Polly (TV)
Encyclopedia
Polly is a musical
television movie
that originally aired in November 1989 on NBC
. Adapted from the book Pollyanna
, Polly was directed and choreographed by Debbie Allen
and stars Keshia Knight Pulliam
and Phylicia Rashād
. It also featured the final performance of Butterfly McQueen
(Gone With the Wind
).
cast (with the exception of Celeste Holm
). Keshia Knight Pulliam stars as Polly, an orphan who moves in with her Aunt Polly and attempts to unite the small Southern town during the segregation era
.
Polly proved to be a ratings hit and a sequel, Polly: Comin Home, followed in 1991. Both films are available on DVD exclusively from the Disney Movie Club and Disney Movie Rewards.
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
television movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
that originally aired in November 1989 on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. Adapted from the book Pollyanna
Pollyanna
Pollyanna is a best-selling 1913 novel by Eleanor H. Porter that is now considered a classic of children's literature, with the title character's name becoming a popular term for someone with the same optimistic outlook. The book was such a success, that Porter soon produced a sequel, Pollyanna...
, Polly was directed and choreographed by Debbie Allen
Debbie Allen
Deborrah Kaye “Debbie” Allen is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, television director, television producer, and a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities...
and stars Keshia Knight Pulliam
Keshia Knight Pulliam
Keshia Knight Pulliam is an American actress. She is most recognized for her childhood role as Rudy Huxtable on the long-running NBC sitcom The Cosby Show. Currently, she appears as reformed con artist Miranda Lucas-Payne on the TBS comedy-drama Tyler Perry's House of Payne.-Personal life:Keshia...
and Phylicia Rashād
Phylicia Rashad
Phylicia Rashād is an American Tony Award winning actress and singer, best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on the long-running NBC sitcom The Cosby Show....
. It also featured the final performance of Butterfly McQueen
Butterfly McQueen
Thelma "Butterfly" McQueen was an American actress. Originally a dancer, the 28-year-old McQueen first appeared as Prissy, Scarlett O'Hara's maid in the 1939 film Gone with the Wind, then continued as an actress in film in the 1940s, then moving to television acting in the 1950s .-Early life:Born...
(Gone With the Wind
Gone with the Wind
The slaves depicted in Gone with the Wind are primarily loyal house servants, such as Mammy, Pork and Uncle Peter, and these slaves stay on with their masters even after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 sets them free...
).
Plot
Set in 1950s Alabama, the film features an all African AmericanAfrican American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
cast (with the exception of Celeste Holm
Celeste Holm
Celeste Holm is an American stage, film, and television actress, known for her Academy Award-winning performance in Gentleman's Agreement , as well as for her Oscar-nominated performances in Come to the Stable and All About Eve...
). Keshia Knight Pulliam stars as Polly, an orphan who moves in with her Aunt Polly and attempts to unite the small Southern town during the segregation era
Racial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
.
Polly proved to be a ratings hit and a sequel, Polly: Comin Home, followed in 1991. Both films are available on DVD exclusively from the Disney Movie Club and Disney Movie Rewards.
Cast
- Keshia Knight PulliamKeshia Knight PulliamKeshia Knight Pulliam is an American actress. She is most recognized for her childhood role as Rudy Huxtable on the long-running NBC sitcom The Cosby Show. Currently, she appears as reformed con artist Miranda Lucas-Payne on the TBS comedy-drama Tyler Perry's House of Payne.-Personal life:Keshia...
as Polly Whittier - Phylicia RashādPhylicia RashadPhylicia Rashād is an American Tony Award winning actress and singer, best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on the long-running NBC sitcom The Cosby Show....
as Aunt Polly Harrington - Dorian HarewoodDorian HarewoodW. Dorian Harewood is an American actor. He first garnered attention for his portrayal of Simon Haley in the ABC miniseries Roots: The Next Generations.-Career:...
as Dr. Robert Shannon - Barbara MontgomeryBarbara MontgomeryBarbara Montgomery is an American television and film actress. Montgomery is best known for her role as Cassietta Hetebrink on the sitcom, Amen, Montgomery played the role for four years, and left in 1990...
as Mrs. Conley - T. K. CarterT. K. CarterThomas Kent Carter better known as T. K. Carter, is an American comedian and actor. He is best known for playing Michael "Mike" Fulton, an elementary school teacher, on the NBC series Punky Brewster and Mylo Williams on the Disney Channel series Good Morning, Miss Bliss as a supervisor, whose...
as George Dodds - Vanessa Bell CallowayVanessa Bell CallowayVanessa Bell Calloway is an American actress who has appeared in a number of films, including Biker Boyz, Love Don't Cost a Thing, What's Love Got to Do with It, Coming to America, and Cheaper by the Dozen....
as Nancy Palmer - Brandon Quintin Adams as Jimmy Bean
- Butterfly McQueenButterfly McQueenThelma "Butterfly" McQueen was an American actress. Originally a dancer, the 28-year-old McQueen first appeared as Prissy, Scarlett O'Hara's maid in the 1939 film Gone with the Wind, then continued as an actress in film in the 1940s, then moving to television acting in the 1950s .-Early life:Born...
as Miss Priss - Larry RileyLarry RileyLarry Riley, who has 23 years of experience in the NBA, is the General Manager of the Golden State Warriors, replacing Chris Mullin in 2009.A graduate of Chadron State with an honors degree in education, Riley was inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993...
as Reverend Gillis - Brock PetersBrock PetersBrock Peters was an American actor, best known for playing the role of Tom Robinson in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird...
as Mr. Pendergast - Celeste HolmCeleste HolmCeleste Holm is an American stage, film, and television actress, known for her Academy Award-winning performance in Gentleman's Agreement , as well as for her Oscar-nominated performances in Come to the Stable and All About Eve...
as Miss Snow
Award nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Emmy Award Emmy Award An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various... |
Nominated | Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or a Special | Isidore Mankofsky |
| Outstanding Achievement in Choreography | Debbie Allen | |||
| Young Artist Awards | Best Young Actress Starring in a TV Movie, Pilot or Special | Keshia Knight Pulliam | ||
| Best Young Actor Starring in a TV Movie, Pilot or Special | Brandon Adams |