Remembering Actress Patty Duke... "To Everything there is a Season..."

I know we were all saddened to hear of the sudden, recent passing of actress Patty Duke, on Tuesday March 29th at the age of 69. She was wife, mother, and actress on stage, television, and film.

- Actress Patty Duke -

Patty was born Anna Marie Duke on December 14, 1946 in Elmhurst, New York, to Frances and John Brock Duke. At the age of 8, her mother sent her to live with talent managers, who changed her name to Patty, hoping for success.

Patty will best be remembered from The Patty Duke show, which aired from 1963-66, where she portrayed the roles of identical cousins. Her rise to fame and notoriety first came when at 16 she played the role of Helen Keller in "The Miracle Worker". She received an Academy Award in 1960 for Best Supporting Actress for her amazing portrayal.

At her passing, Patty was married to Michael Pierce for nearly twenty years. She had three sons, Sean Astin, Mackenzie Astin, and Kevin Pearce.

Patty Duke pictured with her two actor sons Mackenzie and Sean Astin

Patty Duke portrayed countless roles on TV shows & movies... including: The Virginian, Valley of the Dolls, Two on a Bench, Hawaii Five-O, Marcus Welby, M.D., The Streets of San Francisco, Captains and the Kings (Mini-Series), The Miracle Worker (TV Movie portraying Ann Sullivan this time as Melissa Gilbert portrayed Helen), The Babysitter, It Takes Two, George Washington (Mini-Series), The Love Boat, Perry Mason, Prelude to a Kiss, One Woman's Courage, Cries from the Heart, Harvest of Fire, Frasier, A Christmas Memory, and many more... plus she won 3 Emmys for her roles on the TV series Touched by an Angel!

Hallmark movie watchers have also been blessed to see Patty Duke in a number of Hallmark made-for-television movies, including the Hallmark Hall of Fame film "A Season for Miracles" in which she portrays, so poignantly now, an angel.

Hallmark Hall of Fame Movie: A Season for Miracles

Patty Duke also starred in the fun Hallmark Channel movie "Falling in Love with the Girl Next Door" with Patrick Duffy, Shelley Long, and Bruce Boxleitner, as well as one of the Pioneer Series "Love Comes Softly" films "Love Finds a Home". Ironically her actor son Mackenzie, had a role in the second film from the series "Love's Enduring Promise" and her eldest son Sean, also an actor, had a role in the last film of that series (so far)... "Love's Christmas Journey".

Actress Patty Duke in Hallmark's "Love Finds a Home"

Patty also worked with her son Sean in 2012 on the faith based film, "Amazing Love", which is a touching story of the Old Testament prophet Hosea.

Following Patty Duke's passing her family released this statement, "This morning, our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, matriarch and the exquisite artist, humanitarian, and champion for mental health, Anna PATTY DUKE Pearce, closed her eyes, quieted her pain and ascended to a beautiful place."

"We celebrate the infinite love and compassion she shared through her work and throughout her life. I love you mom" added Sean Astin.

Our prayers go out now to her dear family and friends, as they enter this new season without their beloved Anna "Patty" Duke.

Patty Duke, image via Hallmark Crown Media

"To every thing there is a season,

and a time to every purpose under the heaven"

Ecclesiastes 3: 1 (KJV)

"Love's Christmas Journey" - will be a FOUR HOUR Movie Event!!!

This Newest Movie in the "Love Comes Softly Saga" ~

"Love's Christmas Journey"

...follows the last movie in the series- Love Finds a Home.
It will be a Four Hour Movie this time - so be sure to set your recorders accordingly!

Premieres: November 5, 2011

on the Hallmark Channel

The next chapter in the story is of Ellie King and her brother, Aaron Davis. Both are grown up children of Clark and Marty Davis. See the full Press Release below from Hallmark Channel!

"Love's Christmas Journey" stars Natalie Hall, Greg Vaughan, Sean Astin, JoBeth Williams, Charles Shaughnessy, and one of my favorites, Ernest Borgnine! (Mr. Borgnine portrayed the wonderful character of Marty, in the movie "Marty", and he also was the Grandfather in "A Grandpa for Christmas"! I love those Movies!)

Please Note: before reading the press release below... It gives away quite a bit of the story and I know some people do not like to know all the details before watching a movie. So, if you want to be completely surprised,  please do not read any further on this post. Instead, click on my Love's Christmas Journey page for more pictures, cast details, etc...!



