Patty Duke Movies
American actress Patty Duke was groomed almost from infancy for a starring career by her manager/guardian John Ross. She studied at the Quintano School for Young Professionals and earned her Equity card at age seven, appearing in numerous TV productions and in such Hollywood films as I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955), The Goddess (1958) (playing young Kim Stanley, the "Marilyn Monroe" character in that film), and Happy Anniversary (1959). Duke also appeared as a quiz-show contestant, and was later compelled to testify as to her honesty during the cheating scandals of 1958 and 1959. Just before her 13th birthday, Duke made her stage debut in the role of Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker; the production won the girl instant stardom and later an Academy Award for the film version of Miracle Worker (1962). Manager John Ross very carefully monitored Duke's public appearances, making certain the world saw her as a sweet, uncomplicated young lady. The truth was that Duke was terribly unhappy, feeling pressured into performing and into suppressing her own emotions. That's not what the world saw in the three seasons of The Patty Duke Show (1963-1966), a sitcom wherein the young actress literally talked to herself in the dual role of cousins Patty and Cathy Lane. She became cynical with stardom in a hurry, and in a bold act of defiance, 18-year-old Duke married a man twice her age, director Harry Falk Jr. Her first grown-up role as a Judy Garland type in Valley of the Dolls (1967) was panned, and it was suggested that she'd lost her talent. The next few years she was cast in a series of unsuccessful films but made a strong comeback with the 1969 TV movie My Sweet Charlie, which won her the first of three Emmys; the others being for the miniseries Captains and the Kings(1976) and a remake of The Miracle Worker (1979) in which she played the role of Annie Sullivan, co-starring with Melissa Gilbert as Helen Keller. In 1972 she married actor John Astin. Their union produced actor sons, Sean Astin and Mackenzie Astin. Duke also briefly changed her professional name to Patty Duke Astin. The Astins worked together prolifically for the duration of their marriage (which eventually ended in divorce). Building up her self-confidence and completely rebuilding her reputation in the '80s, Patty Duke served from 1985 through 1988 as president of the Screen Actor's Guild (the first woman to do so), starred in three separate network sitcoms, and wrote her harrowing best-selling memoirs, Call Me Anna, which in 1990 was adapted into a TV movie that she co-produced and starred in. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1993
In this made-for-television drama a young mother finds herself unable to cope with her daughter's handicap and so puts her up for adoption. When her mother finds out, she launches a courtroom battle for the right to raise her granddaughter herself. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patty Duke, Tracy Nelson, (more)
Based on an autobiography by Betty Rollin, this is a heart-tugger which finds a woman with cancer seeking the assistance of her daughter in fulfilling her last wish--a wish to die with dignity. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- 1992
In this bizarre thriller, based on a true story, a family moves into their dream house and are appalled to discover that they are not alone when strange things begin to happen. It soon becomes apparent that the special tenants are angry spirits out to destroy the family and their neighbors who have built their homes on top of a graveyard. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patty Duke, David Selby, (more)
In this quirky romantic comedy about soul transference, Alec Baldwin plays Peter Hoskins, the straight-laced head of the microfiche department at a company that publishes scientific journals. When he meets a free-spirited, sleep-deprived bartender named Rita (Meg Ryan), the opposites attract and launch into a round-the-clock romance characterized by private jokes and an intense connection that defies description. When the two decide to marry, however, an unforeseeable cosmic occurrence entirely alters the nature of their relationship. Those who claim that marriage changes a person couldn't be more right in this case, as a confused old man (Sydney Walker) wanders into the wedding reception and plants a single kiss on the lips of the new bride. Longing for the youthfulness he sees in the happy couple, the man inadvertently causes the two to switch bodies during the smooch. Thinking no one will believe the story, Rita (now hidden inside a cancer-ridden octogenarian) leaves the premises before causing any more of a stir, while the old man in Rita's body is whisked off with Peter on their honeymoon before anyone is the wiser. Soon, Peter begins noticing that his new bride is an entirely different person, but can't figure out why -- and wonders if it's just a natural dose of cold feet. When he can no longer ignore the total dissimilarity, Peter begins suspecting that something supernatural has occurred, and wondering how he can restore his wife to her former self, especially when her body's new occupant resists the effort and goes on the lam. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alec Baldwin, Meg Ryan, (more)
- 1991
In 1988, Nancy Klein, the pregnant wife of Long Island accountant Marty Klein, was involved in a car accident that left her comatose. Convinced that Nancy would never recover if she went to full term with the baby, Marty asked the doctors to perform an abortion. Almost immediately, Nancy Klein became a cause celebre for pro-life and pro-choice activists alike. Made for television, Absolute Strangers recreates this traumatic event and the drawn-out courtroom litigation that followed. Henry Winkler, who produced the film, returned to acting after a long absence to play Klein; others in the cast include Jennifer Hetrick as Nancy, Richard Kiley as Dr. R. J. Cannon, Karl Malden and Audra Lindley as Nancy's parents, and Patty Duke as a lower-court judge. Though it is clear that the filmmaker's sympathies are clearly on Marty Klein's side, the script remains even-handed throughout, observing that the pro-choicers can be just as narrow-minded and contentious as the "absolute strangers" who wish to usurp Marty Klein's rights concerning his wife's wellbeing. Written by playwright Robert Anderson (Tea and Sympathy, I Never Sang For My Father), Absolute Strangers premiered April 14, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Winkler, Richard Kiley, (more)
- 1991
Based on actual events, this drama offers a chilling look at the lengths some youths will go in order to feel loved. Though devastated by the brutal slaying of her daughter Jenny (Tiffani-Amber Thiesson), kind-hearted mother Jean Monroe (Patty Duke) allows Jenny's troubled best friend Ellen (Margaret Welsh) to stay in her home. Despite the hard work of a tough police detective (Loretta Swit), no real progress is made on the case. A series of events, however, turn suspicions towards Ellen. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patty Duke, Margaret Welsh, (more)
- 1990
Based upon Patty Duke's bestselling autobiography, Call Me Anna details the Academy Award-winning actress's rise to stardom and her lifelong struggle with manic depression. Born Anna Marie Duke, the youngster from Queens embarked upon an acting career at an early age. Her manager, John Ross, essentially removes her from her family (including a depressed mother and alcoholic father) at the age of seven and tyrannically manages her career. While this effectively aids her professionally, his abuse takes a toll upon the sensitive young girl. She makes a name for herself when she lands the part of Helen Keller in the Broadway smash The Miracle Worker and gains national fame when her work in the film version earns her a coveted Oscar. She goes on to star in her own television series, and embarks upon a number of relationships, including ones with Desi Arnaz Jr. and John Astin (whom she marries). Eventually, Duke shows signs of mental illness, brought about both by her parents and her managers, and enters into therapy with a doctor, who is able to give her the help she desperately needs. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patty Duke, Howard Hesseman, (more)
- 1990
On his 16th birthday, Stephen Dorff discovers that he is adopted. This in itself is not so traumatic, but the worst is still to come: His adoptive parents had bought him from a baby broker, who kidnapped the infant from his natural mother. Dorff rejects the protestations of love from his "mother" and "father", and sets out on a long journey to locate his real family. Patty Duke costars as the woman from whom Dorff was stolen some 14 years earlier. Timed for telecast during the Christmas season, Always Remember That I Love You premiered December 23, 1990. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
A good samaritan finds himself in trouble with the law after a hitch-hiker he had picked up shows up murdered. Hitch Hikers is based on a novel by author Eudora Welty. Directed by Alan Bergmann, this film also features Richard Hatch, Patty Duke, and Jaime Hubbard.
