Bright Road
Encyclopedia
Bright Road is a 1953 low-budget film adapted from the Christopher Award
-winning short story "See How They Run" by Mary Elizabeth Vroman. Directed by Gerald Mayer and featuring a nearly all-black cast, the film stars Dorothy Dandridge
as an idealistic first-year elementary school teacher trying to reach out to a problem student. The movie is also notable as the first feature film appearance by Harry Belafonte
, who co-stars as the principal of the school.
) is a new teacher, beginning her career at a rural African-American elementary school in Alabama. One of the students in her fourth-grade class is C.T. Young (Philip Hepburn), who, although bright and generally not a troublemaker, is nonetheless markedly disinterested in school and has become accustomed to taking two years to advance through each grade level. Miss Richards becomes determined to get through to C.T. and have her class be the first that does not take him two years to complete, though the school's other teachers have given up on him as "a backward child". The school's principal (Harry Belafonte
) also harbors his doubts about C.T., but he admires Miss Richards' enthusiasm and endorses her efforts.
Miss Richards' efforts with C.T. begin to pay dividends and his grades improve somewhat, but all of her progress with him seems to be undone when Tanya (Barbara Ann Sanders
), another student in the class and C.T.'s closest friend, dies after being stricken with a viral pneumonia
. Devastated at the loss, C.T. runs away from school for a time, and even upon his return, immediately starts a schoolyard fight. Insistence that he apologize for his actions causes him only to completely withdraw and isolate himself from his teacher and classmates. Frustrated and saddened, Miss Richards' must return to giving C.T. the failing marks that had been his previous pattern.
One day, however, she overhears C.T. helping another student with arithmetic, revealing to her that despite his stubborn refusal to participate in class since returning to school, he has actually been continuing to learn. Seeing this demonstration of knowledge, she is heartened and quietly changes his most recent failing grade to an 'A'. C.T.'s reintegration into the class is completed when he calmly handles a situation in which a swarm of bees invades the classroom, following the queen bee which had flown in. As the other students, and even Miss Richards, panic and swat at the bees, C.T. calmly collects the queen and carries it outside with the swarm following him.
The school year ends with the Miss Richards' class observing a caterpillar emerge from its cocoon transformed into a butterfly. Miss Richards notes that it is reborn, "just as you and I will be born again someday, and everyone we've ever known or loved", and that witnessing the butterfly's first flight represents "a wonderful promise of things to come." As he leaves to begin his summer vacation, C.T. offers Miss Richards a final validation of the time she had invested in him by stopping to tell her that he loves her.
in 1951, it also appeared in Ebony
magazine in 1952. When Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
purchased the rights to adapt the story to film, Vroman helped write the screenplay, in so doing, becoming the first black member of the Screen Writers Guild.
Belafonte and Dandridge were both known to audiences for their singing talents and Bright Road showcases each of them in that light. Early in the film, Belafonte gives the debut performance of his song "Suzanne (Every Night When The Sun Goes Down)". Later, Dandridge briefly sings words from the Alfred Tennyson poem "The Princess: Sweet And Low" to the tune of a lullaby
. Belafonte and Dandridge would go on to co-star again the following year in the film Carmen Jones
.
Christopher Award
The Christopher Award is presented to the producers, directors, and writers of books, motion pictures and television specials that "affirm the highest values of the human spirit"...
-winning short story "See How They Run" by Mary Elizabeth Vroman. Directed by Gerald Mayer and featuring a nearly all-black cast, the film stars Dorothy Dandridge
Dorothy Dandridge
Dorothy Jean Dandridge was an American actress and popular singer, and was the first African-American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress...
as an idealistic first-year elementary school teacher trying to reach out to a problem student. The movie is also notable as the first feature film appearance by Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte
Harold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s...
, who co-stars as the principal of the school.
Plot
Jane Richards (Dorothy DandridgeDorothy Dandridge
Dorothy Jean Dandridge was an American actress and popular singer, and was the first African-American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress...
) is a new teacher, beginning her career at a rural African-American elementary school in Alabama. One of the students in her fourth-grade class is C.T. Young (Philip Hepburn), who, although bright and generally not a troublemaker, is nonetheless markedly disinterested in school and has become accustomed to taking two years to advance through each grade level. Miss Richards becomes determined to get through to C.T. and have her class be the first that does not take him two years to complete, though the school's other teachers have given up on him as "a backward child". The school's principal (Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte
Harold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s...
) also harbors his doubts about C.T., but he admires Miss Richards' enthusiasm and endorses her efforts.