---------HALLMARK CHANNEL PRESS RELEASE---------


‘LOVE’S CHRISTMAS JOURNEY,’

A HALLMARK CHANNEL ORIGINAL MOVIE EVENT WORLD PREMIERE NOVEMBER 5

Four-Hour Movie Event Inspired By Janette Oke’s Book Series Love Comes Softly


Natalie Hall (“All My Children”) and Greg Vaughan (“General Hospital”) star with Academy Award® nominee Sean Astin (“Kangaroo Court,” “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy), Academy Award® and three-time Emmy® Award nominee JoBeth Williams (“On Hope,” “Frasier”), Emmy® Award winner Charles Shaughnessy (“Stanley,” “Days of our Lives”) and Hollywood legend, Academy Award® and Golden Globe winner Ernest Borgnine (“Marty”) in the World Premiere of “Love’s Christmas Journey,” a Hallmark Channel Original Movie Event, Saturday, November 5 (8p.m. ET/PT, 7C). Inspired by Janette Oke’s award winning Love Comes Softly book series, the four-hour, star-studded movie event is an inspiring tale of love, trust and miracles.

While still mourning the loss of her husband and daughter, recently widowed Ellie King (Hall) visits her brother Aaron Davis (Vaughan) and his children for Christmas. Ellie does her best to enjoy the holidays, even making new friends with Mrs. Thompson (Williams), a local shop keeper and handsome admirer Deputy Strode (Dylan Bruce, “The Bay,” “As the World Turns”). Settling in nicely with her brother’s family, Ellie also meets Erik (Bobby Campo, “The Final Destination”), a young man abandoned by his outlaw father whom Aaron has taken in as one of his own. Ellie agrees to watch her niece and nephew when Aaron travels out of town to purchase adjacent land for farming.

Weaver (Shaughnessy), a corrupt attorney, sees the Mayor (Astin) hide design plans for the town’s new railroad in his barn. Weaver sneaks in to steal the plans and inadvertently burns the barn down. Deputy Strode believes Erik to be the culprit, but Ellie believes Weaver is guilty and begins spying on him. Ellie breaks into Weaver’s office and discovers the missing railroad documents, but Weaver has followed Ellie and threatens her. Ellie is safe only because Deputy Strode has also had suspicions about Weaver and arrives in time to take the real perpetrator to jail. Ellie has more concerns than Erik. It’s been weeks since Aaron left to buy farmland and no one has heard from him. Ellie begins to fret. When all seems lost, Ellie receives a holiday miracle—her brother is delivered home safely on Christmas morning by a jovial man named Nicholas (Borgnine). Nicholas seems to have brought Christmas cheer to all as Ellie and Deputy Strode begin their romance in earnest.

“Love’s Christmas Journey” is a Mediapool Production in association with Larry Levinson Productions. Larry Levinson is executive producer and Lincoln Lageson is producer. David S. Cass, Sr. directed from a script written by George Tierney.

Hallmark Channel, owned and operated by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., is a 24-hour basic cable network that provides a diverse slate of high-quality entertainment programming available in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) to a national audience of 87 million subscribers. The top tier program service is distributed through approximately 5,492 cable systems and communities as well as direct-to-home satellite services across the country. Hallmark Channel is the nation's leading network in quality family programming with an ambitious slate of original TV movies, lifestyle and general entertainment content, and is the home of "The Martha Stewart Show", which anchors the channel's daytime original programming block. Hallmark Channel's sibling network is Hallmark Movie Channel, also available in HD and SD, which focuses on the family-friendly movies with a mix of classic theatrical films, presentations from the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame library, original Hallmark Channel movies and special events.


---------END OF PRESS RELEASE---------




*Visit the "Love's Christmas Journey" Page for more Movie Details!

*Visit the New Christmas Movies Page for more New Movies like this!

Hallmark Movie, "Love Begins", premieres this Weekend - September 17th & 18th

 LOVE BEGINS is a  prequel movie to the  “Love Comes Softly,”Movie Series.   

Amongst a Marathon of Love Comes Softly Movies...

(see Family TV Schedule for details)

LOVE BEGINS

Premieres:
Saturday, September 17th

9 PM

repeats at 11 pm

Re-airs:
Sunday, September 18th

9 PM

*Visit the Love Begins Page

for more Details, Plot Outline, Casting, Pictures, etc...

