A Patch of Blue Reviews

• A BITTERSWEET, HEARTBREAKING FILM...

  
  By A1L43KWWR05PCS on 2004-01-05
  This is a wonderful low-budget, black and white film starring a great cast of actors: Sidney Poitier, Shelley Winters, Wallace Ford, and then newcomer, Elizabeth Hartman. It was filmed in 1965, at the height of the civil rights movement, and was then notable for its budding inter-racial romance. While this aspect may seem rather tame today, at the time the movie was filmed, this was still a somewhat controversial theme in many parts of America.

  Elizabeth Hartman, in an exquisitely poignant performance for which she was nominated for an Academy Award, plays the part of Selina D'Arcy, an eighteen year old blind girl who lives an isolated and impoverished, almost Dickensian, existence. She lives with her abusive mother, Rose-Ann (Shelley Winters), who moonlights as a prostitute, and her drunken, though somewhat well-meaning, grandfather, whom she calls Ole Pa (Wallace Ford). Uneducated, having never gone to school, Selina spends her time stringing beads to earn some money for the family, cleaning up after her mother and grandfather, and being at the receiving end of constant physical abuse and verbal invectives heaped upon her by her mother. Hers is, indeed, a draconian existence.

  One day, she prevails upon her grandfather to drop her off in the park, where she proceeds to sit under a tree, stringing her beads. There, she meets a kindly, well-educated business man, Gordon Ralphe (Sidney Poitier), who takes an interest in her and her quick appreciation for any kindness done to her. She responds to Gordon's kindness as if she were a flower turning its face to the sun for continued warmth. He, in turn, is touched by her eager interest in even the most mundane of matters. They continue to meet under that tree as often as possible, and a relationship develops.

  Under Gordon's tutelage, Selina begins to blossom. Some of her disclosures to him about her life fill him with horror and a determination to do something constructive about it. While he goes about trying to improve her quality of life, their relationship deepens, despite the warnings of Gordon's brother. After all, Selina is white, uneducated, and comes from a trashy, dysfunctional family, while Gordon is black, well-educated, and from a good family.

  Selina, sure that what she feels is love, is less restrained than Gordon about her feelings, though their budding romance culminates in nothing more than a chaste kiss. When Rose-Ann finds out whom Selina has been meeting, however, matters come to a head, and Gordon comes to the rescue. A modern day knight in shining armor, however, Gordon does the selfless thing in the end.

  This is a wonderful movie in which the two main protagonists, Gordon and Selina, judge each other by the content of their respective character and not by the color of their skin. Though controversial at the time, this film may seem a little dated by today's standards. Yet, some of its themes are as fresh today as when it was filmed. The notion of selflessness and putting the needs of another before one's own remains timeless. This is a concept, however, rarely seen in today's films.

  Although this was Ms. Hartman's debut film, she deservedly received an Academy Award nomination for her sensitive portrayal of Selina. Unfortunately, her career never really took off after this film the way one would have expected after a performance of this caliber. She appeared only in a few notable films, such as, "The Group", "You're a Big Boy Now", and "Beguiled", before descending into virtual obscurity. I was saddened to hear that she committed suicide in the late nineteen eighties at the age of forty-five, a tragic figure in the end, leaving behind this beautiful performance for posterity.
  
  

• Great DVD-Great Movie

  
  By A30LMTLC9XVWKJ on 2005-03-22
  They did an outstanding job of transferring this film to DVD and the 2.35x1 aspect ratio is how you want to see this; especially for the scenes in the apartment. They must have found an almost perfect print (or the original MGM negative) because the DVD is as crisp and clean as any I have ever seen. Because B&W relies so much on contrast and shadows there is often a problem with the old prints, but this well shot feature looks as good as it did in 1965.
  It took me almost 40 years to finally see "A Patch of Blue". It was promoted as the kind of trendy, raise your social consciousness movie that I avoid like the plague. The mid-sixties was full of this kind of moralizing political stuff, as the country finally began to wake up to the embarrassing social inequities and the hypocrisy that hung over everything like a cloud of poison gas. The older half of the baby boomer generation was beginning to question the fear and hate of their parents, and Hollywood was beginning to discover that this had exploitation potential. Most of these things were moronic at the time and have not improved with age.
  
