Just watched this after recording it from TCM the other night. People rarely mention this film when making best of 1965 lists but I liked it better than Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Maybe it was a little too over the top, but the central relationship was really well done.
shareWhat a nice surprise seeing this film show up "Trending" on the front page of this site.
It's a wonderful film, and yes, I think I loved it more than Guess Who's Coming to Dinner as well.
The script is excellent, and Poitier, Winters and Elizabeth Hartman turn in some great performances here (Poitier is in fine form here). And some very heartbreaking moments involving Hartman's character. Jerry Goldsmith's score is also beautiful.
Lilies of the Field is another nice 60s gem that also has Poitier. He won a Best Actor Oscar for this film, a first in Academy history for an African American.
Also saw In the Heat of the Night recently on TCM, scary that Rod Steiger's angry sheriff is still more reasonable than some of our current politicians. Agree that the score was really nice, the film had a similar feel to "To Kill a Mockingbird" even though it was set in downtown Los Angeles.
shareElizabeth Hartman was a superb and very special actress...what can happen to some performers when they're no longer earning a living in their art is dismal. (You know, she eventually jumped from her apartment building window at age 44...)
shareThat was very sad when I learned about her last years. I remember looking up Hartmann's other credits and then finding out about that. Makes it even more heartbreaking to see her fragility and insecurity in Patch of Blue.
@Sentient Meat, In the Heat of the Night another great film! I don't get TCM anymore. I miss that channel :(
I never knew that, although I figured something like that must have happened since you never read about her anymore. Sad that Hollywood no longer has a place in mainstream films for actresses like EH, Sandy Dennis, Shelley Duvall... everything is about the blockbuster superhero films.
shareForget about 1965, this film is just forgotten about it general.
shareI rewatch it periodically and it never fails to move me.
One of my favorite films.
Sidney Poitier was wonderful as always..but Elizabeth Hartman really nailed the part of a poor blind girl and captured the right mannerisms.
I think a part of Selina was really a part of her as well. She always seemed so fragile. And apparently, in real life, she was.