Came across this story on Harold Russell, who lost both his hands in a training accident during WW2 and then, in his only acting role, appeared as a disabled veteran in the great film, The Best Years Of Our Lives, winning an honorary Oscar for his affecting performance. I wrote about the film in the post Five Came Back. The author writes of his recovery:
Given a choice of steel hooks or plastic hands, he took the hooks. They were articulated; each tip had two gleaming prongs that allowed him to grasp objects. "I don't need to be beautiful," Russell said.
The movie was also a breakthrough:
At a time when people with physical disabilities were never seen in movies, except as monsters or freaks, Best Years showed Homer going through life as normally as anyone else plucking a cigarette from a pack, dialing the telephone, and, yes, gently sliding a wedding ring on his fiancee's finger.
There are many memorable scenes in the film. This is one most people remember.
No comments:
Post a Comment