User reviews

As good a screen performance from Elizabeth Hartman as any you will come across. Innocence, generosity and kindness clashing against prejudice, abuse and ignorance - an all too familiar story, even today. Sidney Poitier isn't too bad either, in fact he's as outstanding as ever. If you have an ounce of compassion left after the numbing effect of this uncaring, selfish and polarising world, then let this film take hold of it and grow it - it will start to reinstate something that has been gradually chiselled away for far too long - hope!

"A Patch of Blue" was perhaps the best film in which Elizabeth Hartman appeared. In fact, this was the movie in which the young actress made her movie debut. Guy Green, the director, took quite a chance when he entrusted Ms. Hartman to play such an important role. Unfortunately, her career didn't do much for her as it appears Hollywood forgot her and she was relegated to do television work. In fact, Ms. Hartman only made six full length movies, when she deserved to have been seen more.

The story of "A Patch of Blue" is about how blind we humans are. Yes, Selina is blind, but she sees people as they really are. This abused young woman is more intelligent than she is given credit for. She might not have the use of her eyesight, yet she recognizes kindness when it comes her way without making judgment on the only true friend she encounters in her life.

Gordon, the nice black man who stumbles upon Selina in the park, is amazed how no one has ever paid attention to her. Clearly, he sees the potential the young woman possesses and he is determined to help her in whatever way he can. Selina, on the other hand, couldn't care less what color Gordon is because she has seen beauty in the way he tries to give her the chance in life her own mother didn't bother to get.

Rose-Ann, the mother is only interested in her own needs. She is a sad woman who is saddled by a daughter that she sees as a burden, yet, she is the one that caused the blindness because of her careless actions. Rose-Ann is a prejudiced woman who judges Gordon too quickly without even investigating how he is trying to help Selina.

The film will not disappoint. Ms. Hartman did an excellent contribution to a film despite her inexperience. Sidney Poitier made a sympathetic Gordon real. Shelley Winters, who won the Oscar for this film doesn't have much to do, and even though she does good work, one has to be leery of those Academy members that voted her the best supporting actress of that year when she deserved accolades for many other excellent contributions to films she did before this one.

"A Patch of Blue" owes a great deal to its director, Guy Green, who fought to make the film and for having Elizabeth Hartman in it.

A very well-cast film version of Elizabeth Kata's novel. Jerry Goldsmith's score blends beautifully with the film's poignancy. Outstanding debut by the late Elizabeth Hartman; she is unforgettable as the blind Selina D'Arcy. Poitier is terrific as the insightful Gordon, and Shelley Winters gives a blistering portrayal as Selina's abusive, bigoted mother (Winters won Best Supporting Oscar).

One of those genuinely moving and emotional films that toes the line to excellence and almost succeeds. Young Elizabeth Hartman (Oscar-nominated) is blind and has been a part of a household where she has been treated like a second-rate stranger and outcast by her cold mother (Shelley Winters is a smashing Oscar-winning turn). One day Hartman meets professional businessman Sidney Poitier in the local park and they become quick friends as Hartman is treated with love and respect by Poitier while Hartman's handicap means she does not know that Poitier is really African-American. Two pure hearts are able to overcome the cruelty of others in this fine American motion picture that is well worth one's time. It is one of the better films of the 1960s. Sidney Poitier was at the top of his career here. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

I love this movie so much. I bought the DVD and I can't seem to stop watching it. The acting by the superb cast and the plot is what makes this movie stand out from many other good movies. Guy Green did an awesome job picking the cast.

SIDNEY POITIER:Sidney does a great job as Gordon Ralfe. An African-American business man who lives with his brother, Mark and tries to live an ordinary life. He is also a compassionate man who has a giving heart and doesn't judge everyone.

ELIZABETH HARTMAN:I think Elizabeth Hartman's performance is what makes me want to keep watching it over and over again. Hartman plays soft spoken Selina D'Arcy. Accidentally blinded as a child, Selina learns how to deal with life despite having not been taught very much. Selina only knows how to do the house chores and is used to the constant abuse by her mother and grandfather which whom she lives with. Selina is as fragile and naive as a small child. Although blind, Selina doesn't let that get in the way. Visits to the park and her small job of beading necklaces are how she and Gordon(Poitier)actually meet. Hartman's performance is the rare gem of it all.