  Ironically, what led to my finally viewing this film was watching Catherine Deneuve in another film from 1965; Polanski's "Repulsion". Writing a review of that film I lamented the failure of the Academy to nominate Deneuve for Best Actress and Polanski for Best Director. Whatever was thought then about the films and performances actually nominated, in retrospect they pale in comparison to "Repulsion". No one even gives a thought anymore to "Darling" or "Ship of Fools", "Doctor Zhivago" is more big that it is good, and Julie Andrews was great in a very weak movie (but decent musical). While "A Thousand Clowns" and "The Collector"-with Samantha Eggar, are good cult films, they are easy to dismiss.
  
  But when I got to Elizabeth Hartman's nomination for "A Patch of Blue" I realized that I knew very little about her or the performance, having dismissed it as just a reprise of Patty Duke's performance in "The Miracle Worker". I became more intrigued when I discovered that Hartman was the actress who blew me away in "The Beguiled", so I picked up a copy of the 2.35x1 aspect ratio DVD of "Patch of Blue". I was surprised to find that a film with the name of a color in its title had been shot in black and white.
  
  After seeing "Patch of Blue" I still made my case for "Repulsion", but qualified it by saying only Hartman's performance was in the same class as that of Deneuve. Which was quite a concession for me but both performances are truly wonderful.
  
  As for "Patch of Blue", I found it absolutely amazing-close to perfection. There were so many places where Guy Green could have screwed it up and he neatly avoided them all.
  
  The director is presented with a real problem when deciding how to film an actor playing a blind person. Tight shots on the eyes are what makes acting for the camera so special. Unfortunately the unfocused eyes of a blind person cannot convey much emotion, in fact anything but a blank stare betrays the blind illusion. So Guy Green had to get a verbal and body language performance out Hartman that compensated for not being able to use tight shots, and Hartman had to work at not just playing a complex character but also at maintaining the illusion that she was blind. All her scenes are excellent but she has three that are especially memorable.
  
  The first is at the kitchen table where she casually discusses being raped with Gordon. Her matter-of-fact narration plays perfectly with Poitier's horrified reaction.
  
  The second is after a stranger has helped her back to the apartment from her terrifying failed attempt to find the park by herself. In a few minutes she ranges from despair so deep it verges on madness, to extreme gratitude toward the boy who brings her a message, to giddy joy at the realization that Gordon cares enough about her to send someone to see what has happened to her. Hartman plays all parts of the scene convincingly-I wonder if they shot it all the same day or if Green shot each sequence separately.
  
  The third scene (and my personal favorite) is when she is alone in the park and it starts to rain. If someone told me of the challenges posed by this scene, I would not have given it much chance of success, yet Green pulls it off and Hartman is absolutely believable. The is the scene where you first really connect to Selena's fear and isolation, because by this time you know and identify with the character. Absolutely amazing.
  
  Here is a little Elizabeth Hartman trivia. After Patty Duke turned down the role because of type-casting concerns and Hayley Mills for financial reasons (what a disaster that would have been), they tested 150 unknowns and choose the 22 year old Hartman. "I believe I was lacking the things they wanted an actress to lack," Hartman told Sidney Skolsky when he made her the subject of one of his "Tintypes" profiles. After meeting her Slolsky said: "She is shy, timid. She sleeps in a normal-size bed in sleeveless nightgowns. She always takes her Raggedy-Ann doll to bed with her." Prior to Oscar night Hartman, who still lived in Youngstown with her mother, commented "I'm just waiting for someone to offer me a part in a picture or a play. I'm climbing the walls, as a matter of fact". MGM did not use her picture in their Oscar ads for her but used a sight gag, a pair of sunglasses in a Price Waterhouse envelope.
  
  Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.
  
