| Sunrise at Campobello | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Vincent J. Donehue |
| Screenplay by | Dore Schary |
| Based on | Sunrise at Campobello 1958 play byDore Schary |
| Produced by | Dore Schary |
| Starring | Ralph Bellamy Greer Garson Hume Cronyn |
| Cinematography | Russell Harlan |
| Edited by | George Boemler |
| Music by | Franz Waxman |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
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Running time | 144 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Sunrise at Campobello is a 1960 Americanbiographical film telling the story of the struggles of futurePresident of the United StatesFranklin D. Roosevelt and his family when Roosevelt was stricken with paralysis at the age of 39 in August 1921. Based onDore Schary's 1958Tony Award-winningBroadwayplay ofthe same title, the film was directed byVincent J. Donehue and starsRalph Bellamy,Greer Garson,Hume Cronyn andJean Hagen.
The film was produced with the cooperation of the Roosevelt family.Eleanor Roosevelt was present on the set during location shooting at the Roosevelt estate inHyde Park, New York.
At theRoosevelt family'ssummer home onCampobello Island,New Brunswick, Canada (on the border withMaine) in the summer of 1921, Franklin D. Roosevelt is vigorously athletic, enjoying games with his children and sailing his boat.
Roosevelt is suddenly stricken with fever and then paralysis. Conflict ensues between the bedridden Roosevelt, his wifeEleanor, his motherSara and his close political adviserLouis Howe. Later, as Roosevelt drags himself up the stairs, he painfully strives to overcome his physical limitations and resist remaining an invalid.
Roosevelt reenters public life as he walks to the speaker's rostrum at a party convention, aided by heavy leg braces and crutches.
DirectorDore Schary had originally consideredAnthony Quayle for the role of Roosevelt until Schary's wife suggested Bellamy.[1]
Sunrise at Campobello presents events that took place over three years, from August 1921 to July 1924, culminating in Roosevelt's speech at the1924 Democratic National Convention.[2] Before and during Roosevelt'spresidency, the extent of his disability was minimized.Sunrise at Campobello depicts the debilitating effects of hisparalytic illness to a greater extent than had been previously disclosed by the media.
Exteriors were filmed at theHome of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, theRoosevelt Campobello International Park on Campobello Island and theRoosevelts' former Manhattan residence. Interiors were shots on sets atWarner Bros. TheShrine Auditorium in Los Angeles was used to represent forMadison Square Garden for the 1924 convention.
The film was scored byFranz Waxman.[3]
The film faced competition fromElmer Gantry,The World of Suzy Wong,The Apartment andButterfield 8, films that all dealt with sex and that impacted the box-office performance ofSunrise at Campobello.[4] At the time the film was made, Roosevelt's affair withLucy Mercer was not generally known and could not be portrayed on screen.
The film was entered into the2nd Moscow International Film Festival.[5] At its screening on July 19, 1961, at theRussia Theatre, the audience started to leave within minutes. More than 2,000 attendees departed before the end of the screening,[6] possibly after realizing that the film did not depict the war years.
Variety wrote that the film "...loses none of its poignant and inspirational qualities." It called Bellamy "brilliant", and noted Garson's "deeply moving, multifaceted characterization."[3]
In a contemporary review forThe New York Times, criticBosley Crowther calledSunrise at Campobello "a well-done, moving biographical film" and wrote: "Ralph Bellamy's performance of Mr. Roosevelt is every bit as strong, as full of feeling and characteristic gesture, as Mr. Bellamy made it on the stage. ... However, it must be mentioned that a tendency to overdo some of the famous Roosevelt expressions ... induces a bit of vexation, especially when they are shown in close-up, which glaringly discloses their forced and theatrical quality." Crowther also criticized Greer Garson's "singsong manner of speech" that sounded like a caricature of Eleanor Roosevelt's voice.[7]
The Hollywood Reporter review concluded that "the play was an excellent job and has been improved upon."[8]
More recently, Darragh O’Donoghue considers the film ahagiography but notes: "Hume Cronyn is the heart and soul of the film as Louis Howe, FDR’s right-hand man, an asthmatic whose relish for the 'real world' of compromised politics disgusts FDR’s patrician mother played with haughty relish by Ann Shoemaker."[9]
Greer Garson won theGolden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama.[10]