SHELLY WINTERS:I didn't really like Winters in this role. But because she played it so well....I can say that I liked it. Winters plays Rose-Ann D'Arcy, a middle aged, foul mouthed prostitute who's also Selina's mother. It is her fault that Selina is blind. Her fault that Selina was raped and her fault that life is the way it is for Selina. But Rose-Ann doesn't care about anyone but herself. She bad mouths her own father and physically abuses Selina. She has a short temper and makes money the best way she knows how. She apparently makes life a living hell for almost everyone.

The love Selina has for Gordon is as pure and heart warming as true love can get. I don't normally like romance movies but this movie is far from that. It's a story of the love two people from different worlds have for each other and let nothing get in the way. I LOVE IT!!!

I remember the first time I watched this, I must have been around 14 & it still resonates with me. I'm 60 now & it still brings a tear. I guess I'll always love Sidney Poitier because of this movie. It doesn't make sense because I'm a straight white guy with conservative values. But I'm a human & this movie makes you feel human.

I just watched it on TCM again for probably the 50th time & it still brings out every emotion. I swear I cry every time I watch it & I know I'm going to cry but it's such a great movie. I could tell you how fantastic Poitier is or how Shelley Winters will make you so angry or how much you will fall in love with Elizabeth Hartman but there are others who can tell you that better than me.

I just wanted someone out there who is looking to watch a great movie but has doubts because it's about race relations or it's in black & white instead of color, that to give it a viewing next time it's on TCM. You won't regret it.

If you are kinda sensitive & don't like crying in front of someone, watch it alone. It will be a cry that is worthwhile.

One of my all-time favorites.

10/10

This is another film I missed out on countless times over the years before acquiring it, and I now chose to watch it during this year's Oscar season, since it emerged the winner of the Best Supporting Actress statuette for Shelley Winters' typically raucous performance; interestingly, though billed after her, Elizabeth Hartman was nominated in the Best Actress category (but she is clearly the protagonist here, even more so than nominal lead Sidney Poitier)! While it received three other well-deserved nods for Robert Burks' expressive cinematography (in monochrome and widescreen), Jerry Goldsmith's beautiful score (perhaps more than the movie was worthy of!) and the art direction/set decoration, it is telling that this fared rather better at the Golden Globes (despite Winters herself not being nominated!) – where Hartman won for Most Promising Newcomer and the picture itself, Poitier and Guy Green for both script and direction also got recognition.

The narrative involves an uneducated blind girl (also emotionally abused by her mother and perennially drunk grandfather Wallace Ford) being befriended by an erudite black man she meets at the park. While he consciously keeps a step back, knowing his colour might ultimately prove a problem to their relationship, she falls hard for him since no such attention was ever lended to her before (other than by a black girl friend, whom she was then prevented from seeing anymore by her slutty, racist mom). Flashbacks are effectively interspersed portraying the heroine's sexual assault by a client of her mother's and the tragic childhood accident (caused by Winters herself) that left Hartman deprived of her eyesight. As can be gleaned from this plot line, the film is melodrama with all the stops out – yet the handling is reasonably sensitive throughout, especially in Poitier's patient nurturing of Hartman, which eventually sees her attain independence and even enlist for proper schooling; for the actor, this was something of a dry run for the more popular GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER (1967).

Following a distinguished career as a cinematographer (being rewarded with an Oscar for lensing David Lean's GREAT EXPECTATIONS {1946}), Green's directorial output started off modestly but gradually grew in stature and respect; he demonstrated a particular affinity with 'social problem' dramas: apart from the film under review (typical of this era in cinema, the meaning of its retitling from the source material is only casually referenced!), he dealt with the stigmas society places on being a sex offender and mental health in THE MARK (1961) and LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA (1962; another movie I ought to get down and watch one of these days) respectively.

This film remains a captivating and moving experience to this day. Despite its lack of subtlety, the film manages to be a compelling story thanks to its stellar performances, strong themes, and emotional impact.

Directed by Guy Green, the film tells the story of a young blind woman named Selina (played by Elizabeth Hartman) who lives in a slum tenement with her abusive and uneducated mother (Shelley Winters in an Oscar winning performance). One day, Selina meets Gordon (played by Sidney Poitier), a kind-hearted black man who teaches her about the world and helps her to break free from the constraints of her oppressive home life.

