Movie Type: Childhood Drama, Family-Oriented Adventure
Themes: Orphans, Mischievous Children
Main Cast: Jane Wyman, Hayley Mills, Richard Egan, Karl Malden, Nancy Olson, Adolphe Menjou
Release Year: 1960
Country: US
Run Time: 134 minutes
MPAA Rating: G
Plot
Eleanor H. Porter's story of Pollyanna, "The Glad Girl," was first filmed in 1920 by Mary Pickford. While entertaining, the Pickford version tended to reduce the supporting characters to stereotypes. Disney's 1960 remake of Pollyanna wisely offers three-dimensional characterizations, enhancing the charm and believability of the story. In her first Disney film (indeed, her first American film), Hayley Mills stars as Pollyanna, an orphan girl sent to live with her wealthy aunt Polly (Jane Wyman). A humorless sort, Aunt Polly is taken aback by Pollyanna's insistence upon seeing the happy side of everything. With her best friend and fellow orphan, Jimmy Bean (Kevin "Moochie" Corcoran), Pollyanna spreads her sunshine all over town, transforming such local curmudgeons as hypochondriac Mrs. Snow (Agnes Moorehead), hellfire-and-brimstone Reverend Ford (Karl Malden), and reclusive Mr. Pendergast (Adolphe Menjou) into positive, life-affirming sorts. This she does not by being simpering or syrupy, but by applying common sense and refusing to indulge anyone's self-pity. Only Aunt Polly refuses to warm up. As the owner of the town orphanage, Aunt Polly will not hear of having a new, more modern facility built, and when handsome Dr. Chilton (Richard Egan) stages a charity bazaar in defiance of Aunt Polly, Pollyanna is forbidden to attend. She escapes to the bazaar by climbing down the tree next to her upstairs window; but when trying to return home, Pollyanna falls and injures her legs. Facing possible permanent paralysis, the "Glad Girl" is for the first time disconsolate and pessimistic. Her spirits are uplifted by the townsfolk whom she's helped, and finally by Aunt Polly, who's realized the folly of her stubbornness. Ebulliently optimistic once more, Pollyanna leaves town for an operation, as the townsfolk cheer her up and cheer her on. Possibly because it was perceived as having only little-girl appeal (a false perception indeed), Pollyanna was not the big hit that it should have been in 1960. Its latter-day reputation as one of Disney's finest features rests primarily on its many successful television showings. The film was remade for television with an all-black cast as Polly in 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
American audience came to know (and adore) Hayley Mills from her star-making turn in Pollyanna, and even decades later it's easy to see why. Mills is a total delight as the title character, using her considerable charm and appeal to its full without ever becoming cloying. Indeed, although Pollyanna has a reputation as an insufferable do-gooder, that reputation is entirely unearned. She may be a "glad girl" who always tries to see the bright side, but she's not annoying about it; she doesn't come across as a goody two-shoes but as someone who sincerely loves life and people and sincerely wants everyone to appreciate the everyday joys that surround them. Mills makes all of this perfectly clear, creating a character that is entirely winning. As a result, as cornball as the ending is, it's still effective and guaranteed to bring a tear to the eye. The rest of the cast, from the steely Jane Wyman to the crabby Agnes Moorehead and the reclusive Adolphe Menjou, are all quite good. David Swift's direction is solid, creating a charming portrait of bygone Americana, and his screenplay artfully avoids many of the pitfalls that this kind of picture can fall into. The result is a sweet, engaging family film that keeps its corn to a minimum. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Carroll Clark - Art Director, Robert Clatworthy - Art Director, Gertrude Casey - Costume Designer, Chuck Keehne - Costume Designer, Walter Plunkett - Costume Designer, David Swift - Director, Frank Gross - Editor, Paul J. Smith - Composer (Music Score), Pat McNalley - Makeup, Russell Harlan - Cinematographer, Walt Disney - Producer, George Golitzen - Producer, Emile Kuri - Set Designer, Fred MacLean - Set Designer, Ub Iwerks - Special Effects, David Swift - Screenwriter, Eleanor H. Porter - Book Author
Pollyanna (Hayley Mills) is the orphaned daughter of missionaries who arrives in the small town of Harrington to live with her rich aunt, Polly Harrington (Jane Wyman). Pollyanna is a cheerful youngster who focuses on the goodness of life and, in doing so, makes a wide variety of friends in the community including the hypochondriac Mrs. Snow (Agnes Moorehead) and the acidic recluse Mr. Pendergast (Adolphe Menjou).