  
  

• A Journey Of Discovery

  
  By AYG1U47VFZ165 on 2003-03-18
  An amazing Sidney Poitier makes the most of his role as Gordon, a gentle spirit who comes to the aid of Selina (played by Elizabeth Hartman), a young blind woman who spends her days sitting in the park stringing beads onto cheap imitation pearl necklaces for a meager living.

  As the story develops, Gordon comes to the realization that, as much as it may feel right, he cannot be with Selina, while the blind girl continues to be drawn closer and closer to this man who has introduced her to the world outside ... one vastly different from the one-room flat she shares with her abusive mother (Shelley Winters) and her drunken grandfather.

  The film intelligently deals with the prospect of not only an interracial romance but also dabbles with the subject of significant age differences between two people clearly drawn romantically to one another. There's is a romance much like ROMEO & JULIET ... two souls coming from vastly different worlds, wanting to be together, but forced apart by circumstances beyond control.

  A wonderful journey of discovery for those willing to take the trip ...
  
  

• simply perfect

  
  By on 2000-03-24
  The key to the success of this film is its simplicity, including that it's in black and white. There is nothing to distract you from being enfolded in its beauty, and so your emotional involvement in characters, setting and plot is complete. It is a perfect period piece belonging to 1965, but its appeal is timeless. It's personal appealto me was as strong as if I were dreaming, and had the role of the blind girl! I dangled in emotional suspense until the very last scene, which shouldn't be revealed to those who haven't seen it! As an allegory of the civil rights movement, it spins the tale of gross injustice that could've continued were it not for one individual intervening for right (as in a small number of courageous people's protests bringing an end to the darkness of Jim Crow injustice). This is also a wonderful modern-day Cinderella story, complete with a prince (Poitier) who breaks the spell of the wicked mother (Winters). However the film is viewed the quality shines! The most important point in this film is the juxtaposition of characters, in which Poitier's character represents the voice of reason and responsibility, a ground-breaking role for a black man in 1965.
  
  

• Beyond Categorizing

  
  By A1SVXJZ3386U2D on 2006-04-25
  I never saw "A Patch of Blue" when it came out but I knew at the time that it was about an inter-racial romance. Those topics were news back then. I finally watched it last night and I was impressed with the way it handled the delicacy of its' controversy. To be sure, the script writer gave the plot all the necessary help to be persuasive to the sceptics that came to watch. The white blind girl came from a family that defined "dysfunctional" to an extreme. The concept of the female lead being blind was not only convenient to the plot, it was great allegory. Sidney Poitier was exceptional in a role that required strength and compassion. It would take a cold heart and/or a numb brain to avoid being drawn into the compassion of the film. Yet this is not some giddy "Love Story" but, rather, a serious look at what can happen when love breaks open a vacuum. The director took a great script and amplified its' meaning in a close-up of two people from different environments who find each other. Sexuality is subdued. Indeed, its' periodic presence is in a negative perspective. We are not looking at a climax but at a beginning. By focussing just on the beginning, we are spared making judgement on whatever direction or misdirection may have followed. No doubt that was a brilliant move for its' time but it also resulted in a brilliant movie for anytime. In truth, the most impressive realization that I got from "A Patch of Blue" was how the movie's excellence allowed it to transcend the era it was created in. It didn't matter that I saw it 40 years later; it only mattered that I saw it. You should see it too.
  
  
• A Timeless Classic
  By A1JPHCPRP44EX4 on 2006-03-27
  I remember seeing this movie as a child, and I was very impressed then, and I still am. I purchased the DVD because I remembered how much I enjoyed the movie as a child. When I watched it again, I appreciated it more because it was so important for its time. Racism and prejudice was rampant at the time this movie was made, in 1965. It speaks to the need for tolerance and justice back then, just as much as it does today. This was my first exposure to the talents of Sidney Poitier, and Shelly Winters won an Academy Award for her portrayal of the main character's abusive mother. I can't stress how touching and worthwhile this movie is. Watch it...I know you'll enjoy it as much as I did.
  