While the film's themes of racism and prejudice are not exactly subtle, the powerful performances from the cast more than make up for any lack of nuance. Poitier, in particular, is a standout force in the film, imbuing Gordon with an easy charm and quiet strength that makes him an instantly likable character.

Likewise, Hartman delivers a heart-wrenching performance as Selina, conveying both the pain and the joy of her character's journey with a depth and authenticity that is truly compelling. The themes of the film, particularly those regarding love and acceptance, are portrayed in a way that is both sincere and powerful, making A Patch of Blue a truly moving experience.

Overall, A Patch of Blue may not be the most subtle or nuanced film, but it is a compelling and emotionally effective one. The performances are excellent, and the themes are portrayed with a sincerity and depth that is hard to ignore. For those looking for a moving and thought-provoking drama, A Patch of Blue is definitely worth watching.

have to agree with review by bgh48, this is one total fantasy Cinderella is more believable. this young woman sits in the park alone all day and nothing at all ever happens to her? she doesn't know about the public restroom, so how does she survive? she does..both bodily functions behind a tree? in public? how does she clean up? Her new friend brings her pineapple juice and she guzzles it down? how does she survive all day with nothing to drink? how is it that no law enforcement officer has ever noticed this pathetic creature sitting alone all day? since when do blind people get around by simply waving their hands in front of them? how about getting her a cane or a seeing eye dog? I could go on endlessly...this is an insane fairy tale. It made my cry too...to see something this ridiculous.

"A Patch of Blue" is a wonderful film which works on at least two levels: a romance and a social commentary. Unlike most romances, it manages to be touching without being melodramatic, and unlike most social commentaries, it subtly makes its points without manipulation or a hidden agenda.

It is the story of how Selina, a blind girl who is verbally and sometimes physically abused by her mother, discovers her independence with the help of a young, black professional, Gordon. Selina's entire life has been spent alone and indoors. She has not learned how to read Braille or how to get around on her own. She basically does not know how to live independently. She meets Gordon in the park one day, and he essentially begins to teach her how to live. A warm and trusting friendship develops. The obvious complication from their relationship is the fact that Selina's mother is a racist, and Selina does not know that Gordon is black.

Both characters are wonderful: Gordon is cautious but intrigued, knowing he is walking on dangerous ground. Selina is comically naive and eager with an unbreakable spirit.

If you get a chance, watch this movie! It is inspiring and is one of those rare films that actually makes you think.

What an incredible movie. It was touching, sentimental, upsetting at times, and even romantic.

Selina D'Arcey (Elizabeth Hartman) is a blind young lady living in near squalor. She shares a studio apartment with her mother and grandfather and they are the epitome of a broken home. The father has left, Ole Pa (Wallace Ford) is a drunk, and Rose-Ann (Shelley Winters), Selina's mother, is a mean hussy. Between her grandpa and her mother, Selina is treated worse than Cinderella.

One day, in the park, she meets Gordon Ralfe (Sidney Poitier) and her life is brightened. Gordon taught her things and most of all treated her kindly. Selina is totally unaware that Gordon is Black, which is a big problem in 1965.

The relationship between them grows and grows and can even be called romantic. Gordon is acutely aware of the near impossibility of them being an item but he clearly has some type of feelings for her and wants to help her. Selina, on the other hand, opens her heart unflinchingly and unabashedly.

Selina is so innocent it's adorable. She can only judge people by their character as a blind woman. Gordon makes her happy and as a viewer I was happy for her. She had so much misery in her life that seeing her happy with Gordon was precious.

Gordon had mentioned the word tolerance. You can say that that was the pervasive message. Gordon may have been teaching Selina how to function in the world as a blind person but the movie was teaching all of us tolerance.

This is a very simple story,some kind of "miracle worker" in miniature. Sidney Poitier and Elizabeth Hartman -an actress I had not noticed before- give heartfelt warm performances .Nothing spectacular,the story goes straight to the heart.

