How a 1960 Disney film turned a saccharine novel into a cinematic triumph
In short: When Disney announced Pollyanna in 1959, critics predicted a disaster. They expected a 'tearjerker' of pure schmaltz. Instead, director David Swift delivered what many unanimous reviewers called the studio's best live-action film, proving that even the stickiest stories can be refined into something profound.
The 1960 film, starring Hayley Mills, was a departure from the 1913 novel by Eleanor H. Porter. Director David Swift intentionally avoided the 'saccharine' nature of the source material. To balance the script, he would spend hours working on a horror play called The Deadly before tackling Pollyanna. He even removed a key plot point from the book—where the protagonist is hit by a car—deeming it too 'pat' and coincidental. Swift also sought to temper the character's energy, moving away from the high-spirited style of Betty Hutton to present a more reserved, shy version of the girl. This approach aimed to extract a more mature, adult-like quality from the young protagonist.
The film's setting shifted the story from the novel's Vermont to the fictional town of Harrington in Maryland. The production utilized the Mableton Mansion in Santa Rosa, California, for the exterior of Aunt Polly's estate, while interiors were filmed at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank. The story follows 11-year-old Pollyanna, the daughter of missionaries, as her radical optimism begins to transform the community, eventually earning the town the nickname 'Gladtown'. The production featured a cast of seasoned veterans, including Jane Wyman, Karl Malden, and Richard Egan. This ensemble included the final performance of actor Adolphe Menjou.
Despite its critical acclaim and an Academy Juvenile Award for Mills, the film's financial performance was unexpected. While it turned a profit, it failed to reach even half of the $6 million expected. Disney noted that while women attended, men stayed away because the title suggested something 'sweet and sticky'. Interestingly, a promotional locket featuring an Abraham Lincoln quote had to be recalled after Swift discovered the inscription was actually a paraphrase from Porter's novel. The film's success was also marked by Hayley Mills's BAFTA nomination for Best Actress. However, the studio's financial projections were not met, as the film's earnings fell significantly short of the anticipated $6 million.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Pollyanna (1960 film)
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