I wouldn't want to bet the rent money on it, but I think A Child Is Waiting is probably the first film to deal with the subject of mental retardation. In any event Stanley Kramer, John Cassavetes, Burt Lancaster and Judy Garland all ought to be commended for the work in this film.

My sister-in-law happens to have a mentally retarded sister and a late mentally retarded brother. They were in fact institutionalized at the time this film would have been made and later on were able to be a part of the workforce. To be sure it's menial labor, but the point is they are living independently. In fact her sister lives in a home for retarded adults now. She's closing in on 50 now.

I also had a neighbor with a mentally retarded child and she was kept locked in at home like some of the failures described by Lancaster in the film. They moved away when I was young, I never knew what became of her.

According to a recent biography of Burt Lancaster, John Cassavetes and Judy Garland did not get along at all during the making of this. Judy was going through some bad emotional problems at this time(when was she not)and working with the retarded kids in the film was pretty difficult for her. It was Lancaster who got her through the film and got her to focus on the role, channeling her own problems in life to what those kids had to deal with. Years later Cassavetes and Lancaster met up and some event and Cassavetes confessed he was green at the directing game and should have been more compassionate.

It's mentioned in the film that the president of the United States has a mentally retarded sister. Since that president was John F. Kennedy at the time, I wonder if the Kennedy family didn't have a behind the scenes role here.

I'm also glad that there was no romantic subplot going between Lancaster and Garland. Would have diverted too much from the film's impact.

And folks even today, it still has an impact.

"A Child Is Waiting" is a film showing the happenings at a state institution for developmentally delayed kids. Back in the bad old days, people were routinely sent to giant state schools to live out their lives. Not only the mentally retarded, but blind, mentally ill, deaf and various disabled adults and kids were routinely sent off to these places--and it was the rare case where they stayed home with their families. This warehousing of these 'defectives' was thought to be best and fortunately for most of these individuals, such mass institutionalization has become a thing of the past (though de-institutionalization offers its own set of problems as well). The school in this film isn't quite a warehouse (you do get to see one later in the film) but it's far from a homelike environment. So, when you watch this movie, understand that it was very typical for the early 1960s--but not today.

Burt Lancaster plays a doctor who runs the institution in the film. In some ways, he's very likable and committed and in others he's a very hard individual. He hires a new teacher for the place--an inexperienced by well-meaning lady (Judy Garland). At first, things seem to go well but when the two disagree on how to handle a particularly troubled kid, sparks start to fly. This boy has been abandoned by his family and they never visit him--and Garland is determined to do something to get him to open up and become a happier and higher-functioning resident. She also wants to give her love to the boy. But for Lancaster, pity is not on his agenda--he wants to toughen up the kids--to force them to respond to his less cuddly ways.

For me, the story about the one boy is not all that important. To me, what's important is the insight it gives in the treatment and education of developmentally delayed kids--and to show how it was done long ago. to psychology majors, those who work in the field or anyone who lives with and loves someone with developmental delays, it's well worth seeing. A very good film--and you might want to keep a box of Kleenex handy just in case.

By the way, one of the kids in the institution was played by Billy Mumy--the same kid who later starred on "Lost in Space" and as an adult on "Babylon 5"--and played the scary kid with freaky powers on "The Twilight Zone". Barbara Pepper who played 'Doris Zipfel' on "Green Acres" plays one of the teachers. Also, Steven Hill plays the disturbed boy's neglectful and rather angry father. He played the original lead on "Mission:Impossible" as well as the original District Attorney on "Law & Order". Finally, this was one of Judy Garland's last films. In 1963, she made this as well as "I Could Go On Singing" before dying so tragically young.

It's not difficult to be alternately touched and depressed over this social drama that is arguably the most important film that Judy Garland ever made. As a mother of three (two of them within the age range of children here),she thrived on the love and support from them in the most difficult of times. Over a decade before this film was made, part of her cure was the unconditional love she received from similarly diagnosed children as there are here, particularly one who became highly emotional as she prepared to leave. This is a fictional walk back to her past as her character joins the staff of a special children's school, and instantly becomes involved in the life of the sweet natured Bruce Ritchey who takes a shine to her just by looking into her eyes.

As the head of the school, Burt Lancaster is initially reluctant to hire the untrained Garland, but thanks to his assistant (Elizabeth Wilson) agrees to give her a shot. His unorthodox methods shock her, and her almost obsessive love for these children, especially Ritchey. An awkwardly narrated flashback (featuring Gena Rowlands and Steven Hill as his parents) explains the circumstances surrounding his condition. Lancaster goes from being cold and demanding one moment to understanding in others. He's definitely a complex and conflicted man, unsure of the troubled soul that makes Garland latch onto Ritchey, creating for some tense moments and incredible acting from both. The direction of rising independent director John Cassavetes gives this a unique feeling, practically perfect in every way. It's ironic that he was disappointed in the editing of the film, because other than one or two sequences, it flows perfectly naturally. Wife Rowlands gets an amazing sequence with Garland where she reveals her true feelings concerning her son, something I'm sure many parents in this position can relate to.

Don't expect a light hearted moment from Judy to lead into song, even though she does briefly sing one song acapella, altering her voice not to sound like a professional, as well as participate in a chorus with the amazing children she's surrounded by. She's a vast quotient of issues, and delivers a most subtle performance, while Lancaster is as passionate here even in his own conflicts as he was in "Elmer Gantry". This is a difficult film to be inspired to even attempt to watch, because the subject matter is even more potent today. These children, often looked on as freaks, have been re-diagnosed with different names and different forms of treatment. The film presents them as gifted in the way of looking at adults in a way others cannot, perhaps revealing truths those being observed do not want revealed. The opening shot of an almost teary eyed Garland lets you know that she is not heading to Oz, to Carvel, to put a show on in a barn, or to ride the trolley to the fair.

An extended Thanksgiving play towards the end, as well as a visit to the adult wing of the institution, is frightening. The pageant sequence goes on perhaps a bit too long, but I can see why it was not cut down. Judy really pulls out all the stops in delivering a performance, and at times, it seems as if she's not even acting, but has emerged into the soul of a completely different person. Lancaster may seem overly stern and even unlikable at times, but in the end, you really begin to see his point of view, even if like Garland, you question some of his methods. They seem very natural together. Look for Billy Mumy briefly as one of the kids in Garland's introduction to the crowd and veteran character actress Barbara Pepper as one of the teachers. In a sense, this film was way ahead of its time, a total flop, yet producer Stanley Kramer and director Cassavettes have left behind something truly remarkable.