 

Also, you can check out my Movie Reviews (includes pictures) for all the previously aired Love Comes Softly Movies:

Love Comes Softly

Love's Enduring Promise
Love's Long Journey
Love's Abiding Joy 
Love's Unending Legacy
Love's Unfolding Dream

Love Takes Wing
Love Finds a Home

Enjoy your weekend.... God bless!

Love Finds a Home - a Hallmark Channel Original Movie from the Love Comes Softly series!

Love Finds a Home
DVD

MOVIE REVIEW

Love Finds a Home:

This is the Eighth Movie of the "Love Comes Softly" Book turned Movie Series. The books are originally written by Christian author, Janette Oke and brought to the Movie format originally by Michael Landon, Jr. (The son of Michael Landon - Pa from Little House on the Prairie.) However, this story was directed by David S. Cass, Sr.


CAST:

Sarah Jones ... Belinda
Haylie Duff ... Annie
Jordan Bridges ... Lee
Courtney Halverson ... Lillian
Michael Trevino ... Joshua
Patty Duke ... Mary

PLOT:

from Hallmark-

The story continues of Belinda (Sarah Jones), a rare female doctor working in a quaint Missouri town. When her longtime friend and colleague, Annie (Haylie Duff), arrives so that Belinda can watch over her in the last stages of her pregnancy, Annie brings along her mother-in-law, Mary (Patty Duke), a seen-it-all nursemaid whose homeopathic remedies and folksy wisdom are at odds with Belinda’s scientific knowledge.

As Belinda deals with the headaches Mary is causing, she must also address issues at home. While her adopted daughter discovers the joys and pains of a first love, Belinda and her husband (Jordan Bridges) find their own relationship is suffering over Belinda’s inability to get pregnant. Just as the town learned to put its faith in Belinda as their doctor, so too must Belinda learn to accept that the best guidance for her own problems may come from unlikely sources.

Movie Review:

This is one of the last movies in the Love Comes Softly Movie Series. I really enjoyed this movie, however I did notice that this movie held no ties back to the other movies. In all the other movies, either Clark Davis or his daughter, Missie Davis, made an appearance. I missed them in this one, yet it was full of plenty of drama and sweet moments of love and family... I enjoyed it very much!

Patty Duke was full of spirit and spunk! She was a great addition to the movie series. I loved her character! And... they did a nice job casting the role of Lillian... the little orphan girl, who is now grown up... and is the adopted daughter of Lee and Belinda. She had the same pretty red hair and fair skin of the little girl who played the role in the previous film. It was also sweet to see Lillian's relationship with Joshua develop throughout the movie.

Small Cautions- may contain Spoilers: There is a small cave in - in an old abandoned mine. Lillian is hurt, but is rescued and is fine. Belinda's friend and expectant mother, Annie, has great difficulty during her delivery, but Dr. Belinda and Annie's Mid-wife Mother-in-Law, Mary, help her deliver a healthy baby.

Another wonderful Family Film from Hallmark and the Love Comes Softly series!

See or Skip:

See this movie with your family!

Love Takes Wing - a Hallmark Channel Original Movie from the Love Comes Softly series!

MOVIE REVIEW

Love Takes Wing
DVD

Love Takes Wing:

This is the Seventh Movie of the "Love Comes Softly" Book turned Movie Series. The books are originally written by Christian author, Janette Oke and brought to the Movie format originally by Michael Landon, Jr. (The son of Michael Landon - Pa from Little House on the Prairie.) However, for this story... actor, Lou Diamond Phillips directed Love Takes Wing.


CAST:

Sarah Jones ... Belinda
Haylie Duff ... Annie
Jordan Bridges ... Lee
Cloris Leachman ... Miss Hattie
Patrick Duffy ... Mayor Evans
Lou Diamond Phillips ... Ray
Kevin Richardson ... Cyrus Cain

PLOT:

from Hallmark-

When a frontier town is devastated by an unknown illness, a young woman must stand up for those who need her help the most, even if it means standing alone. Academy Award®, Golden Globe and seven-time Emmy® winner Cloris Leachman (“Malcolm in the Middle”), Sarah Jones (“Big Love”), Haylie Duff (“7th Heaven”), former Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson and Patrick Duffy (“The Bold and the Beautiful”) star in the Hallmark Channel Original Movie “Love Takes Wing”.

