Customer Reviews

Johnny Belinda

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Jane Wyman was perhaps the most underrated and unappreciated actress of the 20th Century, while actually delivering some of the greatest performances seen on the screen. She never seems to be the recipient of those Lifetime Achievement awards that fly in all directions, nor is she subject matter for 'Biography' or 'Intimate Portrait' (though she also has the distinction of being the only divorced wife of an American President in US history).... yet I can think of no other star more deserving of accolades and awards. She demonstrated none of the overblown histrionics of Bette Davis, nor the phony, cloying 'sweetness' of Joan Crawford; she was not in the position of respect she attained in the movie industry because of Lana Turner or Ava Gardner glamour and beauty. Every performance from Wyman was an underplayed masterpiece, and her Academy Award winning role in "Johnny Belinda" was no exception. She never tried to over-shadow her co-stars Charles Bickford, Agnes Moorehead, and Jan Sterling...all of whom were letter perfect in their parts...and Moorehead, at least, must have admired her greatly because I can think of at least five Wyman movies right off the top of my head where Agnes was along for the ride! Yes, she won the Oscar for her superb, poignant performance in "Johnny Belinda," but she could have just as easily won it earlier for "Lost Weekend" or "The Yearling"...or a few years later for "The Blue Veil" (my personal Wyman favorite, but impossible to find on video) or "So Big" or "Magnificent Obsession" or its sequel, the much better "All That Heaven Allows." Long before she spent the decade of the 80's as the indomitable Angela Channing on TV's "Falcon Crest," Jane Wyman had already proved herself one of the greatest actresses of all times in countless movies......it's about time she was appreciated and honored for that, and buying a copy of "Johnny Belinda" would be a good place to start!

Jane Wyman deservedly won the Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Belinda, the deaf-mute who becomes a mother after being raped. It is such a wonderful performance, as Belinda grows in knowledge and life experiences, helped along by Lew Ayres as a kind-hearted doctor who comes to Cape Breton Island after some problems in his own personal life. The two of them grow together, and overcome some severe obstacles before they can find happiness. Charles Bickford as Belinda's father and Agnes Moorhead as Belinda's aunt also give stellar performances.

Ahead of its time in terms of subject matter (treatment of the handicapped and the stigma of rape), this film holds up well after all of these years. One of my long-time favorites, and a true classic.

Many who have reviewed this near-masterpiece have neglected to say just how special this film was to 1948 audiences. Jane Wyman was known as the girl-next-door type, playing girlfriends and wives, but rarely taken seriously as a topnotch actress. Her one shot came with "The Yearling", as the stern, but understanding mother to Claude Jarmon, Jr. Her performance in "Johnny Belinda" was seen as a revelation, with her Oscar pretty much assured. The film itself garnered 13 Academy Award nominations, winning only the one for Jane Wyman.

The DVD has a greatly sharpened picture - near perfect, in fact. But the sound is a vast improvement, not muffled as it was on the VHS tape, and certainly better than what was offered by Turner Classic Movies for years. However, for the most recent televised airing, the new restored version was used.

The only disappointment is the lack of extras on the DVD. Somewhere in the vaults, there had to be more info about the making of the film or Oscar highlights. Get with it, Warner Brothers!

I hadn't seen this film in 30 years, but watched it again last evening. I was mesmerized by several aspects of this classic (and ahead of its time) 1948 movie. Jane Wyman won the Oscar in this role where she makes not a single sound, not even in the throes of pregnancy. She is a deaf mute and never speaks, but imbues her character with a poignant tenderness and yearning which is extremely moving. There is no doubt that Wyman is an extremely underrated actress, because the pathos in this performance is moving indeed.

Lew Ayres gives possibly his best performance here. For other reviewers who say he's the weakest part of the movie, I don't agree; perhaps they need to see him in the classic 1930 offering, "All Quiet on the Western Front." In that film, Lew was gorgeous to look at it, but couldn't act his way out of a paper bag. Here, he's vastly improved and deliberately underplays a character who is caring, decent, but essentially stoic and very still. I admit there isn't a lot of chemistry between Wyman and Ayres, but he projects a dignity and decency which shines through.

Agnes Moorehead and Charles Bickford deliver outstanding supporting performances. Their interplay and dialogue is interesting and they contribute to the flowing plot.