Miss Richards' efforts with C.T. begin to pay dividends and his grades improve somewhat, but all of her progress with him seems to be undone when Tanya (Barbara Ann Sanders
Barbara Randolph
Barbara Randolph was an African American singer and actress who recorded for Motown Records in the 1960s.She was born in Detroit, Michigan, and was adopted by the actress Lillian Randolph, who appeared in It's a Wonderful Life and many other movies...
), another student in the class and C.T.'s closest friend, dies after being stricken with a viral pneumonia
Viral pneumonia
Viral pneumonia is a pneumonia caused by a virus.Viruses are one of the two major causes of pneumonia, the other being bacteria; less common causes are fungi and parasites...
. Devastated at the loss, C.T. runs away from school for a time, and even upon his return, immediately starts a schoolyard fight. Insistence that he apologize for his actions causes him only to completely withdraw and isolate himself from his teacher and classmates. Frustrated and saddened, Miss Richards' must return to giving C.T. the failing marks that had been his previous pattern.
One day, however, she overhears C.T. helping another student with arithmetic, revealing to her that despite his stubborn refusal to participate in class since returning to school, he has actually been continuing to learn. Seeing this demonstration of knowledge, she is heartened and quietly changes his most recent failing grade to an 'A'. C.T.'s reintegration into the class is completed when he calmly handles a situation in which a swarm of bees invades the classroom, following the queen bee which had flown in. As the other students, and even Miss Richards, panic and swat at the bees, C.T. calmly collects the queen and carries it outside with the swarm following him.
The school year ends with the Miss Richards' class observing a caterpillar emerge from its cocoon transformed into a butterfly. Miss Richards notes that it is reborn, "just as you and I will be born again someday, and everyone we've ever known or loved", and that witnessing the butterfly's first flight represents "a wonderful promise of things to come." As he leaves to begin his summer vacation, C.T. offers Miss Richards a final validation of the time she had invested in him by stopping to tell her that he loves her.
Cast
- Dorothy DandridgeDorothy DandridgeDorothy Jean Dandridge was an American actress and popular singer, and was the first African-American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress...
- Jane Richards - Philip Hepburn - C.T. Young
- Harry BelafonteHarry BelafonteHarold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s...
- School Principal - Barbara RandolphBarbara RandolphBarbara Randolph was an African American singer and actress who recorded for Motown Records in the 1960s.She was born in Detroit, Michigan, and was adopted by the actress Lillian Randolph, who appeared in It's a Wonderful Life and many other movies...
- Tanya (as Barbara Ann Sanders) - Maidie NormanMaidie NormanMaidie Norman was an African American actress of stage, screen and television.-Career:She made her film debut late in life in the 1947 film, The Burning Cross...
- Tanya's Mother - Rene Beard - Booker T. Jones
- Howard McNeeley - Boyd
- Robert McNeeley - Lloyd
- Patti Marie Ellis - Rachel Smith
- Joy Jackson - Sarahlene Babcock
- Fred Moultrie - Roger
- James Moultrie - George
- Carolyn Ann Jackson - Mary Louise
- Vivian DandridgeVivian DandridgeVivian Alferetta Dandridge was a singer and actress. She is best known as the sister of actress Dorothy Dandridge and the daughter of character actress Ruby Dandridge...
- Miss Nelson
Production
"See How They Run" was Mary Elizabeth Vroman's first published short story, written while she herself was a schoolteacher in rural Alabama. First published in Ladies' Home JournalLadies' Home Journal
Ladies' Home Journal is an American magazine which first appeared on February 16, 1883, and eventually became one of the leading women's magazines of the 20th century in the United States...
in 1951, it also appeared in Ebony
Ebony (magazine)
Ebony, a monthly magazine for the African-American market, was founded by John H. Johnson and has published continuously since the autumn of 1945...
magazine in 1952. When Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
purchased the rights to adapt the story to film, Vroman helped write the screenplay, in so doing, becoming the first black member of the Screen Writers Guild.
Belafonte and Dandridge were both known to audiences for their singing talents and Bright Road showcases each of them in that light. Early in the film, Belafonte gives the debut performance of his song "Suzanne (Every Night When The Sun Goes Down)". Later, Dandridge briefly sings words from the Alfred Tennyson poem "The Princess: Sweet And Low" to the tune of a lullaby
Lullaby
A lullaby is a soothing song, usually sung to young children before they go to sleep, with the intention of speeding that process. As a result they are often simple and repetitive. Lullabies can be found in every culture and since the ancient period....
. Belafonte and Dandridge would go on to co-star again the following year in the film Carmen Jones
Carmen Jones (film)
Carmen Jones is a 1954 American musical film produced and directed by Otto Preminger. The screenplay by Harry Kleiner is based on the libretto for the 1943 stage production of the same name by Oscar Hammerstein II, which was inspired by an adaptation of the 1845 Prosper Mérimée novella Carmen by...
.