Another Vintage Classic from StudioCanal, Ealing Studios’ Mandy is the story of a little deaf girl (Mandy Miller, The Man in the White Suit, Child in the House) and her family’s struggle to give her a normal life.
Originally based on the Hilda Lewis novel The Day Is Ours, which was broadcast as a serial on BBC Woman’s Hour in 1950, the story was made in to a film under the direction of the great Alexander Mackendrick (The Ladykillers, Whisky Galore!) for which he picked up the Special Jury Prize at Venice Film Festival in 1952. Mandywent on to pick up six BAFTA nominations and became a major hit at the UK Box Office.
Six-year-old Mandy Garland (Miller) was born deaf. With concerns for her future, Christine (Phyllis Calvert, Twisted Nerve, Mr Denning Drives North) and Harry Garland (Terence Morgan, Sir Francis Drake) try to work out the best scenario for their daughter’s education, but before long their constant quarreling puts a strain on their relationship. Against Harry’s wishes, Mandy is enrolled in a special school under the guidance of headmaster Dick Searle (Jack Hawkins, The Cruel Sea, The Fallen Idol), whose unconventional teaching methods are questioned by some of the adults. But Christine forms a strong friendship with Mr Searle, who ultimately has the child’s best interests at heart and eventually helps Mandy to find her voice. Boasting an all star cast and a breakout performance from Mandy Miller, Mandy is British filmmaking at its best.
Extras
Interview with Mandy Miller
BBC Radio 3 The Essay: Heffer on British Film – Mandy by Simon