Aside from Wyman's stellar performance, the most interesting aspect of the film is that it is not dated in the least. The subjects of rape, an illegitimate baby and pre-marital sex were hardly common themes in movies of that era, and this film handles it with aplomb and class. The weakness of the film is that Belinda is assailed from all sides constantly; her lot in life is hard enough to begin with, but she is thrown one vicious curve after another. But not to worry, all comes out all right in the end.

This movie is worth watching solely for Wyman's outstanding performance. Watch her eyes and how she conveys such beautiful emotion in them. I have renewed respect for Jane Wyman after watching this moving drama.

There are very few films that have literally brought tears to my eyes. They must be films of uncompromising emotional power. Films like Magnolia, The Passion of the Christ, and now Johnny Belinda.

It is the story of a deaf and dumb young woman named Belinda. Treated as an unintelligent workhorse all her years, Belinda's life changes forever when a lonely new doctor moves into her small coastal Nova Scotian port town. He takes an immediate liking to her and, proving to her family that she is not the "dummy" they think, he teaches her to read lips. But after a drunken sexual assault leaves her pregnant, rumors begin to fly throughout the small town, and both Belinda and her loved ones must fight for what's right.

The performances are wonderful. Of course, Jane Wyman simply steals the show in her Oscar-winning performance. She brings an incredible heart, warmth, and emotional resonance to the character of Belinda, and she does it without ever saying a word. The rest of the cast is marvelous as well, especially Charles Bickford, who lovingly portrays Belinda's father, and Stephen McNally, who turns Belinda's attacker into one of the most easy to loathe characters ever put on celluloid - yet the film still brilliantly keeps him at the level of a realistic personality - no one is a caricature.

Director Jean Negulesco brings an understated visual beauty to the film reminiscent of the silent ages, when one had to use aesthetics to make up for the lack of aural stimulus. Every shot is a perfectly composed work of art, turning every moment of Belinda into a masterwork of lighting and raw, majestic nature. The seaside settings are utilized so well that they put Johnny Belinda in league with such legendary jaw-droppers as L'Avventura and Black Narcissus.

But this film is much more than just visual appeal. It is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, often simultaneously. There are so many thought-provoking themes to gnaw on in Johnny Belinda - the way people view the handicapped, the bonds of parenthood, the power of rumors, the justification of violence as self-defense, and overall morality and humanity. Even the film's setting could be considered an allegory on Belinda - the brutal waves of the ocean constantly pounding against the serene shores.

The film is also, as I mentioned before, emotionally overwhelming. While it certainly has a focused narrative, Belinda is foremost a progression of feelings, and they are so well conveyed that I was simply overcome with joy, pain, heartbreak, and hope. While the film is often described as a melodrama, it is far from a soap opera. There are no miraculous moments of sudden verbal triumph for Belinda, no ridiculously overacted moments of teary-eyed abandon - Johnny Belinda is a terribly real experience. There are aspects of the story that remain unresolved - not loose ends, but difficult problems that would most likely also remain unresolved in reality.

However, I don't want to give the impression that Johnny Belinda is depressing. I felt uplifted and rapturous just as often as I felt overcome by grief and fear. I felt so much for these characters and I wanted so sorely for things to turn out a certain way - but I won't reveal whether they do or not. I will say that the film ends on a note of nearly unbearable poignancy, and this is the moment that massaged my tear ducts.

My only complaint concerning the film is Max Steiner's score. He is perfectly suited for epic films like King Kong and Gone With The Wind, but here it feels somewhat overdramatic and occasionally awkward. He tends to play up the melodramatic angle and spot score in a ubiquitous manner, which simply doesn't fit with a film like Johnny Belinda. Still, it tends to work more often than not, and it is not a major enough problem to work seriously to the film's detriment.

This picture is a true gem. It has been unavailable for years, but thanks to Warner Brothers, it finally has a DVD release, and the restoration is simply glorious - it more than does justice to this cinematic treasure. Do yourself a favor and see Johnny Belinda.

