History Film / APatchOfBlue

* AbusiveParents: Rose-Ann is both demeaning toward and demanding of Selena, but crosses the line when Selina is raped by one of Rosanne's clients, an incident which forced Rose-Ann to rent a second room for her business and blames Selena for the trouble it caused ''her''.

* MeanCharacterNiceActor: Shelley Winters felt so uncomfortable playing a racist in this film (she was a staunch Civil Rights activist in TheSixties), [[CreatorBacklash she practically disliked working on it]], even though she ended up winning an Oscar for her performance.

Based on novel ''Be Ready with Bells and Drums'' by Elizabeth Kata. The film was nominated for five {{Academy Award}}s, with Shelley Winters winning for Best Supporting Actress.

* {{Determinator}}: The first time Selena tries to go the park, she can't make it past one block before having to go back to the apartment. Towards the end of the film, she finds her way there without any sort of help. The difference between the two times? She thought it was the last chance she was ever going to have to see Gordon.

Selena D'arcy (Hartman) is a blind teenage girl, living in a big city with her abusive prostitute mother Rose-Ann (Winters) and her drunken grandfather, Ole Pa (Wallace Ford). She has little pleasure in life, spending her days cleaning the apartment, washing clothes and stringing beads to sell. One day she is taken to the park were she meets Gordon Ralfe (Poitier), an upper crust black man, who befriends and takes pity on her. Gordon plans to help her out of her impoverished life and the two begin to develop feelings for one another. Frequently citied as a modern "Cinderella" story.

* AbusiveParents: Rose-Ann is both demeaning toward and demanding of Selena, but crosses the line when Selena is raped by one of Rosanne's clients, an incident which forced Rose-Ann to rent a second room for her business and blames Selena for the trouble it caused ''her''.

* BittersweetEnding: Selena leaves for the school for the blind after admitting her love for Gordon. Gordon realizes that she has forgotten the music box. He races to give it to her before the bus leaves and he finds he is too late.
* CallingTheOldManOut: Selena's sweet persona finally snaps when she's left in the apartment one day and can't meet Gordon. She throws things and yells at the empty beds, telling Ole Pa and Rose-Ann how much she hates them and how miserable they make her life.

* EyeScream: Selena gets blinded when a bottle of chemicals is thrown in her face as a child.
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: It's clear at one point in the movie that Selena has woken up from a WetDream about Gordon. She wakes up calling him "My darling" and has a satisfied smile on her face.

* KarmaHoudini: While at least Ole Pa is aware of how he's a terrible human being, Rose-Ann never really gets any comeuppance beyond Selena [[spoiler: gaining enough independence to leave her.]]
* MagicalNegro: Averted. Selena perceives Gordon as this but the film shows he's a regular guy who is just trying to help her out.

* NaiveEverygirl: While Selena may be worldly in matters of sexuality, she's never gone to school and finds things like pineapple ice cream to be exotic.
* NobodyPoops: Used to advance the friendship between Gordon and Selena. She refuses his offer of juice in an attempt to invoke this, and he teasingly explains there's a nearby bathroom and is later shown waiting for her outside of it.
* ParentsAsPeople: Ole Pa is perpetually drunk but is more humane to Selena and far more sympathetic than Rose-Ann.
* RapeDiscretionShot: Selena is assaulted by one of her mother's clients. This is seen through a disturbing POV shot, as she tries to look away, but is forced to look at his face.
* ScarsAreForever: Selena has some around her eyes from when she was blinded. Gordon gets her a pair of sunglasses to hide them.
* VagueAge: It's not really established how old Selena is supposed to be beyond some point past the age of eighteen. Elizabeth Hartman was twenty-one when filming the role.
* VomitDiscretionShot: Selena retches on the floor after being beaten by Rose-Ann and witness to her fight with Ole Pa and the neighbors.
* WhereDaWhiteWomenAt: Gordon's brother Mark accuses him of this. Gordon himself is conflicted as to the exact nature of his feelings for Selena.

* WhereDaWhiteWomenAt: Gordon's brother Mark accuses him of this. Gordon is conflicted as to the exact nature of his feelings for Selena.

* WhereDaWhiteWomenAt: Mark accuses his brother Gordon of this. Gordon is conflicted as to the exact nature of his feelings for Selena.

Selena Darcy (Hartman) is a blind teenage girl, living in a big city with her abusive prostitute mother Roseanne (Winters) and her drunken grandfather, Ole Pa (Wallace Ford). She has little pleasure in life, spending her days cleaning the apartment, washing clothes and stringing beads to sell. One day she is taken to the park were she meets Gordon Ralfe (Poitier), an upper crust black man, who befriends and takes pity on her. Gordon plans to help her out of her impoverished life and the two begin to develop feelings for one another. Frequently citied as a modern "Cinderella" story.

* AbusiveParents: Rosanne is both demeaning and demanding of Selena, but crosses the line when Selena is raped by one of Rosanne's clients, an incident which forced Rosanne to rent a second room for her business and blames Selena for the trouble it caused ''her''.
* TheAlcoholic: Ole Paw. It's PlayedForDrama.

* CallingTheOldManOut: Selena's sweet persona finally snaps when she's left in the apartment one day and can't meet Gordon. She throws things and yells at the empty beds, telling Ole Paw and Roseanne how much she hates them and how miserable they make her life.

