Bright Road
Tags: romantic, fantasy

Plot synopsis:
Jane Richards (Dorothy Dandridge) 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 uninterested 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 C.T.'s classmate and closest friend Tanya (Barbara Ann Sanders) dies after being stricken with viral pneumonia. Devastated at the loss, C.T. runs away from school for a time, and upon his return he 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. This proves that despite his stubborn refusal to participate in class since returning to school, he has actually continued 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.

Review: "Bright Road" is a film that Hollywood decided to present with an almost all black cast, something that was not done often prior to the fifties and the arrival of such stars as Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, and the man that would make it all possible for other performers of color: Sidney Poitier!
The film is based on a story by a real teacher and Gerald Mayer, the son of Louis B.
Gerald Mayer, who had been romantically linked to the star of the film, used the right approach for this movie.The story is simple, and yet, it speaks volumes of what a good teacher can do to inspire the young people in her charge.
She sees the good bottled inside C.T. Young, the rebellious poor boy that, deep inside, is a wonderful young who has had no luck with other teachers in the school, who have made him repeat two years and haven't really seen the potential in him.Dorothy Dandridge makes a sweet, yet firm Jane Richards.
She was a beautiful presence in this film, who with her positive attitude changes and inspires her students.
Of course, the film star was Ms. Dandridge, and he had limited chances in which to show how good he was.
Philip Hepburn played C.T. Young with conviction for such a small child."Bright Road" is a charming film thanks to Ms. Dandridge and the direction of Mr. Mayer..
A very underrated and overlooked Gem. It is no coincidence this movie was written by a seasoned School Teacher.
What this award-winning story essentially does - in the unusual context of a Hollywood movie - is to present an "outside-the-box" approach to dealing with the disciplinary and behavioral problems of a young male school student.
By tapping into and encouraging the talents and interests of young rambunctious C.T., school teacher Ms. Richards (played by Dorothy Dandridge), is able to show how superficial negative classroom behavior can be evaluated and properly re-channeled to achieve positive results.
Where the typical reaction to the student in our school system today by teachers and school administrators is to issue non-rehabilitating disciplinary action or suspension, the constructive approach demonstrated in this movie results in a "win-win" solution for all involved.
Harry Belafonte (in his first film role) also stars as the supportive school Principal.
A very beautiful and positive story about a young Black boy.
This is the most beautiful story I've ever seen about a young Black boy in America.
Dandride plays a teacher who gives a lot of positive reinforcement to her students.
I just seen this movie and although this can not compare to the dynamic duo performance of Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte performance in Carmen Jones, this was indeed a great family film with a powerful message.
What is most important is that this movie showcases black actor and actress that are educated and didn't talk with nonsense like actors Stephen Fitchit and the ignorant Amos and Andy and Beulah Show.
Dorothy and Harry really stood out in this movie, but we all know what she is remembered for.This movie dealt with real situations, even though it seems a little watered down at times , this movie is truly special and should receive a lot more recognition.This movie should be on everyone's to watch list..
I really enjoyed seeing this "Gem" of a movie the characters were okay but Dandridge was out of sight as a prim and proper teacher.
as a former educator, I loved to see her concern for young C.T. and her going beyond the call of duty for poor Tanya.
Being a minister, I also liked the Sunday School scene and the quips by the P.K.(preacher's Kid)...Lil' Miss Know it all!!
Dorothy Dandridge as a young teacher, Miss Richards, on her first year of teaching and the relationship she has with a student named C.T. C.T. is from a large, poor family, he's slightly troubled, won't study, arrives late his first day, and just doesn't care about school - yet he is kind, bright, and always seems to have a smile.
Miss Richards tries to help him and meantime has a small flirtation (yeah, really quite small) with the hunky, guitar-playing, school principal (Harry Belafonte).
C.T. has a soft spot in his own heart for his pretty little schoolmate, Tanya, and the two have a sweet little romance with walks home from school hand in hand.Well, this film is really a sort of hidden little jewel - how'd I manage to miss it all these years?!
They also manage to fit in a few singing spots for Harry Belafonte and Dorothy Dandridge, who gives a very sensitive portrayal of the new teacher (with interesting voice-overs of her inner voice speaking to herself).
Enjoyed seeing Dorothy Dandridge,(Jane Richards),"Carmen Jones",'53, in this picture which was directed by Gerald Mayer,a relative of Louis B.
In this film Jane Richards starts her first year of teaching at an all Black School and enjoys each and every student.
The entire school has given up on this young boy and even the principal of the school begins to think it is a good idea to dismiss him from school.
Dorothy Dandridge was a great African American actress and very talented and was a big success in "Carmen Jones", where she gave a fantastic performance.
It included a few well known stars as Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte and also Stymie Beards little brother Rene.
This film falls into that genre of movies which celebrate education and the power of great teaching to influence and develop young minds and hearts especially through the medium of the fine arts.
