Jane Wyman's poignant, justly acclaimed performance as an isolated deaf-mute girl is the best thing about this old-fashioned 1948 Warner Brothers melodrama. Generally undervalued as an actress even though she bounced easily from sassy musical comedy chorines to long-suffering Douglas Sirk matrons, Wyman brings a touching authenticity to a character who through the kindness of a country doctor, finds liberation in her newly found ability to communicate. In what is probably his best film, director Jean Negulesco should be given credit for coaxing such a fine performance even though the actress at 34, is a mite mature for the role.
The plot centers on kindly Dr. Richardson, who pays a house call to help deliver a calf for the irascible Black McDonald. There he notices Black's daughter Belinda, who is unable to hear or speak. Treated more like a mule by her family, she engenders the ridicule of the small town that refers to her dismissively as "The Dummy". The good doctor takes a platonic interest in Belinda and teaches her sign language and lip reading, and through the magic of Hollywood, she not only becomes adept but transforms into an attractive young woman curious about the world around her. There is a lovely scene where she watches the locals dancing, feels the resonance of a fiddle being played, and starts to dance as well. Unfortunately, she attracts the attention of Locky McCormick, a local ne'er-do-well who rapes and impregnates her. Scientologists will likely rejoice at the implied silent birthing scene. The film ends on a far-fetched, heavy-handed note, but the turn of events is not enough to ruin the movie.
Longtime character actor Lew Ayres is a bit too passive and overly sincere as the well-meaning doctor, but one has to put some of the blame on the rather simplistic screenplay by Allen Vincent and Irma von Cube. Unsurprisingly, veterans Charles Bickford as Black and especially Agnes Moorehead as his taciturn sister Aggie are expert in their roles. Jan Sterling overplays the role of the doctor's smitten secretary, though Stephen McNally is appropriately despicable as Locky. Set in rural Nova Scotia, the townsfolk are portrayed in unfortunate broad strokes to reflect their small-mindedness, especially as they try to take the baby away from Belinda. The Mendocino coast provides a scenic replacement for Nova Scotia, and it's captured well in Ted McCord's crisp black-and-white cinematography. But see the movie for Wyman's masterful turn - that's really what keeps it from being dated hokum. The extras on the 2006 DVD are skimpy - the movie's original trailer and a vintage short released the same year, "The Little Archer".
The plot centers on kindly Dr. Richardson, who pays a house call to help deliver a calf for the irascible Black McDonald. There he notices Black's daughter Belinda, who is unable to hear or speak. Treated more like a mule by her family, she engenders the ridicule of the small town that refers to her dismissively as "The Dummy". The good doctor takes a platonic interest in Belinda and teaches her sign language and lip reading, and through the magic of Hollywood, she not only becomes adept but transforms into an attractive young woman curious about the world around her. There is a lovely scene where she watches the locals dancing, feels the resonance of a fiddle being played, and starts to dance as well. Unfortunately, she attracts the attention of Locky McCormick, a local ne'er-do-well who rapes and impregnates her. Scientologists will likely rejoice at the implied silent birthing scene. The film ends on a far-fetched, heavy-handed note, but the turn of events is not enough to ruin the movie.
Longtime character actor Lew Ayres is a bit too passive and overly sincere as the well-meaning doctor, but one has to put some of the blame on the rather simplistic screenplay by Allen Vincent and Irma von Cube. Unsurprisingly, veterans Charles Bickford as Black and especially Agnes Moorehead as his taciturn sister Aggie are expert in their roles. Jan Sterling overplays the role of the doctor's smitten secretary, though Stephen McNally is appropriately despicable as Locky. Set in rural Nova Scotia, the townsfolk are portrayed in unfortunate broad strokes to reflect their small-mindedness, especially as they try to take the baby away from Belinda. The Mendocino coast provides a scenic replacement for Nova Scotia, and it's captured well in Ted McCord's crisp black-and-white cinematography. But see the movie for Wyman's masterful turn - that's really what keeps it from being dated hokum. The extras on the 2006 DVD are skimpy - the movie's original trailer and a vintage short released the same year, "The Little Archer".