Pollyanna

Directed by Ed Dill. This is the delightful, classic tale of the greatest optimist of all time...  Pollyanna.  But it’s much more than that.  It’s the story how a little girl’s faith in her father’s promise — that you can find something good about anything that happens — guides her steadfastly through circumstances that most adults would find formidable.  Pollyanna becomes an orphan, and she is placed into the care of her purely pessimistic and domineering aunt.  Talk about difficult circumstances-the clash of hope and doubt meeting under the same roof!  The town itself isn’t much better.  Led by a ’fire and brimstone’ pastor whose favorite Bible verse is ’Woe unto you,’ folks are always complaining, feeling sorry for themselves and viewing their existence as dark and dreary.  Yet, Pollyanna faithfully plays her ’glad game,’ innocently teaching it to others wherever she goes.  The hired help, such as maid Nancy, cook Mrs. Durgin and gardener Old Tom, seem to catch on first.  Other townspeople like hypochondriac Mrs. Snow and her sarcastic daughter Millie slowly learn the joy of the game too.  Charmingly narrated by Jimmy Bean, another orphan, we also meet the hermit-like John Pendleton and Dr. Chilton, who had closed his heart to taking risks...  that is, until he met Pollyanna.