In this film the arts were represented by the students' staging of Tchaikovsky's The Sleeping Beauty, just as in Renaissance Man by the Shakespeare plays, in Mr. Holland's Opus by the ensemble music they all performed together, in The Chorus by all the music the students sang together, etc.The CT character was admirably strong.
It implied that black people weren't smart enough to become doctors, or more likely were prevented from being so.I found the movie a rather sugar-coated version of black life in the south, but still, all the African-American characters were treated with respect and without condescension which I found admirable..
It tugged on my heart strings as a child, and although I haven't seen this movie in 30 years or so, I still become emotional just thinking about it.
I just happened to stumble across this movie by being in front of the TV at the right time, and it made a great impression on me.I'm involved with an organization called Invisible Youth Network (an outreach for homeless and/or otherwise at-risk youth), and C.T. would fall under the category of "otherwise at-risk" in deciding his place in our mission.This movie came out when I was just a baby, and I'm 57 now, and it goes to show that there have been children who are in danger of falling through the cracks of society even way back then just as there are now--and that the choice is constantly being made re: what choices we have to remedy the situation--or not.C.T. had been repeating each grade ever since he had started school (meaning that he should have been in seventh grade instead of fourth grade), and the principal and teachers were about to give up hope on his making much of his life.Not so with the school's brand new teacher.
I assume that this also came from the fact that she was still new at teaching and had yet to experience any teacher burn-out and was, instead, eager to excite and educate young minds.The thoughts going through her head as she began to deal with C.T. as a student in her class were expressed in voice-overs--and those voice-overs expressed concerns that, perhaps, she had been expecting too much.
Yet, something kept her from completely giving up on him.Perhaps, it was because that--even though he was doing very poorly in all of his studies and didn't seem to be at all interested in getting with the program--she was won over by his smile, helpfulness, artistic talent, and how he was sweet on one of his classmates even though he didn't really relate that well to any of his other classmates.His unique views on a children's game and the familiar song that went with it also struck a chord with his teacher.I'll leave it to the viewer to find out just how, but I'll say this much: In the end, C.T. became the teacher and even the authority figures became the taught!
Here's an odd one: Dorothy Dandridge downplays her gorgeousness as a pretty-but-bland, determined young schoolteacher in the south who tries to help a struggling student; Harry Belafonte, in his film debut, plays the school principal who encourages her sincere feelings and enthusiasm (he also has a singing scene with his guitar).
An ultimately uplifting family film, however Anglo-ized; with 95% of the cast black, the picture surprisingly pays very little attention to race.
Belafonte sings (very well) and acts (not so well), but Dandridge is exceptional and the kids are all quite good.
I wish more teachers were like Dorothy Dandridge's character.
Obviously we have many problem children now and we need more understanding teachers who are willing to have a heart, instead of just going to earn a paycheck and bark out orders and schoolwork.
No wonder we have so many angry children who grow up to be angry adults, they get no love at home nor at school.
You got to find a special gift, hobby, or talent in a problem child and make that child feel special and in that way, that'll help them be better in other activities and schoolwork.Everyone in this movie touched my heart, especially the children, for kids who never acted before they were so natural and believable.
In those days work for black children in movies was rare so I'm not surprised most of the black children in the movie didn't appear in any other films but I want them to know their appreciated for their appearances and I hope some of them will post on this forum to let us know what became of them.The girl who played Tanya (Barbara Ann Sanders) had such a sweet face and tears came to my eyes when she died.
Even in today's era there are many boys just like C.T. who are misunderstood and just need extra tender, loving, and care.I noticed many black dancers/actresses who had been in Hollywood films as dancers and maids for years in this film, that weren't credited but had small parts, such as, Louise Franklin, Doris Ake, Jeni LeGon, Vivian Dandridge, Dorothy's sister.
They were left out because of Hollywood not wanting to give too many black women a chance in films.
Lena Horne and Dorothy got a chance, but even they struggled.Last but not least, Dorothy was wonderful as a caring teacher who won't give up on C.T. Dorothy is very pretty but not overly glamorous, she's very believable as a teacher.See this movie if you get a chance, with all the junk out today, you can spare 66 minutes to see an inspirational film about not giving up on anyone.
He wants her to show she cares first.If you like this film, you will love "Take A Giant Step" starring Johnny Nash and Ruby Dee, made in 1959 or 1960.
After seeing "Bright Road," I feel "Take A Giant Step" might have been a sequel to this movie.
Like the inhabitants of the play the children enact, "Sleeping Beauty," these people are not living in reality.
Everyone is pretty happy, including the "troubled" young boy, C.T., who has repeated grades multiple times and the young, inexperienced teacher on her first assignment.
The acting is fine, both Harry Belafonte and Dorothy Dandridge are attractive and engaging, but the story tries to go in divergent directions.
The only real true chord was struck for me when C.T. asks the teacher (also teaching Sunday school), why, if God made man in his own image, black and white people cannot get along.