  
• Brilliant!
  By on 1999-08-11
  Hollywood would never make a movie like this today. IT would have to be made on a modest budget and Hollywood doesn't think any movie is good unless it costs $100 million, like Wild, Wild West. The acting is superb, as is the beautiful film score by Jerry Goldsmith. Watching it today is sad, though, since the superb young actress, Elizabeth Hartman, killed herself a few years ago by jumping from her apartment. She was living in poverty,after suffering mental problems from the HOllywood "rat race." Shelly Winters is so vicious you want to strangle her. She's written in her memoirs how difficult it was to play the fight scenes with her blind daughter. A wonderful movie--Elizabeth Hartman's triumph. She was also starred in "The Group" and "Walking Tall."
  
  
• OUTSTANDING, ONE OF MR. POITER'S BEST FILMS EVER. A MUST SEE
  By on 1999-06-01
  WHILE WATCHING THIS FILM, I THOUGHT WHAT IF WE WERE ALL BLIND LIKE SELENA, MAYBE OUR SOCIETY WOULD BE MUCH BETTER. BY NOT HAVING SIGHT THIS CHARACTER SHOWED HOW MUCH BETTER SHE WAS THAN HER BIGOTED MOTHER WHO COULD SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN COLOR AND MAKING JUDGEMENTS. ALL SELENA SAW WAS HOW KIND A PERSON SIDNEY POITER'S CHARACTER WAS TO HER AND HOW HE HELPED HER. SHE DIDN'T CARE THAT HE WAS BLACK. THIS FILM SHOULD BE SEEN BY EVERYONE AND MAYBE YOU WILL GET OVER WHATEVER HANG UPS THEY HAVE ABOUT RACE. (IF ONLY THIS FILM COULD DO THIS. HOW NICE IT WOULD BE).
  
  
• A Ray of Sunshine in a Life of Darkness
  By AU635F2UK53F3 on 2003-08-05
  Warner Brothers produced A Patch of Blue in 1965, which was a black and white dramatic film set in California, starring such greats as Sidney Poitier, Shelley Winters, Elizabeth Hartman, and Wallace Ford. This film was quite racy for its time, as the movie's plot was centered on a budding relationship between a black man and a white teenage woman, which in those days was unheard of.
  Selina D'Arcy (Hartman), an 18-year old blind white girl, lives an isolated, Cinderella-like existence with her foul-mouthed mother Roseanne (Winters) and drunken grandfather, "Ol' Pa" (Ford). Selina wants nothing more than to listen to the radio and occasionally string beads in the park. It is there that she meets handsome black businessman Gordon Ralfe (Poitier) who sizes up her plight. As Gordon conveniently continues to run into Selina at the park and their relationship grows. He is delighted that he can teach Selina such everyday things as relying on her sense of smell, calling the pay phone operator, and pushing "Walk" just to listen to the traffic stop.
  It is easy to see why Shelly Winters won an Oscar for her portrayal of Selina's drunken and abusive prostitute mother. As a viewer, I cringed with Selina every time her mother went on one of her tirades. I still wonder why Elizabeth Hartman only received an Oscar nomination for her performance, because she truly portrayed the essence of her character.
  I give this film a four-star rating because I felt that the film accurately portrayed a 1965 interracial romance and addressed the subject of significant age differences between two people clearly drawn romantically to one another. The film could be disturbing at times because it showed just how bleak life can be for a blind girl living in poverty with a truly dysfunctional family.
  
  
• aways my favourite movie
  By A34WBVMPZU5VIL on 2003-08-17
  I read with sadness other comments that this movie is outdated............oh really...surprise surprise....it was made in the 60's I think.

  This movie above any I have seen since, speaks so clearly of sensitivity, gentle compassion and passionate love. The self-sacrificing love that we know so little about these days...

  DARE I SAY IT? is this what TRUE LOVE IS.....TO LOVE AND THEN LET GO for the LIFE of the other......

  Gordon loved so tenderly and Serina became aware so gently that she was lovable..AND loved........

  How is it possible that one could miss this view of the film is beyond me.........