Selina is a poor girl who 's got nothing but a box of beads .Her family treats her like dirt ,and nobody cares for her ,nobody thinks about her education .She's blind ,so what's the point of sending her to school?Unlike the Keller family who poisoned Helen with protection ("Miracle Worker"),Selina's family left the poor thing to her own devices .

Enter Sidney Poitier!In 1965,the film was revolutionary:one would have expected a little blind black girl and a white schoolteacher (for instance) and it's a black man who will take care of a white young girl!Gordon displays pedagogic skills a teacher could envy.But most of all,his lessons try to teach happiness to Selina: these foolish things,such as eating a roast beef sandwich in the park,sipping pineapple juice,shopping in a supermarket ,listening to a music box and more serious things like simply learning to cross the street. Note how people but two persons are selfish when Selina is alone in the street.

As for the score ,since the beginning,it reminded me of the old French song "Il Pleut Bergère".And when Poitier began to sing the song (in a delightful French) ,I had no more doubts.This is an old song,written by Fabre D'Eglantine ,one of the revolutionaries of 1789 ;some have seen in this kiddie song a metaphor for the things to come . "Il Pleut Bergère" was a judicious choice;it goes like this.

Il PLeut Il Pleut Bergère Rentre Tes Blancs Moutons Allons Sous Ma Chaumière Bergère Vite Allons!

(It's raining,lil' shepherd girl/Bring in your flock of white sheep/let's go into my cottage /shepherd girl,let's go quickly!)

The song perfectly reflected Selina's situation.Gordon's flat is the cottage of the song.

Should not be missed if you are looking for something which is off the beaten track.

There is so much going on in this movie. It's about the struggles of being blind in a sighted world. It's about the challenge of being black in a white world. It's about abuse and alcoholism. It's a romance of sorts. It's interesting social commentary. Fifty years later it runs the risk of being dated - because society has changed so much - and yet it didn't feel dated. It felt relevant. It got a reaction out of me. It's an absolutely marvellous movie; almost flawless. I came across it basically by accident, noted that it starred Sidney Poitier and thought I'd take a chance on it. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

Mostly, this movie works because of the spectacular performances from basically all the members of the cast. I watched the movie because of Poitier's name - and he was superb - but the real standout of this movie was Elizabeth Hartman. As Selina D'Arcy she plays a young, friendless, naive and lonely blind woman who's basically trapped in an apartment with her abusive mother and an alcoholic grandfather. Hartman makes Selina wonderfully vulnerable - a sad character; one you can't help but feel protective toward, even just watching her on the screen. One day Selina gets to go to the park - against her mother's wishes. And she meets Gordon, played by Poitier. They become friends - very close friends, in a very innocent way. Gordon bonds with her, also protective toward her and generous to her and kind to her, and with absolutely no ulterior motive at all. It's a relationship between two vulnerable people - a black man and a blind woman. Selina doesn't know Gordon is black, and he doesn't tell her, but that means that even though she can't see, she sees him for what he is - kind, generous, sensitive. "Beautiful" she tells him eventually, even after she's discovered that he's black. She falls in love with him. He loves her in return - whether he was "in love" with her is left as an open question. In some ways his feelings come across as more fraternal, or even paternal, and eventually Gordon sets himself to the task of getting her out of her mother's apartment and into a special school. The movie doesn't have a "happily ever after" ending. We're left not knowing what would become of their relationship - but the relationship between them was fascinating to watch as it developed. They shared a tremendous chemistry, and both put on spectacular performances. This was actually Hartman's acting debut. She was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress - deservedly so, and it's hard to believe based on this performance that she never really made it big in Hollywood. Perhaps her brilliant performance as the troubled Selina was a by-product of the fact that she was herself a very tormented young woman who suffered from severe depression and eventually committed suicide at the age of 43.

