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So, I heard THE MIRACLE WORKER is on TCM this afternoon. Whether this is the first time you’re tuning in or you’ve seen this film a million times (like me), here are a few production notes that might enhance your viewing experience of this greatly sincere film. #TCMParty
William Gibson (playwright), Arthur Penn (director), and Fred Coe (producer), the same creative team behind “Two for the Seesaw,” Anne Bancroft’s first winning vehicle for the stage, joined powers again (with Bancroft) to bring Gibson’s teleplay to the Broadway stage. #TCMParty
The Broadway play, starring Anne Bancroft & Patty Duke, began rehearsals in Aug. 1959 & opened at the Playhouse Theatre on Oct. 19, 1959. The play was a critical & commercial darling—Tony-winning for Bancroft, Gibson, Coe, & Penn—& closed after 719 performances in 1961. #TCMParty
Bill Gibson composed the play from Annie Sullivan’s correspondence letters about her time teaching Helen Keller. Nella Henney, Keller’s legal representative & Sullivan’s biographer, greenlit the production. Here are some lovely photos of Patty Duke visiting Keller. #TCMParty
Since the play was such the wild success, buzz about a film adaptation accrued throughout 1960. It’s true that the bankable names of Audrey Hepburn & Elizabeth Taylor were considered for the part of Annie Sullivan, but Penn/Gibson/Coe firmly stood behind Anne Bancroft. #TCMParty
After losing the rights to the reproductions of their previous play (“Two for the Seesaw”), Gibson/Penn/Coe founded Playfilm Productions to ensure creative control over a film adaptation of TMW. This also meant Bancroft & Duke would reprise their roles from the stage. #TCMParty
The iconic dinner table fight would run anywhere from 8-12 minutes on stage, and it was just as physically exhausting as it looks. Bancroft and Duke wore padding every night on stage (for the film adaptation, too). Arthur Penn directs the scene for the film brilliantly. #TCMParty
More on Anne Bancroft: in preparation for her role as teacher Annie Sullivan, she studied American Sign Language & spent time at camps for the deaf & blind in New York, volunteering with both children & adults. #TCMParty
How I always like to remember this film is through its auteurship, as Penn, Gibson, & Coe fought tooth and nail to maintain creative control. It was through their ambitious perseverance that this wonderful story subsists in film history. #TCMParty
Just as well, I always remember this film as a triumph for Anne Bancroft, as her growth as an artist shines in her first Hollywood film in 5 years. She was able to champion the Hollywood machine on her own terms, with a team of creatives who sincerely believed in her. #TCMParty