  I have been "in-love" with Sidney ever since .... he has such skill as an actor and has broadened my horizons so immensely with his portrayal of Gordon

  Thank GOD for this medium which gives me an opportunity to say to SIDNEY FANS what I have wanted to say to him for 35 years....
  
  "THANK YOU AND I LOVE YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE GIVEN ME .....esp. in this film"

  one very devouted fan from MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA
  
  

• The "Broken Blossoms" of the 1960s
  By AYPCUQS6ARWFH on 2006-08-26
  For those who may not "get" my title-"Broken Blossoms" was a 1919 silent classic about a miserable poor white girl from an abusive family who finds friendship and understanding from a Chinese man amidst heavy bigotry against the Chinese.
  
  Fast forward to 1965. Elizabeth Hartman is the white girl (whose absue is compounded with her blindness), Shelly Winters is the drunk abusive parent, and Sir Sid (Poitier that is) is the caring nonwhite man who beforends her. This film is actually based on another novel, but the similarities to "Broken Blossoms" are interesting.
  
  It says a lot about what childhood abuse does to people. The film does a good job in explaining Miss Hartman's blindness, the roots of her insecurity around people, Sir Sid's ambivalence about his friendship with the white girl, etc. A good study in character motivation.
  
  The scenes where Shelly Winters, her drunk pappy, an her ignorant partner in prostitution abuse Miss Hartman are heart wrenching without blood and gore and only minor profanity, which may have shocked 1960s audiences. The film also subtly shows the dirty looks that Poitner and Miss Hartman receives as he guides her to through the town.
  
  Overall, some morals to this story could be-
  
  1) Be kind to children.
  2) Ignorant and drunken sluts should not have kids
  3) Friendship and kindness can and does transcend racial and cultural barriers.
  
  Probably shocking when it was first released, I would strongly recommend showing this to a high school social studies class and talking about it afterward (sorry, that's the teacher in me). It's a great conversation starter.
  
  
• A Patch of Blue
  By A15DJFVEKTMVL2 on 2000-02-06
  I must say, A Patch of Blue is one of my favorite movies because it addressed so many social issues that are prevalent today. Although A Patch of Blue was made during the civil rights movement, the message behind the movie is timeless: 1.Contrary to popular belief, Black is beautiful. 2.Regardless of one's skin color, people should be judged by the content of their character. So, If you are looking for a heartwarming but thought provoking movie, then you should buy A Patch of Blue.
  
  
• A must-see film!
  By on 2001-01-03
  I first saw this film in junior high school when it aired on a public tv station. I only saw bits and pieces; but, even then I was captured by this moving film.

  I started checking the monthly tv guide to see when it would re-air over the years.

  From the opening scene with Selena threading the beads to closing scene, I was enthralled. The characters were very powerful. Shelley Winters earned that Oscar.

  Jerry Goldsmith's soundtrack/score is haunting. I bought the CD for that as well. The use of the harmonica and the piano was beautiful.

  It is also the first movie that I can recall that included an interracial kiss. This movie was released before GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER.

  I think that you will enjoy it!
  
  

• One of my very favorite films
  By on 2001-01-19
  Geez, do I love this movie. Not just because of what it is, but because of what it could have been in less capable hands. Shelley Winters is one of the great screen villains here, truly terrifying in both her cruelty and her banality. (Can anyone ever forget the slap in the face she delivers?) Elizabeth Hartman is achingly believable and touching, especially when addressing her beloved in what she thinks are appropriately romantic terms. Sidney Poitier is nicely human in a role that could have been too idealistic. The simple score is memorable, and the final sixty seconds or so have stayed with me since childhood. (In a way, it reminds me of "Cast Away" in that it presents a little something at the very end that's not explicitly defined and which confounds anyone who's not used to thinking at the movies.)
  