Poitier was his usual excellent self as Gordon, and Shelley Winters put on an outstanding performance as Selina's mother Rose-Ann. Rose- Ann was abusive toward Selina, treated her more like a servant than a daughter with a barely disguised contempt. My sense from the dialogue is that she was a prostitute, although I don't think that was stated outright. Toward the end of the movie, before Gordon helps Selina escape before Rose-Ann moved them with a friend to a new apartment, the impression was that Rose-Ann was going to use Selina as part of her business - presumably wanting to turn her into a prostitute as well. Winters was so convincing in the role that she heightened the sense of sympathy and protectiveness you feel for Selina. Forget Gordon. I wanted to reach into the screen and drag this girl out of that apartment and to a place of safety. Winters actually won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for this role. Wallace Ford had a lesser role, but was also very good as Selina's grandfather "Ole Pa" - and the fight scene between Ole Pa and Rose- Ann was caustic. As this was Hartman's first film, it was also the last film of Ford's career, that had stretched back to the late 1920's. Ironically, Poitier won nothing for "A Patch of Blue," and yet it was the biggest box office success of his career.

This movie is almost perfect. Why "almost"? Well, my only quibble is that aside from a few stares there really didn't seem to be much reaction from anyone (except Rose Ann) to this very public relationship between a black man and a young white woman. That just didn't strike me as realistic. It's a minor thing, perhaps, but I kept waiting for someone to confront them with a "get away from that white woman" sort of comment - and it never happened. It is a minor quibble, but it was on my mind. But - almost perfect! (9/10)

Continuing the reviews of African-Americans in film in chronological order for Black History Month, we're now at 1965 when Sidney Poitier stars as Gordon Ralfe in this movie about his mentoring a poor blind young woman whom he meets one day when she comes to the park for the first time. Her name is Selina D'Arcey (Elizabeth Hartman) and she has had to endure an abusive relationship with her mother Rose-Ann (Shelley Winters) and an alcoholic grandfather known as Old Pa (Wallace Ford). When she comes with Gordon to his apartment, his brother Mark (Ivan Dixon) warns him about the ramifications if anyone sees them though Gordon doesn't think he's that serious about her. I'll stop there and just say this was a very touching story handled sensitively by Poitier and Ms. Hartman. And Ms. Winters deserves her Oscar for making Rose-Ann such a hard woman to like though occasionally she does provide some humorous moments too. And after previously seeing Dixon as both Joseph Asagai in Poitier's A Raisin in the Sun and Duff Anderson in Nothing But a Man, he gives another fine performance here especially when he and Poitier are discussing the pros and cons of what Ms. Hartman's presence means in their apartment. One more thing I'd like to praise is Jerry Goldsmith's score. Such beautiful music! So on that note, A Patch of Blue is highly recommended.

This is a very good movie. "A Patch of Blue" with Sidney Poitier,1965. I usually can't get into tearjerkers but this one was really good. Poitier befriends then falls in love with a neglected and abused blind girl. His being black complicates matters. Poitier is great in an (for him) understated role. Black & white photography actually adds to the feeling. Try & catch this.

What does a patch of blue mean?

"A patch of blue" comes from one of things Selina remembers from her childhood before she became blind. When she was a small girl, too small to see out the window, she could only see a patch of blue sky above the windowsill, and that was one of very few colors she remembered. I found this profoundly interesting.

Selina D'Arcey is blind, yet she sees the world anew through the eyes of kindly Gordon Ralfe (Academy Award winner Sidney Poitier). An awkward Cinderella raised by a bigoted, abusive mother, Selina is white. She does not know that the man helping her learn to dial a pay phone or find the restroom is black.

Elizabeth Hartman was granted a ten-week leave from the Broadway play, Everybody Out, the Castle is Sinking, in order to film A Patch of Blue at M-G-M Studios according to American Film Institute . Elizabeth Hartman's luminous screen debut as Selina earned her a Golden Globe Award as Most Promising Newcomer. Hartman's runs the emotional gamut in her performance, she is outstanding. Hollywood politics and crippling depression ended her career and eventually led to her taking her own life. It's a sad story, but we'll always have A Patch of Blue to remember her by.

On the veteran side as Selina's blowsy, bitter mother, Shelley Winters won her second Oscar for her ridiculously shrill and violent performance. Winters was superb; she truly is unnerving . As directed by Guy Green (Oscar-winning cinematographer for Great Expectations, 1947), the performances are timeless in A Patch of Blue. So is this fine film's heart-soaring impact. A pioneering interracial melodrama. I love a Hollywood tear-jerker. The Patch of Blue is a fine example . 9/10

A Patch of Blue is one of my favorite classic movies. There are so many wonderful elements to the film: a tragic script, fantastic acting, family tensions, a beautiful romance, suspense, humor, social commentary, fitting music, and above all, heart. There's so much heart in this film it'll be impossible for you to remain dry-eyed. But, although it is a heavy drama, it's not so upsetting you won't want to watch it over and over. I've seen it over a dozen times and I still haven't had my fill.

