Pollyanna

Pollyanna 1960

• Director: David Swift
• Others seen by this director: The Parent Trap
• Based on the book by Eleanor H Porter
• Cast: Hayley Mills, Jane Wyman, Richard Egan, Karl Malden, Nancy Olson, Adolphe Menjou, Donald Crisp, Agnes Moorehead, Kevin Corcoran, James Drury, Reta Shaw, Anne Seymour, Edward Platt, Mary Grace Canfield
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Hayley Mills – The Family Way, The Trouble with Angels, The Truth about Spring, The Moon-spinners, The Chalk Garden, In Search of the Castaways, Whistle Down the Wind, The Parent Trap, Tiger Bay
• Jane Wyman – various series
• Nancy Olson – The Absent-Minded Professor
• Agnes Moorehead – Bewitched, Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte, Raintree County
• Kevin Corcoran – Toby Tyler, Old Yeller
• James Drury – various series, especially The Virginian
• Reta Shaw – many series from the 60’s
• All the others – various series
• Why? A childhood favourite
• Seen: Once before in the 60’s. Now 5 June 2020      

       Oh, how I loved this film when I was little! What if I hate it now? When choosing a film for this evening, Hal sighed, ‘We might as well get this one over with.’

       Simple story. Newly orphaned Pollyanna (Mills) is taken in by rich, tyrannical, domineering, religious Aunt Polly (Wyman). Pollyanna is incurably mischievous, energetic, cheeky and optimistic making the lives of everyone in the small turn-of-the-century small American town cheerier. Disaster strikes. Happy ending, sort of.

       Well, well, what a surprise. A film about class conflict disguised as feel-good, with an absolutely outstanding Hayley Mills as Pollyanna. No wonder she got a special Oscar for this role.

       There are flaws, of course there are, but who cares. You’ve just got to love Pollyanna.

4 ½ * of 5 (Sceptical Hal gave it 5*!)