~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
The fourth in a seemingly endless parade of Amityville sequels, this passable TV knock-off features an item of possessed furniture from the notorious haunted house -- a concept inspired by a series of novels by John G. Jones and exploited in no less than three films of the series. This time it's a lava lamp from the accursed site that houses the evil, traveling cross-country from an Amityville garage sale (now there's a title for a sequel) to an oceanfront California estate, whereupon it releases the demonic forces within to exert their vile influence on a young girl by assuming the form of her late father. To this end, the demon animates various household appliances to whittle down the cast in death scenes which are neither shocking nor original -- much like the rest of this film. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Those who think that you can't make a suspense movie out of a true-life story wherein everybody knows the outcome are referred to the made-for-TV Everybody's Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClure. Jessica, of course, was the 18-month-old Texas girl who fell down an abandoned well in October of 1987. As the world looks on in anguish, the local fire chief (Pat Hingle) and police chief (Beau Bridges) supervise the efforts to rescue Jessica from her 22-foot-deep prison. The film effectively squeezes the 58 hours of the original incident into two, allotting plenty of time for a surface-level subplot involving the efforts of a Victim's Assistance Program volunteer (Patty Duke) to reassure Jessica's parents. In keeping with Hollywood child-labor requirements, little Jessica McClure is played by twin girls, Laura and Jennifer Loesch. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
A Massachusetts nurse (Patty Duke) is accused of exercising Fatal Judgment in this made-for-TV movie. While tending a seriously ill cancer patient, the nurse administered a generous dose of morphine. The patient died, which is why the woman is now on trial for murder. Joe Regalbuto and Tom Conti co-star as, respectively, the nurse's loving husband and a two-fisted defense attorney. Based on a true story, Fatal Judgment first aired October 18, 1988--precisely one half hour after the debut of Roseanne, which proved not to be a case of fatal judgment. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
In this entry in the long-running mystery series, Perry Mason must prove that the man whose murder conviction he upheld when he was an Appellate Court judge is really innocent. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1987
In his TV-movie debut, Jerry Lewis plays Dr. Abrams, an Ohio optometrist, whose beloved 6-year-old daughter (Jaclyn Bernstein) falls victim to a rare form of epilepsy. The traditional means to keep the girl's seizures under control fail to work, putting a strain on the Abram's (Lewis and Patty Duke Astin) marriage. The couple then learns of a little-known drug called sodium valporate, which has had salutary effects upon epileptics in Britain. Unfortunately, the drug has not been approved for use in the United States; thus, by utilizing the drug to save their child from agony, the Abrams are in effect breaking the law. The cause celebre that follows forms the nucleus of Scott Nisor and Tom Nesi's fact-based screenplay. Essaying a rare dramatic role, Jerry Lewis is excellent: in fact, he's much more credible than Barry Morse as the doctor who develops the miracle drug. Fight for Live was first telecast March 23, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
This drama is based on the true story of a housewife who becomes a helicopter pilot for the US Army after her husband suffers a massive coronary. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1986
It seems that even American History must sometimes succumb to Hollywood "sequel mania." The 4-hour TV movie George Washington: The Forging of a Nation was a follow-up to the successful 1984 miniseries George Washington (see entry 82308). Barry Bostwick is back as Washington, as is Patty Duke as Martha. Whereas the first film covered the years 1743 through 1783, The Forging of the Nation concerns itself with the events of 1788 through 1797. The film begins with the ratification of the Constitution, and concludes with Washington ending his second term as the first President of the United States. The drama intensifies as Washington tries to handle the often diametrically opposed viewpoints of such firebrands as Thomas Jefferson (Jeffrey Jones), Alexander Hamilton (Richard Bekins) and John Adams (Paul Collins). Filmed on location in the New England locales where the story originally took place, George Washington: The Forging of a Nation debuted on September 21 and 22, 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
- PG13
Pamela Segall gives a winning performance in this gender-bending comedy about a girl who wants to be a boy and gets her wish. 14-year-old Milly Niceman's "deepest, darkest heart's desire" is to be a boy, as she feels that boys' lives are simpler and more interesting than girls' lives. After her best friend's brother sells her an "eclipse powder," she wakes up in the middle of the night to discover that she has grown a penis. When she becomes a boy, calling herself Willy, she finds that her girlfriend has now developed an amorous interest in him/her. Willy also makes friends with a handicapped boy named Alfie (Eric Gurry), who also confesses his "unnatural desires" for Willy. Finding that being a boy is as confusing as being a girl, Willy wishes upon a star to be changed back to a girl. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pamela Segall, Eric Gurry, (more)
- 1984
