Rating: 
Summary: A Journey Of Discovery
Review: An amazing Sidney Poitier makes the most of his role as Gordon, a gentle spirit who comes to the aid of Selina (played by Elizabeth Hartman), a young blind woman who spends her days sitting in the park stringing beads onto cheap imitation pearl necklaces for a meager living.As the story develops, Gordon comes to the realization that, as much as it may feel right, he cannot be with Selina, while the blind girl continues to be drawn closer and closer to this man who has introduced her to the world outside ... one vastly different from the one-room flat she shares with her abusive mother (Shelley Winters) and her drunken grandfather. The film intelligently deals with the prospect of not only an interracial romance but also dabbles with the subject of significant age differences between two people clearly drawn romantically to one another. There's is a romance much like ROMEO & JULIET ... two souls coming from vastly different worlds, wanting to be together, but forced apart by circumstances beyond control. A wonderful journey of discovery for those willing to take the trip ...
Rating:
Summary: A BITTERSWEET, HEARTBREAKING FILM...
Review: This is a wonderful low-budget, black and white film starring a great cast of actors: Sidney Poitier, Shelley Winters, Wallace Ford, and then newcomer, Elizabeth Hartman. It was filmed in 1965, at the height of the civil rights movement, and was then notable for its budding inter-racial romance. While this aspect may seem rather tame today, at the time the movie was filmed, this was still a somewhat controversial theme in many parts of America. Elizabeth Hartman, in an exquisitely poignant performance for which she was nominated for an Academy Award, plays the part of Selina D'Arcy, an eighteen year old blind girl who lives an isolated and impoverished, almost Dickensian, existence. She lives with her abusive mother, Rose-Ann (Shelley Winters), who moonlights as a prostitute, and her drunken, though somewhat well-meaning, grandfather, whom she calls Ole Pa (Wallace Ford). Uneducated, having never gone to school, Selina spends her time stringing beads to earn some money for the family, cleaning up after her mother and grandfather, and being at the receiving end of constant physical abuse and verbal invectives heaped upon her by her mother. Hers is, indeed, a draconian existence. One day, she prevails upon her grandfather to drop her off in the park, where she proceeds to sit under a tree, stringing her beads. There, she meets a kindly, well-educated business man, Gordon Ralphe (Sidney Poitier), who takes an interest in her and her quick appreciation for any kindness done to her. She responds to Gordon's kindness as if she were a flower turning its face to the sun for continued warmth. He, in turn, is touched by her eager interest in even the most mundane of matters. They continue to meet under that tree as often as possible, and a relationship develops. Under Gordon's tutelage, Selina begins to blossom. Some of her disclosures to him about her life fill him with horror and a determination to do something constructive about it. While he goes about trying to improve her quality of life, their relationship deepens, despite the warnings of Gordon's brother. After all, Selina is white, uneducated, and comes from a trashy, dysfunctional family, while Gordon is black, well-educated, and from a good family. Selina, sure that what she feels is love, is less restrained than Gordon about her feelings, though their budding romance culminates in nothing more than a chaste kiss. When Rose-Ann finds out whom Selina has been meeting, however, matters come to a head, and Gordon comes to the rescue. A modern day knight in shining armor, however, Gordon does the selfless thing in the end. This is a wonderful movie in which the two main protagonists, Gordon and Selina, judge each other by the content of their respective character and not by the color of their skin. Though controversial at the time, this film may seem a little dated by today's standards. Yet, some of its themes are as fresh today as when it was filmed. The notion of selflessness and putting the needs of another before one's own remains timeless. This is a concept, however, rarely seen in today's films. Although this was Ms. Hartman's debut film, she deservedly received an Academy Award nomination for her sensitive portrayal of Selina. Unfortunately, her career never really took off after this film the way one would have expected after a performance of this caliber. She appeared only in a few notable films, such as, "The Group", "You're a Big Boy Now", and "Beguiled", before descending into virtual obscurity. I was saddened to hear that she committed suicide in the late nineteen eighties at the age of forty-five, a tragic figure in the end, leaving behind this beautiful performance for posterity.
Rating: 
Summary: completely destroys the book
Review: I've read the novel version of this story several times, and love it. The movie, when Ii first watched it, was touching, but there was something missing. On the second viewing, I realized what this film lacks is a convincing ending, the thing that makes the book so believable and heartbreaking. The shattering, tearful cliff-hanger of the novel was replaced by a simply, almost predictable, feel-good ending that makes the film flop miserably for someone who knows the original intent of the author. Also, the many scenes which were thought up by the film-makers, while convincing and poignant in their own way, don't compare with the warm, yet darkly sinister, tone of the book. I love the music though. And one question: is that Elizabeth Heartman's real voice?
