A Patch of Blue

Much to the bigoted chagrin of her shrewish and abusive mom (Shelley Winters), a blind white girl (Elizabeth Hartman) falls for a black man (Sidney Poitier) who strikes up a friendship with her in the park one day, and later takes her for walks, shopping for groceries, and generally introduces her to life outside the captivity of home. The leads are all topnotch in this affecting social drama from 1965, with Winters nabbing an Oscar for best supporting actress. Presented in a sharp letterboxed transfer from a remarkably clean print, the disc includes a fine commentary by director Guy Green, who reveals his preference for shooting in black and white over color, and shares interesting production anecdotes, such as the fact that Hartman's role was originally slated for Disney ingénue Hayley Mills. Recommended. (T. Rich) [Blu-ray Review—July 2, 2019—Warner, 105 min., not rated, Blu-ray: $21.99—Making its debut on Blu-ray, 1965’s A Patch of Blue features an excellent transfer with DTS-HD 2.0 audio. Extras include audio commentary by director Guy Green and the vintage featurette 'A Cinderella Named Elizabeth' (7 min.). Bottom line: this classic ‘60s drama makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.]