Patty Duke Astin plays the wife of police officer Frederic Forrest, who wants to join a special investigative unit. Forrest is denied this position on the basis of information concerning his wife. The information, which reveals a dicey extramarital affair, was culled from a department surveillance file that was supposed to have been destroyed by court order. Astin battles through legal channels to expose the police force's illegal actions, even as she and her husband suffer the innuendoes and cold shoulders from his fellow officers. The made-for-TV Best Kept Secrets premiered on March 26, 1984. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
Barry Bostwick plays the Father of Our Country in this 3-part, eight-hour TV miniseries. The Richard Fielder/Jon Boothe teleplay, based on a book by James Thomas Flexner, covers the years 1743 through 1783, tracing Washington from age 11 to his farewell to the troops at Valley Forge. A great deal of screen time is devoted to Washington's alleged early romance with Sally Fairfax (Jaclyn Smith), the wife of George's best friend (David Dukes). Martha Washington, who never goes anywhere near a candy store during the film, is played by Patty Duke Astin. Filmed on the actual locations where the Washington saga occurred, the production earned five Emmy Award nominations. Originally telecast April 8, 10 and 11, 1984, George Washington was followed in 1986 by George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation (see entry 82309) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1983
Robert Preston seems to be having the time of his life in the made-for-TV September Gun. The "Music Man" is cast as a long-in-tooth gunfighter who forms an uneasy alliance with Catholic nun Patty Duke Astin. The single-minded sister wants to erect a sanctuary for a group of Apache orphans. Preston picks an ideal spot, right in the center of town--the local saloon and "bawdy house"! Sally Kellerman co-stars as Madame Queen (not the same lady who used to be on Amos N Andy) in this harmless western romp, which first aired October 8, 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1982
Something So Right was a November 1982 entry in CBS' series of GE Theatre movie specials. Ricky Schroder plays the trouble-prone son of divorcee Patty Duke Astin. Upset that his idolized football-jock father is gone, Schroder has developed into a petty thief. Unable to handle the boy herself, Duke enrolls Schroder in a Big Brother program--where, much to his dismay, he is paired up with inept, unathletic James Farentino (decked out in a convincing "paunchy" bodysuit and a bald wig). Gradually, Schroder grows close to his new "Big Brother"--only to feel deserted again when Farentino, also divorced, falls in love with Schroder's mom. Something So Right is one of those few and far between TV movies that assumes an audience is intelligent enough to digest a story based on genuine human emotions rather than car chases, serial killings or diseases of the week. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1982
A very young Sean Astin co-stars with his mother, Patty Duke, in this powerful drama about child abuse. Unlike most of his friends, who are cheerful and outgoing, eight-year-old Brian Reynolds (Astin) is shy, morose, and withdrawn. Curious as to why Brian behaves the way he does, teenager Nancy Parks (Nancy McKeon) stumbles upon a terrible secret: Brian's divorced, stressed-out mother, Barbara (Patty Duke), takes out her frustrations by savagely beating Brian on a regular basis. So now Nancy knows the reason for Brian's sadness -- but should she tell the authorities or simply mind her own business? Originally produced for the ABC Afterschool Special series, Please Don't Hit Me, Mom made its debut in prime time as one of three ABC Theater for Young Americans presentations; the film finally aired as part of ABC's afternoon schedule on January 19, 1983. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Astin, Patty Duke, (more)
- 1981
Violation of Sarah McDavid is a surprisingly explicit TV movie concerning the undercurrent of violence in a purportedly "good" high school. Patty Duke Astin is a new teacher at Benjamin Harrison High, where the GPA is high but where sadism and brutality amongst the students is the order of the day. Ms. Astin is able to maintain an even keel until, at the end of one school day, she is raped. Assuming she will be backed up in her accusations by the school administration, the teacher discovers that the principal (Ned Beatty), more concerned with image than with justice, wants to sweep the rape incident under the rug. As Astin struggles to make her complaint public, the film touches upon such hot-potato subjects as executive incompetence and the culpability of a "don't ask don't tell" public. The rape scene in Violation of Sarah McDavid is graphic enough to make the viewer feel nearly as degraded as the victim. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
- R
Looking for the perfect biological father, a lesbian couple attempts to have a child after they are refused adoption privileges. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patty Duke, Sara Botsford, (more)
- 1980
Based on the book by Norman Klein, Mom, the Wolfman & Me stars Patty Duke, David Birney and Danielle Brisebois. Ms. Duke plays a free-lance photographer, the single mother of 11-year-old Brisebois. Both mother and daughter are "liberated" in the anything-goes-1980s sense. But Duke finds herself questioning her values (or lack of values) when she meets Brisebois' English teacher Birney, an uptight conservative save for his bushy beard (hence his nickname). Co-starring are Keenan Wynn and Viveca Lindfors as Patty's parents, and John Lithgow in a pivotal supporting role. Produced for TV's Operation Prime Time series, Mom, the Wolfman and Me was released for syndication starting October 20, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
