Johnny Belinda is a poignant drama centered around a deaf-mute girl, Belinda (Jane Wyman). She lives with her father (Charles Bickford) and her aunt (Agnes Moorehead) on a small farm on the island of Cape Breton. The villagers on the island know Belinda as a “dummy,” but a compassionate doctor (Lew Ayres) who moves to the island recognizes the innate intelligence and human dignity of Belinda. He teaches her sign language and Belinda’s quick mind soon draws the attention of her father, who at last comes to give her the love of a father. One evening she is left alone at the farm and is raped by a brutal villager (Stephan McNally). With the loving support of her family and the doctor, she bears the child and names it Johnny. The doctor and Belinda grow to love each other but the villagers, not knowing the full story, assume that the doctor is the baby’s father and a scandal results. After the murder of her father by her rapist, a struggle develops over the rights to the child. Through the compassion and understanding of the doctor, Belinda is at last able to keep her baby and live a happy and fulfilled life despite all her past sufferings. This film deals with the complex issues of compassion and understanding for the handicapped, as well as the harmful nature of gossip and scandal. The development of familial love between Belinda and her father, Belinda and her son, and all the MacDonalds is another key theme which unfolds in this classic film.

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