I hadn't seen "Johnny Belinda" for many years when I took it out of the library a few weeks ago. What a shame I waited so long! Jane Wyman turns in an incredibly appealing performance as the deaf-mute Belinda, daughter of a Cape Breton miller (Charles Bickford) who resents the daughter as his wife died in childbirth. Also on hand is his gruff sister, played by Agnes Moorehead in what I honestly think is the best acting job I've ever seen her do, and I've seen her a lot. Belinda has been long neglected--not even called by her name, but just "dummy"--until the new town doctor happens on the scene and takes an interest in teaching her sign language and how to read lips. The doctor is played by Lew Ayres, and I must admit, he's the weakest part of the picture. I thought he was passionless--he reminded me of Alex Trebek! Well, almost as soon as Belinda blossoms as a result of her newfound ability to communicate her ideas, she is raped by a townsperson and bears the illegitimate namesake of the movie, Johnny. The rest of the movie concerns the stigma her family and she endure as a result of the rape and birth, and some shocking tragedies before Belinda finally is acknowleged to be a person of intelligence and feeling by her whole community.

Jane Wyman does a wonderful job portraying Belinda and imbuing her character with a quiet dignity. Seeing her here makes me curious to see other movies starring her. If you want to see a movie that treats sensitive issues with honesty, I advise you to pick up a copy of "Johnny Belinda" today.

this is an absolute masterpiece. this film will definitely become permanently etched in your mind after viewing it. it will touch your heart and break your heart, but you will never forget it. Jane Wyman gives her absolute greatest performance and garners the oscar as a result. Wyman is also the prettiest little woman you'll ever see on film. an absolute angel in this movie. it is difficult to belive that this movie was released after her roles in such renowned classics as "The Lost Weekend" and "The Yearling". by the way she is still living. she was born in 1914. she would be 92 this year.

as for the DVD, excellent picture and sound. no real extras. too bad. still worth the price.

Johnny Belinda must have been a groundbreaking film for its time. The subject matter of the film surprised me for a movie made in the 1940s. Three aspects of the story impressed me. For one thing, the movie clearly demonstrates the way that a deaf-mute person can communicate and that they are not stupid (a "dummy"), as people used to assume. The viewer can learn a lot about sign language, and this must have been new to audiences of the forties. Another fascinating thing is the fairly straightforward handling of the rape and its after effects. There's nothing graphic about it, but the movie doesn't attempt to really skirt around the sensitive subject matter the way older movies used to due to censorship and moral codes. I was also impressed by the realistic depiction of the small town where Belinda lives. Their attitudes and feelings of superiority ring very true. As the central character, Jane Wyman gives a very good performance, communicating Belinda's confusion, fears, and growing maturity without the benefit of words. Lew Ayres is good as the doctor, and Charles Bickford and Agnes Moorehead give terrific supporting performance (which they usually did) as Belinda's tough but loving father and aunt. Johnny Belinda is an adult, honest, and well-made movie.

Jane Wyman rightly became a movie superstar with her Academy Award-winning performance in this film. Belinda is a deaf mute young woman who is thought of as "the dummy" by her family and the local townspeople in the Canadian fishing village in which she was born and raised. A young doctor (Lew Ayres) believes Belinda isn't dumb at all and thinks he can help improve her life by teaching her sign language. Belinda proves to be a good student, surprising even her own father (Charles Bickford). As the doctor continues to open up new worlds to Belinda a bond forms between them. All of Belinda's new-found joy and discovery is shattered by the dispicable act of a local fisherman and town bully (Stephen McNally). For a film from this time period, Johnny Belinda tackles some pretty tough territory. Artistically, it holds up rather well, with many of its scenes filmed on location. Apart from Wyman's tour de force performance, the cast also includes great performances from Bickford, Agnes Morehead as Belinda's aunt, and Jan Sterling as Lew Ayres's maid and the object of her unrequited love. Nominated for 11 Academy Awards, Johnny Belinda is a film that has stood the test of time.

I just "discovered" Jane Wyman a couple of weeks ago when I saw "All that Heaven Allows," another Wyman triumph. In "Johnny Belinda" she plays a lonely deaf woman who has never learned a way to communicate with the world. Then, along comes a lonely doctor who makes it his business to teach her. Of course, none of this goes unnoticed by the small town residents that surround them. The story is engrossing and moving, but really the film is worth watching for Wyman's wordless performance alone--she's really one of the best. Don't know how I avoided seeing her all these years but I sure plan on checking out any of her movies I can get ahold of. Also, Agnes Moorehead (who apparently made quite a few films with Wyman) gives another spectacular performance as Wyman's spinster aunt.