Johnny Belinda
Johnny Belinda is a 1948 American drama film, directed by Jean Negulesco, based on the 1940 Broadway stage hit of the same name by Elmer Blaney Harris. The play was adapted for the screen by writers Allen Vincent and Irma von Cube.
Plot
Belinda MacDonald is a deaf-mute young woman living on Cape Breton Island on the east coast of Canada. She is befriended by Dr. Robert Richardson, a physician who recently moved to town. The doctor realizes that, although she cannot hear or speak, Belinda is very intelligent. She lives on a farm with her father, Black MacDonald, and her aunt, Aggie MacDonald. The family raises cattle and sheep and makes a living grinding wheat into flour at their small mill. Her father and aunt call Belinda "Dummy" and resent her because her mother died giving birth to her. Dr. Richardson teaches Belinda sign language, and she learns to read. Over time, his affection for her grows.