| Helen Keller in Her Story The Unconquered | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Nancy Hamilton |
| Written by | Nancy Hamilton James L. Shute |
| Produced by | Nancy Hamilton James L. Shute |
| Starring | Helen Keller |
| Narrated by | Katharine Cornell |
| Edited by | James L. Shute |
| Music by | Morgan Lewis |
| Distributed by | Albert Margolies and Co. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 55 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Helen Keller in Her Story (also known asThe Unconquered) is a 1954 American biographical documentary aboutHelen Keller.
In 2023, the film was selected for preservation in the United StatesNational Film Registry by theLibrary of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant."
Helen Keller is a woman in her seventies who has been both deaf and blind since she was 19 months old, but that did not keep her from learning how to read, write, or talk (though she was never able to talk as clearly as she wished she was able to), or even from earning a college degree at the age of 24. The film provides an overview of her life up until the time it was made, and then shows what her daily life is like in 1954. With the assistance of her companion Polly Thompson (Anne Sullivan having died in 1936), Helen travels the world giving speeches and advocating for the disabled, responds to the large amounts of mail she receives, visits with notable figures, listens to the radio...
It starred Helen Keller and used newsreel footage of her travels and visits withDwight Eisenhower,Martha Graham, and others, as well as newly photographed material of her at home. The film was produced and directed byNancy Hamilton and narrated by her partner, actressKatharine Cornell, and was shot mostly inPittsburgh. The film was released under the titleHelen Keller in Her Story.[1]
The premiere took place on 15 June 1954.[2]
TheAcademy Film Archive preservedHelen Keller in Her Story in 2006.[3] In 2023, the film was added to theNational Film Registry by theLibrary of Congress for being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[4][5]
It won theAcademy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1955.[6][7]
| Life history |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Schools attended | ||
| Related foundations | ||
| Related works | ||
| Related | ||