  
• A TOUCHING AND HEARTFELT MASTERPIECE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  By A24H4MQR1BU7CT on 2002-04-10
  I just recently viewed this film for the very first time. I really enjoyed the acting from all involved. The story was very tender and warm-hearted and it was a very touching movie.
  If you haven't seen this movie, please do!!! It makes us realize that everyone is important- no matter the color, the race or even what disability another person may have.
  THIS IS A VERY TOUCHING AND HEARTFELT MASTERPIECE!!!!
  
  
• Sweet, thoughtful, moving drama
  By A1CDENKNGVOSNK on 2006-01-28
  I rented this thinking it was "A Place in the Sun" (also with Shelley Winters)and so it took me a bit to not keep trying to work that story line into this one (when is he going to push Shelley off a boat, I kept wondering?):) Anyway, once I adjusted to the fact that this is a movie about an abused, lonely blind girl befriended by a black man, I found myself entranced with the lovely tale of friendship that forms under mutual adversity. Gordon (Sidney Poitier)helps blind Selina move towards a life of independence and freedom from her mean, domineering mother (Winters); Selina offers Gordon love and friendship in a biased, racist world. Takes no cheap shots and offers no simplistic answers and is even better becaus of that. Touching and disturbing both. Well worth locating and watching.
  
  
• I only wish I could be as patient and helpful
  By A1MZNOE1OABAQK on 2006-08-07
  Problem is I'm a little blind myself. Elizabeth Hartman gives a heartbreaking, but ultimately inspiring performance as a blind girl with a home life so terrible I wanted to reach into the screen and pull her out of there. Luckily, Sidney Poitier enters the picture and teachers her how to take care of herself, showing her how to walk in the city and how to read braille (she's in her twenties).
  
  Shelly Winters is absolutely horrifying as her abusive, bigoted mother, and Wallace Ford is heartbreaking as the alcoholic grandfather. A must-see for fans of powerful drama.
  
  
• Magnificent!!
  By A3TW1PB230OFRJ on 2001-12-19
  I only saw this film a few weeks ago, and I still get teary-eyed just thinking about it. It's a movie that could never have been pulled off today and still evoke such depth of emotion. I felt every ounce of Selena's neglect, fear, bewilderment at the wider world, frustration with her very real captivity, and love for the only person that really loved her back. From the very first utterance of "S'Lena," I could not help but get choked up for a girl who had never heard own name said but through a drunken slur. I only wish I knew what became of Selena and Gordon. And I think it's a testament to the power of A PATCH OF BLUE that I even care. This is a 5-star PLUS movie. Now I'm off to buy the book...
  
  
• Poitier at his best!
  By on 2002-04-03
  This is a phenominal movie. Sidney Poitier is fabulous. THIS IS HIS BEST WORK. His role transcends color barriers and proves that all of us can make a difference. Truely inspiring!
  
  
• A Magical experience.
  By A2WADH7O10R7KH on 2003-02-12
  At last a favourite film of mine issued on DVD. What a brilliant release it is. A surperb print, as they say, and the wonderful suprise bonus of Mr. Green the director telling us how this film was made. What a good idea and how informative. Should be the standard for all DVD's.

  The sad part of this film however, is the sad loss of Miss Hartman. What a fantastic debut she made in this film. One just cannot help but wonder what she could have achieved had she not died so young. Mr Poitier, a favourite of mine in "In the Heat of the Night", is just perfect. Miss Winters and Wallace Ford are a brilliant match as mother and elderly father.

  All in all a fantastic little gem. Well done to all concerned.
  
  

• A Masterpiece of a love story.
  By A2D5BGCNBZVN93 on 2003-04-29
  Who cant help but fall in love with Selina D'Arcey?...This is a moving, bittersweet tale of forbidden love. A blind girl, who has nothing going for her, and lives such a bland, ...existence in the most dysfunctional of homes that you want to rescue her. And you'll want to throttle her abusive, rude witch of a mother, played by Shelly Winters in her finest hour.....but along comes her knight in shining armor, and shows her, well, just basic courtesy, which she's never known, and theres just something about the little blind girl at the park that keeps Sydney Pointier's character coming back. When he shows her compassion, and offers her companionship, she falls madly in love, and the poor dear is starved for affection, for all she knows is rudeness, and violence....The story draws in the viewer, and you start really caring about Selina, and want her to win in the end.....and the end will haunt you for the rest of your days.
  
