The nine-minute sequence required three cameras and took five days to film. The reason was that Duke, 15 years old at the time, was too old to portray a seven-year-old girl, but after Bancroft was cast as Anne, Duke was chosen to play Helen in the movie.įor the dining room battle scene, in which Anne tries to teach Helen proper table manners, both Bancroft and Duke wore padding beneath their costumes to prevent serious bruising during the intense physical skirmish. Īlso, despite the fact that Patty Duke had played Helen Keller in the play, she almost did not get the part. As a result, the studio viewed the film as a risky prospect, and only granted Penn a tight budget of $1,300,000 (of which $200,000 was spent in purchasing the rights to the play). However, Arthur Penn (who had also directed the stage production) insisted on using Bancroft. ( July 2021) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)ĭespite Anne Bancroft's award-winning performance as Anne Sullivan in the Broadway production, United Artists executives wanted Elizabeth Taylor to be cast in this role in the film adaptation. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This section needs additional citations for verification. John Bliss as Admissions Officer (uncredited).Dale Ellen Bethea as Martha (uncredited).In the midst of the battle, Anne ultimately teaches Helen to make a connection between her hand signs and the objects in Helen's world for which they stand. A battle of wills ensues as Anne breaks down Helen's walls of silence and darkness through persistence, love, and sheer stubbornness. In response, they send Anne Sullivan ( Anne Bancroft), a former student, to the Keller home as a tutor. Unable to deal with her, her terrified and helpless parents contact the Perkins School for the Blind for assistance. Young Helen Keller ( Patty Duke), blind and deaf since infancy due to a severe case of scarlet fever, is frustrated by her inability to communicate and subject to frequent violent and uncontrollable outbursts.
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