I am afraid I stopped watching about half an hour in. It wasn't that the movie was bad, exactly, but the intense sentimentality dragged the story down and Rossano Brazzi's character was a most unwelcome intrusion into what might otherwise have proved an uplifting story (though Crawford's attempts to steal scenes didn't help either).
Oddly enough, this story, adapted from a novel, has striking similarities to THE MIRACLE WORKER, which came five years later, and was the true story of Helen Keller and her teacher Annie Sullivan. The difference is that the later film presents its story without a trace of sentimentality, showing its characters unvarnished and with all their flaws on display. As a result, TMW is much more realistic.
TSOEC suffers mainly from Crawford's penchant for melodrama. Heather Sears, under David Miller's steady direction, delivers an impressive performance in the title role; the problem is that Crawford keeps making sure the audience's attention is on HER at every opportunity. Something that Anne Bancroft refused to do, and it won her an Oscar, and one for young Patty Duke as Helen.
I feel rather bad about this review. I so wanted to like this picture that the end result came as a major letdown. And the worst part is that if Crawford had had more confidence in her director, and in her own abilities as an actress, this might have come off much better.
Oddly enough, this story, adapted from a novel, has striking similarities to THE MIRACLE WORKER, which came five years later, and was the true story of Helen Keller and her teacher Annie Sullivan. The difference is that the later film presents its story without a trace of sentimentality, showing its characters unvarnished and with all their flaws on display. As a result, TMW is much more realistic.
TSOEC suffers mainly from Crawford's penchant for melodrama. Heather Sears, under David Miller's steady direction, delivers an impressive performance in the title role; the problem is that Crawford keeps making sure the audience's attention is on HER at every opportunity. Something that Anne Bancroft refused to do, and it won her an Oscar, and one for young Patty Duke as Helen.
I feel rather bad about this review. I so wanted to like this picture that the end result came as a major letdown. And the worst part is that if Crawford had had more confidence in her director, and in her own abilities as an actress, this might have come off much better.