Aunt Polly's wealth controls the town, and, when Harrington citizens want a derelict orphanage razed and rebuilt, Aunt Polly opposes the idea. The townspeople defy her by planning a carnival to raise funds for a new structure, however, due to the control Aunt Polly asserts over every facet of the town, numerous townspeople are reluctant to show their support. Aunt Polly is furious with their audacity and forbids Pollyanna to participate. A group of citizens, led by Dr. Edmond Chilton (Richard Egan), attempt to persuade the town's minister, Reverend Ford (Karl Malden) to publicly declare his support for the bazaar by reminding him that "nobody owns a church." Reverend Ford is reminded of the truth of this statement while conversing with Pollyanna, who is delivering a note from Aunt Polly with recommendations about his sermon content. At church the following Sunday, he declares his support for the bazaar and encourages all to attend, in defiance of Aunt Polly. On the evening of the carnival, Pollyanna is coaxed out of the house by playmate Jimmy Bean (Kevin Corcoran), who reminds Pollyanna she is leading "America, the Beautiful" at the highpoint of the event. With misgivings, Pollyanna slips away and has a wonderful time at the carnival.
On returning home, she avoids her aunt's presence by climbing a tree to her attic bedroom. She falls and is severely injured, losing the use of her legs. Pollyanna's spirits sink with the calamity, jeopardizing her chances of recovery. When the townspeople learn of Pollyanna's accident, they gather en masse in Aunt Polly's house with outpourings of love. Pollyanna's spirits gradually return to their usual hopefulness and love of life. She departs Harrington with her aunt for an operation in Baltimore that, it is hoped, will correct her injury.
Subplots include one concerning the return of Aunt Polly's girlhood sweetheart Dr. Edmond Chilton to the town; another, the town's minister Reverend Ford freeing himself from Aunt Polly's dictates; and another, the union of Aunt Polly's maid (Nancy Olson) with her sweetheart (James Drury).
Secondary roles are filled by a host of veteran film and television performers. Servants in Aunt Polly's home include Reta Shaw as cook Tillie Lagerlof and Mary Grace Canfield as the sour upstairs maid Angelica. Leora Dana plays Reverend Ford's wife, and Gage Clarke plays the mortician Mr. Murg. Townspeople include Donald Crisp as Mayor Karl Warren, Edward Platt and Anne Seymour as Ben and Amelia Tarbell. Ian Wolfe plays Mr. Neely and Nolan Leary portrays Mr. Thomas. Director David Swift plays a fireman in an early scene.
Although the original book had a sequel, such was not the case for the film.
Production notes
Pollyanna was filmed in Santa Rosa, California with the Mableton Mansion at 1015 McDonald Avenue in Santa Rosa serving as the exterior and grounds of Aunt Polly's house. Other California locations include Napa Valley and Petaluma. Interiors were filmed at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California.
Reception
Jerry Griswold of San Diego State University wrote in the New York Times of October 25, 1987, "An attempt was made to resuscitate Pollyanna in 1960 when Walt Disney released a movie based on the book. Time, Newsweek and other major reviewers agreed that such an enterprise promised to be a disaster - a tearjerker of a story presented by the master of schmaltz; what surprised the critics (their opinions were unanimous) was that it was his best live-action film ever. But few had reckoned the curse of the book's by then saccharine reputation. When the movie failed to bring in half of the $6 million that was expected, Disney opined: "I think the picture would have done better with a different title. Girls and women went to it, but men tended to stay away because it sounded sweet and sticky.""[1]
Awards
Hayley Mills won the 1960 Academy Juvenile Award for her performance, and also received a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress.
Merchandise
The film generated a trickle of juvenile merchandise including a Dell comic book, a paper-doll collection, an LP recording, an illustrated Little Golden Book, and a 30" Uneeda character doll in a red and white gingham dress, pantaloons, and boots.
Comparison with the book
The book's town of Beldingsville, Vermont becomes the film's town of Harrington.
The book's Mr. Pendleton and Thomas Chilton become Mr. Pendergast and Edmund Chilton in the film. Nancy's film sweetheart George Dodds doesn't exist in the book.
In the book, Pollyanna has a tree outside her attic window but uses it only once - on the day she arrives in town. Shortly thereafter, Aunt Polly has her niece moved to a bedroom close to her own when Pollyanna negligently allows flies to enter the house through her unscreened attic window. In the film however, Pollyanna remains an inmate of the attic bedroom until the day following her tragic accident.
The film ascribes Pollyanna's injuries to a fall from her attic window; the book ascribes her injuries to an automobile accident.
The book contains some satirical and pointed criticism of the charity-minded Ladies Aid Societies of the early 20th century. The criticism never enters the film. However, Aunt Polly's film friend Amelia Tarbell sports something of the snobbishness associated with the "Ladies Aiders" of the book.
Unlike the film Nancy, the book Nancy is a relatively unlettered country girl given to grammatical errors, slang, and repetitive phrasing such as, "It 'tis, it 'tis!" The book Nancy isn't engaged in a romantic affair Aunt Polly wishes to suppress (as in the film) nor does she have a sweetheart.
