Sister Kenny

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Movie
German title Sister Kenny
Original title Sister Kenny
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1946
length 117 minutes
Rod
Director Dudley Nichols
script Alexander Knox
Mary McCarthy
Dudley Nichols
production Dudley Nichols for RKO
music Alexander Tasman
camera George Barnes
cut Roland Gross
occupation

Sister Kenny (OT: Sister Kenny ) is an American feature film from 1946 with Rosalind Russell and Alexander Knox in the lead roles, directed by Dudley Nichols . The film depicts the life and work of the Australian nurse Elizabeth Kenny , who met with fierce opposition from conventional medicine with her innovative approach to the treatment of people with polio . The film is a typical example of the genre of the biographical film , which has experienced a great boom, especially since the appearance of the sound film . At the same time, the film, with its focus on Elizabeth Kenny's struggles and arguments against male prejudice and social restrictions against women, is entirely in the narrative tradition of the so-called "woman's picture".

action

In 1911, nurse Elizabeth Kenny returned to the outbacks of Australia. Against the express advice of her fatherly friend and trainer Dr. Aeneas McDonnell wants to help Kenny people far from civilization and do good. Some time later, Sister Kenny, as everyone calls her, is called to see little Dorrie McIntyre, who is suffering from severe leg pain. It soon turns out that the girl is suffering from polio , which is currently afflicting all of Australia. Although there is no official treatment for the disease, Kenny manages to develop a novel therapeutic approach by observing the course. Instead of prescribing strict bed rest for those affected as before, Elizabeth Kerry is developing a physiotherapeutic approach that aims to help strengthen the affected muscles and restore the restricted mobility. Against the strongest resistance on the part of conventional medicine, the new method begins to prevail. Finally, Elizabeth moves to the USA and establishes a research institute at the University of Minnesota, which is to scientifically research and further develop the method she has developed. Although the official authorities are negative here too, the success of thousands of cured patients ultimately proves Sister Kenny to be right.

background

Rosalind Russell had risen to become a highly paid actress in comedies by the early 1940s. Increasingly dissatisfied with the role offers, the actress decided to take on serious roles. The idea of ​​making a biographical film about the Australian nurse Elizabeth Kenny was an obvious one as Russell knew Kenny personally. Her son Lance suffered from muscle weakness in his leg after his birth, which could only be eliminated by using the therapy developed by Kenny. The film had been in planning since 1943, but there were always delays. Initially, Clifford Odets was planned as a screenwriter before Dudley Nichols, a close friend of Rosalind Russell, took on the task. Jean Renoir was to be the director before Nichols took on that role. The plot is essentially based on Kenny's autobiography, but takes some dramaturgical liberties. Dudley Nichols and Rosalind Russell worked together again immediately afterwards at Mourning Becomes Electra .

Sister Kenny as a biographical film

A main characteristic was the portrayal of the conflict of the title character, who first has to gain recognition for her achievements / inventions, ideas or innovations against the - mostly bitter - resistance of society, but in the end always has success. The portrayal of the individual is at the same time removed from the overall historical context and his ultimate success is presented as a destiny through irrationality.

“The biopic focuses on the fortunes of the individual and ignores historical and social relationships. The presentation of individual, clearly defined episodes about formative experiences, temporary challenges and the ultimate triumph of the individual reinforce the impression that one's own personality and one's own purpose are congruent. "

The narrative structure in Sister Kenny closely follows this concept in that the script focuses on individual selected episodes. The focus is on the description of individual, selected scenes, which Kenny preferably present in the successful fight against bigotry, social repression and unreason. The overall social situation in which Kenny moves is described, but the causes are not analyzed. While biographical films about men primarily deal with their public deeds and actions and thus their professional success, the focus of female heroines is on the inner emotional conflicts that arise from the demands of their public duties on them and the rival demands of private life posed. The focus is almost always on a detailed presentation of the necessary emotional sacrifices and personal sacrifices in emotional life that are necessary for public success.

Theatrical release

The film cost around $ 1,200,000 and proved to be a failure at the box office. In the end, the studio posted a loss of $ 660,000.

Reviews

The reviews were mixed. The accusation was that the script provided very inadequate coverage of the background to the longstanding medical controversy.

Bosley Crowther found clear words in The New York Times for the weaknesses of the production.

“By completely ignoring the ongoing medical controversy that the Kenny Method is creating, [...] the film makes an unjust and dangerous impression. In his endeavors to portray Sister Kenny in a rosy light, he obscures the actual circumstances too much. "

Awards

At the Academy Awards in 1947 there was a nomination in the category:

The Golden Globe Awards in 1947 included awards in the following categories:

  • Best Actress - Rosalind Russell

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ cf. Elizabeth Kenny , in: Internationales Biographisches Archiv 01/1953 of December 22, 1952, in the Munzinger Archive ( beginning of article freely available)
  2. ↑ There is no really suitable German translation for the expression "woman's picture". Neither are they not to be equated with the German expression women's film . The term film melodrama is still applicable, as it only covers one genre. Woman's pictures are expressly not genre-bound, but rather define themselves through their uniform narrative style. Compare the following explanations as well as the basic Jeanine Basinger A Woman's View: How Hollywood Spoke to Women
  3. ↑ cf. fundamentally: Henry M. Taylor: role of life. The film biography as a narrative system. P. 29.
  4. ↑ The biopic [...] Focuses on the fortunes of an individual and ignores or obscures history and social relationships. Portraying in tightly ordered sequences the individual's formative experiences, temporary adversities, and ultimate triumph, it creates the impression that character is destiny. Paul Loukides, Linda Fuller, Beyond the Stars, p. 187.
  5. ↑ Custen, p. 102; see also Wagner-Martin, pp. 23-26.
  6. ↑ Disregardful entirely of the dispute that exists among medical practitioners over the Kenny theories and treatments as such [...], this film carries an unfair and dangerous impression in its zeal. It darkens too much the surroundings by bathing Sister Kenny in a clear and shining light.