She gives a rather stock answer which he absolutely doesn't buy and walks out of class.It is also interesting to note that Dandridge had a mentally handicapped daughter about the same age as the children in her movie class.
However, the film is not really overtly about racism but instead shows the black teachers and students as humans--normal folks with the same values and aspirations as anyone.
In this movie, a new teacher, Miss Richards (Dorothy Dandridge) is concerned about one of her children, C.T..
This young man has been seen as 'slow' by his other teachers and he's been failed repeatedly in school.
What is Miss Richards to do?This film has a lot of nice acting.
Well done and well worth seeing...and a highly unusual film for its time---especially coming from MGM studio..
Sex drugs and alcohol - especially that latter two - have all moved.What makes this movie so enjoyable is Dorothy Dandridge.
Its heart is in the right place, and it provides a good role model in showing these African-American kids at school, just as squeaky clean as Beaver Cleaver, but it's very simple, and sickly, syrupy sweet.
I confess I watched it out of loyalty to Dorothy Dandridge, but the real highlight was Harry Belafonte singing "Suzanne (Ev'ry Night When the Sun Goes Down)" simply beautifully.
If all men are brothers, why don't white people and black people behave that way towards one another?, etc), and I appreciated it showing how a troubled boy just needed some encouragement, but it's all done under wooden, sunny pretenses, and nothing about it seems authentic.
The film has religious overtones as well, though it was interesting to see the kids recite the Pledge of Allegiance in 1953, because the words "Under God" would not be added to the Pledge until the following year.
Bright Road (1953) ** (out of 4) A new school teacher (Dorothy Dandridge) at an all black school tries to save a troubled student (Philip Helburn), although the principle (Harry Belafonte) has his doubts.
Even by the "good teacher tries to save bad student" stands, this one here is pretty dull and lifeless.
This was my first time seeing Dandridge and I found her very good in the role.
Belafonte was also good in his film debut..
But a big budget production would have overwhelmed the beauty of this story about a dedicated black school teacher in rural Alabama of the Fifties.
Dorothy Dandridge is nothing short of brilliant in the part of the teacher.As much as the story is crucial to the film, so is the location.
Remember this is Alabama right before the Civil Rights era and Bright Road gives you a really good look at what the kids there have to endure to get any kind of education.
Still principal Harry Belafonte makes do with what he has and staff like Dandridge don't come better.The juvenile leads of Philip Hepburn and Barbara Ann Sanders are real kids and not Hollywood kids.
Hepburn is the slow kid in the class, but Dandridge sees something in him.
I defy anyone to stop the tears watching this film.Bright Road is a beautiful and sadly accurate picture of a troubled place and time in America.
Squeaky clean and sanitized story of black youngsters and their teachers..
Young teacher Dorothy Dandridge, a year before her sensation in "Carmen Jones", had only a minor few film roles to her credit, and this "B" drama probably seemed like a good idea at the time.
However, was it irresponsible for Hollywood's biggest studio at the time to present a dramatization of the lives of young black students with none of the grit of their real lives?
There's a lot to like in this sanitized tale of a black elementary school.
Dandridge is joined here by her future "Carmen Jones" co-star Harry Belafonte who plays the principal; I pictured the same roles being played by June Allyson and Van Johnson, because that is exactly how they are written, and white child stars Dean Stockwell and Donna Cocoran as the students.
I also picture such character performers as Margaret Hamilton and Sara Haden as the snooty teachers who won't give under achiever student C.T.
The young children, even C.T., speak as if they just came out of finishing schools, while Dandridge, whose character is obviously educated, is allowed to be so sweet and concerned that she just isn't believable.
This makes him an outcast in the classroom, sitting in the equivalent of the dunce's corner, one unpleasant factor which took away from me some of the sympathy towards Dandridge's overly emotional character whose only real flaw is caring far too much.We should be grateful in historical perspective, however, that this 60 year old film, made in the days of TV's "Amos and Andy", does show black life in a more positive light.
Bright Road was an interesting initial teaming of Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte.
After more than 15 years of reading about this movie from Donald Bogle's bio of Dorothy Dandridge, I finally watched this on YouTube.
She plays a newbie teacher at an elementary school who has a troubled student named C.T. Young (Philip Hepburn).
Her eventual co-star in the groundbreaking Carmen Jones, Harry Belafonte, debuts here as the school principal.
Films of school generally fall into the trap of being unrealistic for our times.
In fact, with the exception of "Blackboard Jungle," as well as "Goodbye, Mr. Chips," and "Good Morning, Miss Dove," this seems to be true for films.Taking place in the deep south, the film stars Harry Belafonte and Dorothy Dandridge, a year before their smash-hit of "Carmen Jones."Belafonte is a subdued principal of an all-black public school and Dandridge is a first year teacher, with much inspiration.
The movie explores how she does this even when a fellow female student dies during the film.