  
• Green and "Blue"
  By A30TK6U7DNS82R on 2005-04-12
  Astoundingly enough, director Guy Green is still with us and at age 92 his memories of making A PATCH OF BLUE are still crisp, almost visionary. Usually I skip DVD commentary by directors and crew, preferring just to experience the picture without someone yakking off screen, but here it is worth a second viewing to understand the frustrations and finally the rewards Green (and producer Pandro Berman) faced in filming the novel, BE READY WITH BELLS AND DRUMS by Elizabeth Kata. Though set in the deep South, BE READY was written by an Australian author who had never set foot in the USA!
  
  She did a great job, but Green and Berman shelved the depressing vigilance ending of the novel and tried to tailor it for Sidney Poitier's personality. At the time that screen image was of the perfect man who just happened to be black. Kindly, radiantly handsome, strong, athletic, musical, a genius, Poitier's image was carved in stone at this point. His interest in little Selena is painted as the gesture of a great human being for one of the poor unfortunate ones. In return Elizabeth Hartman gives it all she's got. I was reminded often of the scenes in Chaplin's City Lights, where the Little Tramp falls in love with a blind girl and hustles like mad to earn enough money to finance an operation that will cure her but which will inevitably destroy her love for him once she sees what he actually looks like!
  
  Green also directed three US movies in the following years, none of which have arrived yet on DVD, and barely even on video, but all of them worthy of DVD treatment (hopefully with his memories attached): PRETTY POLLY with Hayley Mills, ONCE IS NOT ENOUGH with Melina Mercouri, David Janssen and Alexis Smith, and the incredible THE MAGUS, which is like BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS taken straight. Release them at once, film czars!
  
  
• An emotional overload
  By AF7N2L3M4AYFV on 2006-03-11
  The first time I saw this movie on television I missed part of it, but from the strong storyline and thought provoking subject matter I knew I would have to see it in it's completion.
  Sidney Poitier does his usual outstanding acting and although I had never heard of Elizabeth Hartman before seeing this film , she stands out as what should have been an amazing rising star.
  If you like thought provoking films, I would recommend this one.
  
  
• Highly Recommend
  By A1C2P5HX5RLPAX on 2007-06-02
  "Darks nothing to me. I'm always in the dark."
  
  Selina D'Arcy (Elizabeth Hartman) is a blind young woman starving for affection and the experiences life brings. She lives in a one room apartment with her Old Pa and verbally and physically abusive mother, Rose-Ann (Shelley Winters).
  
  When Selina was five years old her father came home to find Rose-Ann with another man. They began fighting and in the battle Rose-Ann threw a bottle at him. It missed. And hit Selina in the face, blinding her. She's been sheltered all her life both from the outside world and people. She was never taught Braille or self reliance of any kind.
  
  Her hunger for experience, of being able to run free through the park, enjoying the grass, trees, birds and open fields overwhelms and depresses her at the same time. One day she encourages Mr. Faber, a man she strings beads into necklaces for, to take her to the park so she can work there. Her mother is against any form of happiness for Selina and even beats her because she went out. This doesn't deter Selina. Especially since she met a special friend named Gordon (Sidney Poitier) there.
  
  Gordon and Selina develop a special friendship, meeting under the same tree every day. Gordon is intrigue by her blindness and innocence. He becomes quite protective of her and begins looking into ways to help her leave her current situation and become self sufficient. Selina is warmed by his kindness and willingness to share the world with her.
  
  One of the best scenes in the movie is when they are sitting in the park talking and she tells him about her first and only friend she had when she was a child and how she still misses her deeply. Her mother forbade her to have any association with the girl because she was black. This is a pivotal moment because Gordon hasn't yet told Selina that he is black.
  
