Johnny Belinda (1948)

(On Cable TV, February 2020) The depiction of disability in Hollywood has changed quite a bit over the years, and Johnny Belinda squarely belongs to the old school inspirational category… with a few complications. There’s no going around how an able-bodied doctor ends up being the salvation of a deaf-mute woman. But there’s more to this film than just a so-noble story of a disabled person overcoming obstacles: as Johnny Belinda unspools, there’s an entire story about rape, rumour and eventually murder. The film is set in quiet bucolic seaside Nova Scotia—but shot in California. You can see how it was nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award, considering how much it sounds like an Oscar-bait film. Still, Johnny Belinda is not bad: the criminal subplot adds a lot to the film, and Jane Wyman turns out a convincing performance in the lead role, along with Lew Ayres as the doctor helping her. There are a bunch of issues in having an able-bodied man being the saviour, but the overall portrait is very sympathetic, especially for a 1940s film.