The Miracle Worker (1979 film)

The Miracle Worker is a 1979 American made-for-television biographical film based on the 1959 play of the same title by William Gibson, which originated as a 1957 broadcast of the television anthology series Playhouse 90. Gibson's original source material was The Story of My Life, the 1903 autobiography of Helen Keller. The play was adapted for the screen before, in 1962.

The Miracle Worker
Genre	Drama
Based on	The Miracle Worker by William Gibson
Screenplay by	William Gibson
Directed by	Paul Aaron
Starring	Melissa Gilbert Patty Duke Charles Siebert Stanley Wells Diana Muldaur
Music by	Billy Goldenberg
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
Production
Executive producer(s)	Sandy Gallin Raymond Katz
Producer(s)	Fred Coe Barbara Abeles Cowan (associate producer) Alan David (assistant producer)
Cinematography	Ted Voigtlander
Editor(s)	Gerald Lee Taylor
Running time	98 minutes
Production company(s)	Half-Pint Productions
Distributor	NBC
Release
Original network	NBC
Original release	October 14, 1979 (1979-10-14)

The film is based on the life of Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan's struggles to teaching her. It starred Patty Duke (who played Helen Keller in the original 1962 film, for which she won the Oscar) as Annie Sullivan and Melissa Gilbert as Helen Keller. It produced a TV sequel, Helen Keller: The Miracle Continues in 1984.

Plot

Young Helen Keller (Melissa Gilbert), blind, deaf, and mute since infancy, is in danger of being sent to an institution. Her inability to communicate has left her frustrated and violent. In desperation, her parents seek help from the Perkins Institute, which sends them a "half-blind Yankee schoolgirl" named Annie Sullivan (Patty Duke) to tutor their daughter. Through persistence and love, and sheer stubbornness, Annie breaks through Helen's walls of silence and darkness and teaches her to communicate.

Cast

• Melissa Gilbert as Helen Keller
• Patty Duke as Annie Sullivan
• Charles Siebert as Captain Arthur H. Keller
• Diana Muldaur as Kate Adams Keller
• Stanley Wells as James Keller
• Anne Seymour as Aunt Evelyn
• Hilda Haynes as Viney
• Byron Green as Percy
• Noniece Williams as Martha
• Titos Vandis as Anagnos
• Jonathan Gilbert as voice of Jimmy Sullivan (Anne's younger brother who died in childhood while both were living at Tewksberry Hospital Almshouse).

Production

Melissa Gilbert heavily campaigned Meredith Baxter to play the role of Anne Sullivan.

British actress, Lynne Frederick, had expressed interest playing Anne Sullivan. Despite Frederick’s lengthy and accomplished body of work, the producers deemed her to be a bit too young and beautiful for the part.

External links

• The Miracle Worker on IMDb