Selina D’Arcey is blind, yet she sees the world anew through the eyes of kindly Gordon Ralfe (Academy Award® winner* Sidney Poitier). An awkward Cinderella raised by a bigoted, abusive mother, Selina is white. She does not know that the man helping her learn to dial a pay phone or find the restroom is black. Elizabeth Hartman’s luminous screen debut as Selina earned her a Golden Globe® Award as Most Promising Newcomer. On the veteran side as Selina’s blowsy, bitter mother, Shelley Winters won her second Oscar.®** As directed by Guy Green (Oscar®-winning cinematographer for Great Expectations, 1947), the performances are timeless in A Patch of Blue. So is this fine film’s heart-soaring impact.

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Video Quality

Warner Archive brought A Patch Of Blue to Blu-Ray with a 1080p transfer in 2019 sourced from a 2K scan of the Fine Grain Master Positive. This is a wonderful outing for the label, as it delivers a very strong representation of the film. The level of detail and clarity is splendid with texture observable in the costumes and production design. Print damage has been cleaned up for a clear and consistent viewing experience. The presentation showcases a valuable amount of depth to it including in the shadows where there is no evidence of any black crush. This black-and-white feature retains its natural film grain throughout which provides a significant amount of detail to the image. Warner Archive has put forth a wonderful effort.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray release comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that stands tall given the age of the source. Dialogue comes through crisply and clearly even in the more dramatic moments. None of the sound effects or the Jerry Goldsmith score ever overpower exchanges on this release. This is not the most complicated soundscape, but it holds up without many issues. There does not appear to be any serious damage or age-related wear and tear to the track. This is a fine audio presentation from the label. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are available on the disc for those who need them.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: An archival commentary track with director Guy Green is provided in which he discusses adapting this material for the silver screen, the look of the feature, changes from the novel, working with the performers, the film’s legacy, and more.

A Cinderella Named Elizabeth: A seven-minute archival piece that looks at the star-making debut of actress Elizabeth Hartman including glimpses at her screen test, her visit to the Los Angeles Braille Institute, and more.

Theatrical Trailer (2:01)

Final Thoughts

A Patch Of Blue is a powerful drama that explores the heartbreaking reality of a mistreated child and the prejudices that are avoided when they are not instilled by others. There are a few unfortunate depictions of how to treat a person with a disability, but the film largely takes a very progressive stance that is admirable for the time. The film takes you through the emotional wringer, and the performers bring everything to life with a touching complexity. This is a lovely drama that still packs a wallop. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a favorable A/V presentation with a few great special features. Recommended

A Patch Of Blue can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.