Anne Bancroft and young Patty Duke reprise their Broadway roles from William Gibson's play about teacher Annie Sullivan and deaf and blind student Helen Keller, both winning Oscars for their work, though this adaptation seems to be missing something vital. The black-and-white cinematography--shadowy, secretive and mysterious--is evocative and intense without being particularly moving or involving. Director Arthur Penn is careful not to make this a filmed stage-play (despite the surprising--and brave--infrequent use of close-ups), but the movie isn't personal. The filmmaker has created a dreamily downbeat mood, yet this eventually works against the characters and the picture comes off somewhat aloof. The staging and editing at the climax, too, is curiously flat, although the actresses cannot be faulted, they're both terrific. **1/2 from ****