Rating:
Summary: aways my favourite movie
Review: I read with sadness other comments that this movie is outdated............oh really...surprise surprise....it was made in the 60's I think. This movie above any I have seen since, speaks so clearly of sensitivity, gentle compassion and passionate love. The self-sacrificing love that we know so little about these days... DARE I SAY IT? is this what TRUE LOVE IS.....TO LOVE AND THEN LET GO for the LIFE of the other...... Gordon loved so tenderly and Serina became aware so gently that she was lovable..AND loved........ How is it possible that one could miss this view of the film is beyond me......... I have been "in-love" with Sidney ever since .... he has such skill as an actor and has broadened my horizons so immensely with his portrayal of Gordon Thank GOD for this medium which gives me an opportunity to say to SIDNEY FANS what I have wanted to say to him for 35 years....
"THANK YOU AND I LOVE YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE GIVEN ME .....esp. in this film" one very devouted fan from MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA
Rating: 
Summary: A Ray of Sunshine in a Life of Darkness
Review: Warner Brothers produced A Patch of Blue in 1965, which was a black and white dramatic film set in California, starring such greats as Sidney Poitier, Shelley Winters, Elizabeth Hartman, and Wallace Ford. This film was quite racy for its time, as the movie's plot was centered on a budding relationship between a black man and a white teenage woman, which in those days was unheard of.
Selina D'Arcy (Hartman), an 18-year old blind white girl, lives an isolated, Cinderella-like existence with her foul-mouthed mother Roseanne (Winters) and drunken grandfather, "Ol' Pa" (Ford). Selina wants nothing more than to listen to the radio and occasionally string beads in the park. It is there that she meets handsome black businessman Gordon Ralfe (Poitier) who sizes up her plight. As Gordon conveniently continues to run into Selina at the park and their relationship grows. He is delighted that he can teach Selina such everyday things as relying on her sense of smell, calling the pay phone operator, and pushing "Walk" just to listen to the traffic stop.
It is easy to see why Shelly Winters won an Oscar for her portrayal of Selina's drunken and abusive prostitute mother. As a viewer, I cringed with Selina every time her mother went on one of her tirades. I still wonder why Elizabeth Hartman only received an Oscar nomination for her performance, because she truly portrayed the essence of her character.
I give this film a four-star rating because I felt that the film accurately portrayed a 1965 interracial romance and addressed the subject of significant age differences between two people clearly drawn romantically to one another. The film could be disturbing at times because it showed just how bleak life can be for a blind girl living in poverty with a truly dysfunctional family.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Dated.
Review: A blind girl lives a life of squalor and abuse at the hands of her racist family. When she meets the cool collected newspaper reporter she falls madly in love. Sadly, he knows it can never be because she is blind and underage and he is black. A fact he never mentions to her As a book, told from the girls perspective, this idea works but when presented as a movie it instead comes of like the audience and the other characters are playing a mean trick on some poor woman. While Gordon repeatedly bemoans the fact that she has been kept in darkness all her life and never taught to read or sent to school, he does nothing to provide her with the facts of the situation she is in. Instead he dances around the subject while preaching tolerance. Even in reguards to her own education she is never given the chance to make a choice or help direct her own life. A classic in its day that just looks dated now.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece of a love story.
Review: Who cant help but fall in love with Selina D'Arcey?...This is a moving, bittersweet tale of forbidden love. A blind girl, who has nothing going for her, and lives such a bland, ...existence in the most dysfunctional of homes that you want to rescue her. And you'll want to throttle her abusive, rude witch of a mother, played by Shelly Winters in her finest hour.....but along comes her knight in shining armor, and shows her, well, just basic courtesy, which she's never known, and theres just something about the little blind girl at the park that keeps Sydney Pointier's character coming back. When he shows her compassion, and offers her companionship, she falls madly in love, and the poor dear is starved for affection, for all she knows is rudeness, and violence....The story draws in the viewer, and you start really caring about Selina, and want her to win in the end.....and the end will haunt you for the rest of your days.
Rating:
Summary: Sufficiently moving drama
Review: Guy Green's tale of the love between a blind girl and a "coloured" man is no masterpiece, but it is sustained by two touching performances by Sidney Poitier and Elizabeth Hartman. Other characters tend to be flatly sketched and poorly acted (so Shelley Winters), existing mainly to propel the merely adequate narrative. Nevertheless, in its own way this tale is affecting, and there are a few evidences here and there of some directorial flair. The film is scored by Jerry Goldsmith, whose music is enchantingly simple.
Rating:
Summary: A Magical experience.
Review: At last a favourite film of mine issued on DVD. What a brilliant release it is. A surperb print, as they say, and the wonderful suprise bonus of Mr. Green the director telling us how this film was made. What a good idea and how informative. Should be the standard for all DVD's. The sad part of this film however, is the sad loss of Miss Hartman. What a fantastic debut she made in this film. One just cannot help but wonder what she could have achieved had she not died so young. Mr Poitier, a favourite of mine in "In the Heat of the Night", is just perfect. Miss Winters and Wallace Ford are a brilliant match as mother and elderly father. All in all a fantastic little gem. Well done to all concerned.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: One of the best movies I have ever seen. The movie teaches you more than one lesson mainly that its okay to be you. Awesome movie, it totally rocks!
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