The Miracle Worker (1979/Shout! Factory DVD)
Picture: C-
Sound: C+ Extras: C- Telefilm: B-
In 1962, the great Arthur Penn was well on his way to
becoming one of Hollywood’s most important directors when he paired Anne
Bancroft as teacher Anne Sullivan and Patty Duke as Helen Keller in a
successful and enduring version of The Miracle Worker. Duke (as an adult) took on the Sullivan role
with Melissa Gilbert surprisingly good as a young Keller in a noted TV movie
version of the same story in 1979. Now,
it is on DVD.
Though it may be shorter and aged in some awkward ways,
including some editing that is a little off, the acting is good and it is an
ambitious production. In some ways,
Gilbert has never been better and Duke was in the midst of dealing with her
manic depressive illness, yet still triumphs.
It is also from a time when TV movies were always events with a
brain. Boy, do we miss that.
The 1.33 X 1 image is fuzzy, soft, flat and color
challenged throughout looking like a very old professional analog transfer. This deserves a new HD transfer and was a
film shoot. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
is better, with a good score by the underrated Billy
Goldenberg that can get melodramatic at times.
The only extra is a few stills.
- Nicholas Sheffo