  Shelley Winters delivers an amazing performance as a royal... wicked woman who is determined to keep her daughter a sheltered slave. Winters won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for this role. Elizabeth Hartman was nominated for best actress and actually won a Golden Globe for "Most Promising Female Newcomer" for her performance of Selina. She made an amazing effort and I found her to be believable.
  
  A Patch of Blue is based on a novel by Australian author Elizabeth Kata. Beyond the racial taboos its deepest theme is about one person doing something good for another with no expectations in return. This 1965 film was made in black and white which adds to the character of the film and the limitations and boundaries of the actors. The ending is left open to interpretation, I assume because of the turbulent racial times it was filmed in. I really enjoyed and highly recommend it. Reviewed by M. E. Wood.
  
  
• Awesome
  By A3P1ZJ831HV9S1 on 2002-09-10
  One of the best movies I have ever seen. The movie teaches you more than one lesson mainly that its okay to be you. Awesome movie, it totally rocks!
  
  
• Ending different in original book
  By A2MB18CSDSJGMO on 2004-06-01
  I agree with most reviewers that this was an excellent film, which I have watched over and over again. All the acting is wonderful and deserving of many awards. As is true with many movies I really like, I searched out the original book on which the movie was based. It ran very true to form, they did an excellent job of adapting the book to the movie, but the happy racial ending in the movie was a change from the more realistic one in the book. Gordon arranges for Selena to go to school, but she breaks off her friendship with him when she finds out she is black. Blackness is horrible to her because she is blind and that's all she sees, plus it's the way she was raised. But all in all, one of my favorite movies.
  
  
• Sensitive, moving, haunting
  By A2KP1SXTMHK8ZO on 2007-11-25
  Sidney Poitier does his usual stellar work, but it's the tragic, delicate Elizabeth Hartman who steals the show, and the viewer's heart.
  
  Shelley Winters, who received the Supporting Actress Oscar for her work in this film, is convincingly horrid as a blowsy, whorish mother to Hartman's character.
  
  
• Oh man,this is a stunner
  By AVG2FYWAXAAAY on 2007-11-25
  I haven't seen this film since it's original release.
  I just watched it now and am blown away.
  The soundtrack is just gorgeous and the acting is incredible by the entire
  cast.
  But how on earth didn't Hartman get an Oscar??
  I will have to research and find out who beat her out.
  You got to be kidding me if you don't think that was an oscar performance.
  
  
  
  
• A Must Have
  By A33B95WQT2UTWI on 2000-07-18
  This film will touch your emotions. I've rarely seen a film that touched me more. I don't think I've viewed a film that portrays what true love is all about any better than A PATCH OF BLUE.
  
  I caught this film on TV one afternoon and had no idea what it was. I was just channel-flipping, but something about it caught my attention. After I watched it I added it to my collection; that's how much I liked it.
  
  In my opinion, this film explores the interplay between race and love, acceptance and predjudice. We get to see real, caring, charitable, respectful, genuine love develop between two characters, one who is blind and the other who is a successful businessman.
  
  To me, the love that develops is what the film is all about. One of my favorite lines from the film is, "there are many different kinds of love." One can explore his/her own life and see that this statement is true.
  
  This film will probably go unnoticed by those looking for romantic comedies or shallow romance films, which is sad. This film is a rare gem and in my opinion, is something any couple could watch and thoroughly enjoy.
  
  
• Sleena, SLEEEENA!!!!!!
  By A1QVT9LFUJGQLW on 2001-07-23
  If you are looking for a movie to reaffirm the meaning of "love," "hope," and all around "innocence," you have found it! This is one of the best films you will undoubtedly see in your lifetime. I read the book when I was 11 years old and didn't see the movie until I was roughly 16. Let me tell you, this is one movie that does the book justice!

  Disabilities, alcoholism, racism, abuse and neglect. This movie has it all! It touches on some very intense issues that our society was and STILL IS dealing with today.

  Definitely a movie for the entire family. Take my advice, watch it! (repeatedly) (smile)
  
  

• Lilies of the Field
• Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (40th Anniversary Edition)
• A Raisin in the Sun
• To Sir, With Love
• The Defiant Ones