Twenty-two-year-old Elizabeth Hartman made her film debut as the lead in A Patch of Blue, and she was nominated for Best Actress at the 1965 Oscars. It was a terribly competitive year, with Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music and Julie Christie in Darling as her main competition. I'll leave it to you to pick the most deserving performance of the three, but it's a very tough decision. I would have given the gold to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth plays a young blind girl, and to make her eyes look sufficiently damaged to the audience, she wore special contacts-but they actually interfered with her ability to see clearly! She lives with her crass and cruel mother Shelley Winters, and Shelley's alcoholic father Wallace Ford. Elizabeth is constantly verbally abused, and she believes the insults her mother flings at her, so she sees no problem with acting as the housekeeper, cook, and laundress, even though she's unappreciated. She also strings beads, which bring in a meager side income for the household, and on sunny days, Wallace Ford takes her to the park so she can enjoy the fresh air while working. One day, she meets a kind man, and a slow friendship builds.

Sidney Poitier plays the nice man in the park. Elizabeth is extremely ignorant, and as she and Sidney become friends, he helps educate her, from correcting her grammar to helping her survive better in her blind world. If you don't fall in love with Sidney Poitier after watching A Patch of Blue, you must have lousy taste. He's so incredibly sweet and kind, but he's also reserved because he suspects if Elizabeth knew the color of his skin, she wouldn't want to associate with him anymore.

Shelley Winters, in her own unique brashness that makes her utterly unlikable yet fascinating to watch, plays an ignorant, racist woman so convincingly, it'll be tough to believe her in any other role if you've never seen her before. You might want to try A Place in the Sun or Night of the Hunter to see her in a softer role first before this harsh character becomes etched in your mind. She won an Oscar for her performance, but Sidney Poitier wasn't even nominated. Maybe the Academy wasn't ready to honor an interracial romance; in some Southern states, some of the scenes were cut from the theatrical screenings.

I can't stress enough how wonderful this film is. If you've ever felt alone in the world and ached for just a small gesture of kindness, you'll love it. If you're a hopeless romantic, you'll love it. If you appreciate movies with fantastic acting, or are a Sidney Poitier fan, or are looking for a new celebrity boyfriend, you'll love it. Just watch it. You'll love it.

Sidney Portier died 10 days ago - January 6, 2022. But I don't want to believe it. He never disappointed. He was a sublime actor. This movie rates a 10 for its depiction of kindness and humanity alone. Elizabeth Hartman was superb in her portrayal of blind woman abused by her racist mother and alcoholic grandfather. So sad to read today that she killed herself at 43 by throwing herself out of a five story building after suffering years of depression and self doubt. You just never really know about people - about what's going on inside them. I liked her a lot in Walking Tall too. This was a fine movie but it was flawed because no man could remove a blind woman from her mother and guardian just like that and place her in a school for the blind. And Selina would never have left so meekly to go so alone to a world she's never known. That kind of made the whole movie frivolous and unrealistic thus a bit anti-climatic. Still, Sidney Portier is always worth watching. On screen he oozed good character, grace and class which he mirrored in real life too. He was one of America's finest actors ever and also one fine human being.

Take three family members with different accents (Shelly Winters with her New "Yawk" accent; Wallace Ford with his natural New England accent; and Elizabeth Hartman with her Southern accent -- these people are supposed to be related??) Put them living in some unrecognizable town or city; there is no sense of place; are they in a big city or a suburb? There seems to be a deli and an awful lot of people crossing the street. Where are we?? Throw in goody-goody Sidney (his brother however is believably played by Ivan Dixon) Shelly Winters' Oscar is so misplaced here; she should have won it for "Lolita". Winter's character is just too unbelievable; she treats "Serena" like something out of a Victorian Dickens novel. (even Sidney's character refers to this but the script isn't as self-aware as he is!) Throw in some message about tolerance and the people who are really blind in this world and you have a very strange film that for me never comes together. All the actors have been far better in other films.