best ActressAnne BancroftWon
Best Supporting ActressPatty DukeWon
Best Costume DesignRuth MorleyNominated
Best DirectorArthur PennNominated
Best WritingWilliam GibsonNominated
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The Miracle Worker BlogHub Articles:

The Miracle Worker (1962)

By Beatrice on Jul 25, 2017 From Flickers in Time

The Miracle Worker Directed by Arthur Penn Written by William Gibson based on his play and the book by Helen Keller 1962/USA Playfilm Productions Repeat viewing/Netflix Spectacular acting meets a powerful, inspirational story. This is based on the true story of Helen Keller (Patty Duke), who, at ... Read full article

Anne Bancroft, Winner for The Miracle Worker

By Virginie Pronovost on Feb 6, 2016 From The Wonderful World of Cinema

The 31 Days of Oscar Blogathon is finally back! This is one of my favourite blogathons, so I was very excited to participate again. As always, it is hosted by the fantastic Aurora from Once Upon a Screen, Kellee from Outspoken and Freckled and Paula from Paula’s Cinema Club. Today, we start th... Read full article

Silence in Sound: The Power of “Johnny Belinda” and “The Miracle Worker”

By Lara on Oct 21, 2011 From Backlots

When the silent era finally gave way to talkies in 1927, an art form was lost–the art of meaningful expression without words. When we look at the films of the great silent stars, for example those of Clara Bow, Norma Talmadge, or Lillian Gish, we see a wholly separate kind of film, one where a... Read full article

The Miracle Worker (1962)

By Raquel Stecher on Nov 30, -0001 From Out of the Past - A Classic Film Blog

Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke in The Miracle Worker (1962) It seemed like an impossible task. How does one teach a young girl who is blind, deaf, and mute how to communicate with the world? It would take a teacher of great strength who would persist against all odds. It would take a miracle worker.... Read full article

The Miracle Worker (1962)

By Raquel Stecher on Nov 30, -0001 From Out of the Past - A Classic Film Blog

Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke in The Miracle Worker (1962) It seemed like an impossible task. How does one teach a young girl who is blind, deaf, and mute how to communicate with the world? It would take a teacher of great strength who would persist against all odds. It would take a miracle worker.... Read full article

See More The Miracle Worker Articles

The Miracle Worker Quotes:

Annie Sullivan: It's less trouble to feel sorry for her than it is to teach her anything better.
Captain Arthur Keller: What would another week accomplish? We are more than satisfied. You taught her things to do, how to behave. She's more manageable, cleaner.
Annie Sullivan: Cleaner?
Captain Arthur Keller: Well, we say cleanliness is next to godliness.
Annie Sullivan: Cleanliness is next to nothing! Give me more time with her.
Captain Arthur Keller: Look, what's she spelling? Teaching a dog to spell? The dog doesn't know what she means any more than she knows what you mean, Miss Sullivan. I think you ask too much of her and yourself. God may not have meant Helen to have the eyes you speak of.
Annie Sullivan: I mean her to.
James Keller: Miss Sullivan? I'm James Keller.
Annie Sullivan: James? I had a brother Jimmy. Are you Helen's?
James Keller: I'm only half a brother. You'll be her governess?
Annie Sullivan: Well, I'll try.
James Keller: You look like half a governess.
Captain Arthur Keller: From the minute she stepped off the train she's been nothing but a burden! Incompetent, impertinent, ineffectual, inmodest, and...
Kate Keller: She folded her napkin, Captain.
Captain Arthur Keller: She what?
Kate Keller: Not ineffectual. Helen did fold her napkin.
Captain Arthur Keller: What in heaven's name is so extraordinary about folding a napkin?
Kate Keller: Well, it's more than you did, Captain.
Captain Arthur Keller: Katie, the point is she's ruined any chance she ever had of getting along with the child. If you can see any point or purpose of her staying on here longer, it's more than I can.
Kate Keller: What do you wish me to do?
Captain Arthur Keller: I want you to give her notice!
Kate Keller: I can't.
Captain Arthur Keller: Then if you won't, I must!
Kate Keller: What are you saying to her?
Annie Sullivan: Oh, I was just making conversation. Telling her it was a sewing card.
Kate Keller: Does that mean that to her?
Annie Sullivan: Oh, no, she won't know what spelling is till she knows what a word is.
Kate Keller: The captain says it's like spelling to a fence post.
Annie Sullivan: Does he now? It's how I watch you talk to your baby.
Kate Keller: The baby?
Annie Sullivan: Any baby. It's gibberish. Grown-up gibberish. Baby-talk gibberish. Do they understand one word of it to start? Somehow they begin to if they hear it. I'm letting Helen hear it.
Kate Keller: Other children are not impaired.
Annie Sullivan: Oh, there's nothing impaired in her head. It works like a mousetrap.
Kate Keller: Then when will she learn?
Annie Sullivan: Maybe after a million words.
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The Miracle Worker Facts
The French title of this film is "Miracle en Alabama" (translated literally, "Miracle in Alabama").
United Artists originally offered a $2-million budget if writer William Gibson and director Arthur Penn would cast either Elizabeth Taylor or Audrey Hepburn in the role of Annie Sullivan. When they insisted that the part be recreated by Tony Award winner Anne Bancroft, UA cut the budget by $1.5 million.
Although Patty Duke had been playing Helen Keller in the play for more than year, she almost didn't get the part in the film adaptation. The studio felt that being a teenager, she looked too old to play a seven-year-old. However, they decided to use Duke after deciding to use Anne Bancroft, who played Duke's original Annie Sullivan in the play.
Anne Bancroft wasn't present to receive her Academy Award for Best Actress. At the time, she was in New York doing a play and the award was accepted by Joan Crawford. Crawford did it to spite her What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? co-star Bette Davis.
The play was originally produced as "Playhouse 90; The Miracle Worker (1957)", broadcast on February 7, 1957 and starred Teresa Wright as Annie Sullivan, Patty McCormack as Helen Keller, Burl Ives as Captain Keller and Katharine Bard as Katie Keller.
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