* KarmaHoudini: While at least Ole Paw is aware of how he's a terrible human being, Roseanne never really gets any comeuppance beyond Selena [[spoiler: gaining enough independence to leave her.]]

* ParentsAsPeople: Ole Paw is perpetually drunk but is more humane to Selena and far more sympathetic than Roseanne.

* VagueAge: It's not really established how old Selena is supposed to be beyond some point past the age of eighteen. ElizabethHartman was twenty-one when filming the role.
* VomitDiscretionShot: Selena retches on the floor after being beaten by Roseanne and witness to her fight with Old Paw and the neighbors.

A 1965 drama film from cinematographer turned director Guy Green. It stars Creator/SidneyPoitier, Shelly Winters and Creator/ElizabethHartman. Made at the height of the American Civil Rights movement, the film explores an interracial relationship with "love is blind" as its theme.

Selena Darcy (Elizabeth Hartman) is a blind teenage girl, living in a big city with her abusive prostitute mother Roseanne (Shelly Winters) and her drunken grandfather, Ole Paw. She has little pleasure in life, spending her days cleaning the apartment, washing clothes and stringing beads to sell. One day she is taken to the park were she meets Gordon Ralfe (Sydney Poitier), an upper crust black man, who befriends and takes pity on her. Gordon plans to help her out of her impoverished life and the two begin to develop feelings for one another. Frequently citied as a modern "Cinderella" story.

Based on the book ''Be Ready with Bells and Drums'' by Elizabeth Kata. The film was nominated five Academy Awards and won Best Supporting Actress for Shelly Winters.

* MeanCharacterNiceActor: Shelley Winters felt so uncomfortable playing a racist in this film (she was a staunch Civil Rights activist in TheSixties), [[CreatorBacklash she practically disliked working on it]].

* JerryGoldsmith: In contrast to his better known loud, blockbuster movie music, the score for this film is quite simple and gentle.

Selena Darcy (Elizabeth Hartman) is a blind teenage girl, living in a big city with her abusive prostitute mother Roseanne (Shelly Winters) and her drunken grandfather, Ole Paw. She has little pleasure in life, spending her days cleaning the apartment, washing clothes and stringing beads to sell. One day she is taken to the park were she meets Gordon Ralfe (Sydney Poitier), an upper crust black man, who befriends and takes pity on her. Gordon plans to help her out of her improvised life and the two begin to develop feelings for one another. Frequently citied as a modern "Cinderella" story.

* TheAlcoholic: Ole Paw. It's PlayedForDrama.

* Determinator: The first time Selena tries to go the park, she can't make it past one block before having to go back to the apartment. Towards the end of the film, she finds her way there without any sort of help. The difference between the two times? She thought it was the last chance she was ever going to have to see Gordon.

* BittersweetEnding: Selena leaves for the school for the blind after admitting her love for Gordon. Gordon realizes that she has forgotten the music box. He races to give it to her before the bus leaves but finds he is too late.

* WhereDaWhiteWomenAt: Mark accuses Gordon of this. Gordon is conflicted as to the exact nature of his feelings for Selena.

A 1965 drama film from cinematographer turned director Guy Green. It stars Creator/SidneyPoitier, Shelly Winters and ElizabethHartman. Made at the height of the American Civil Rights movement, the film explores an interracial relationship with "love is blind" as its theme.

A 1965 drama film from cinematographer turned director Guy Green. It stars Creator/SidneyPoitier, Shelly Winters and Elizabeth Hartman. Made at the height of the American Civil Rights movement, the film explores an interracial relationship with "love is blind" as its theme.

* GoodSamaritan: Often cited as a Cinderella story, the film is a better example of a Good Samaritan story, with Gordon, a black man, breaking taboo by helping a blind white girl escape from her abusive mother.

A 1965 drama film from cinematographer turned director Guy Green. It stars SidneyPoitier, Shelly Winters and Elizabeth Hartman. Made at the height of the American Civil Rights movement, the film explores an interracial relationship with "love is blind" as its theme.

* AdaptationDisplacement: The original book is very rare, what reprints there are have been made under the film's title.

* DoesNotGetTheGirl

Selena Darcy (Elizabeth Hartman) is a blind teenage girl, living in New York City with her abusive prostitute mother Roseanne (Shelly Winters) and her drunken grandfather, Old Paw. She has little pleasure in life, spending her days cleaning the apartment, washing clothes and stringing beads to sell. One day she is taken to the park were she meets Gordon Ralfe (Sydney Poitier) who takes pity on her. Gordon plans to help her out of her improvised life and the two begin to develop feelings for one another. Frequently citied as a modern "Cinderella" story.

* MagicalNegro: Averted. Selena perceives Gordon as this but the film shows he's a regular who is just trying to help her out.
* ParentsAsPeople: Old Paw is perpetually drunk but is more humane to Selena and far more sympathetic than Roseanne.

Selena Darcy (Elizabeth Hartman) is a blind teenage girl, living in New York City with her abusive prostitute mother Roseanne (Shelly Winters) and her drunken grandfather, Old Paw. She has little pleasure in life, spending her days cleaning the apartment, washing clothes and stringing beads to sell. One day she is taken to the park were she meets Gordon Ralfe (Sydney Poitier) who takes pity on her. Gordon plans to help her out of her improvised life and the two begin to develop feelings for one another.

* WhereDaWhiteWomenAt: Mark accuses Gordon of this. Gordon is conflicted as to the exact nature of his feelings for Selena. By the end, their relationship remains platonic.