When a fatal illness breaks out in a small mid-Western
town, everyone must put aside their prejudices and
trust the town’s new doctor. Ultimately, it’s clear that
a little bit of faith – in oneself and in one another –
can go a long way.

Wounded by the recent death of her husband, Dr. Belinda Simpson (Jones) arrives in the tiny town of Sikeston to take up the post of town physician. Once there, she discovers that many of the town’s residents, including children at an orphanage run by Miss Hattie Clarence (Leachman), have fallen ill to or died from an unknown ailment.

Soon, Belinda begins to worry that she is in over her head, despite reassurances from her best friend, Annie (Duff), and the town blacksmith, Lee (Jordan Bridges, “Turn the River”). Unfortunately, the residents of Sikeston aren’t as trusting of Belinda’s abilities as a doctor – mainly because she’s a woman. As well, many of them don’t even want her to help the orphans, who they blame for infecting the rest of the town. Indeed, they would be happy to see the orphanage close altogether. Opposed by what seems like the entire town, Belinda must trust in her abilities, her friends and her faith to guide her.

Movie Review:

I love the Janette Oke books and each of the movies are sweet and endearing... however, I was slightly disappointed with two features in this movie.

First, it was hard to adjust with the new blonde Dr. Belinda Simpson. The young woman who portrayed her in Love's Unfolding Dream had lovely dark hair. Why the drastic change, here? It didn't make sense with casting. It was hard to think of this woman as being the same from the previous movie.

Another thing... Belinda's husband, Drew, has died, leaving her a widow. This has happened three or four times now in the course of this Love Comes Softly movie series. I only wish the movies could have followed the book series, that I loved, closer.

In spite of those things, however, this is still an absolutely wonderful movie! This is the same wholesome family entertainment... that I've grown to expect, respect, and welcome from the Hallmark Channel.

I loved Cloris Leachman in this... she is such a vibrant and vivacious actress! She absolutely stole the screen whenever she was on!

and...

I also loved the very handsome Jordan Bridges, as Lee, the town's Blacksmith, who falls in love with Belinda. Their love story was the highlight of the movie!

And the children... are so precious and dear at the orphanage!

All in all... a movie I enjoyed and would watch over and over again!


See or Skip:
See... I love Pioneer style movies.


------------------------------
*Photos: Justin Lubin / 2008 Crown Media

April New Movies

Who needs to head to the theater when there are so many great selections already on TV for the entire family. You just need to check the FAMILY TV SCHEDULE and be sure to take note of any show that interests you and your family... and watch them together with a big bowl of POPCORN, of course! Also, it's great to record a show and fast forward through those commercials and pause when needed or fast-forward through anything you like or dislike!

APRIL has given us lots of New TV Movies, including Love Takes Wing and Love Finds a Home. THey are the 7th and 8th Movies of the Love Comes Softly Series.

Love Takes Wing will be released May 5, 2009 - on dvd. Click here for information.



Tomorrow night, April 19th... Two New Movies, Premiere:

My Fake Fiance on ABC family at 8 PM and again at 10 PM

The Irena Sendler Story (Hallmark Hall of Fame) ... CBS ... 9 PM

On April 24, 2009 Disney Premieres:

Hatching Pete ... Disney east ... 8 PM *NEW

Hatching Pete ... Disney west ... 11 PM *NEW

On April 25, 2009 - Saturday

The Sandlot 3 : Heading Home ... ABCfamily ... 1:30 PM (re-airs!)

Hatching Pete ... Disney east ... 8 PM *NEW

Chasing a Dream ... Hallmark Channel ... 9 PM *NEW

Hatching Pete ... Disney west ... 11 PM *NEW


On April 26, 2009 Sunday


Love Takes Wing ... Hallmark Channel ... 7 PM *NEW


TVLand Awards ... TVland ... 8 PM *NEW

(Note: I don't usually list Award Shows, however this one focuses on Classic Actors and Actresses of the past who have created many wonderful Family TV Shows and Movies... we still enjoy today!)

Love Finds a Home ... Hallmark Channel ... 9 PM *NEW

Hatching Pete ... Disney east ... 9 PM *NEW

Hatching Pete ... Disney west ... 12 AM *NEW

Check out upcoming MAY MOVIES, here - with more information on Movie Titles, Plots, Casts, and Pictures!

Happy Spring-time, Everyone!
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