Moving History Forward

Anna Pearce, also known as Patty Duke, was a revered member of the Coeur d’Alene community for 25 years, giving of her time, talents and money to important causes.

At 16, Patty Duke won an Oscar for "The Miracle Worker," and she went on to win three Emmy awards proving that it was possible for a young Hollywood movie star to navigate the treacherous waters of stardom, even though she did run aground several times.

At 23, she received her first Emmy award for a TV movie and Broadway play, "My Sweet Charlie." Her portrayal of Marlene, a pregnant teenage white girl raised in the South by racially biased parents, crossed culturally defined boundaries; set in the Civil Rights era, the play generated controversy. Regardless, the play received eight Emmy nominations for 1970.

The movie and play centered around two characters: Charlie and Marlene. Patty’s co-star was Al Freeman Jr. (no relation to Morgan Freeman) who played the role of a Black, highly-cultured, New York attorney who killed a white man in self-defense and seeks refuge from the police in the same abandoned coastal house where Patty’s character, Marlene, was hiding from her parents.

Patty Duke received the Emmy for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role on Jan. 20, 1970. The night was filled with unwished-for family drama, but what really upset Patty, was the fact that Freeman did not receive the Outstanding Actor award. During the filming, she had formed a deep friendship with Freeman. At the post-award ceremonies, she loudly proclaimed that she wanted the Emmy sent back in protest to the fact that Freeman had not gotten the recognition she felt was due him.

She showed no mercy to herself in describing her unusual acceptance speech or her rantings at the post-award press conference. She then went clubbing with Desi Arnez Jr., and said in her book "Call Me Anna," “I kept switching from hyper to angry to confused.” The next day she reluctantly agreed to be admitted to the Westwood Psychiatric Hospital. She stayed for about three days.

Patty would go on to win two more Emmys, 1977 for "Captains and Kings" and in 1980 for "The Miracle Worker." She received many other prestigious awards for her work, and was named as an Honorary Doctor from two universities.

She was diagnosed as bipolar in 1982 and so regarded this disorder to be one of the most important objects of her charitable attention. She gave endlessly of her name, talents and money to this cause.

The Museum of North Idaho has been granted permission by her husband who lives in Hayden Lake to display her first Emmy award given to her in 1970.

The Museum of North Idaho is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Don't miss the newest exhibition, "Hollywood of the North: North Idaho and the Film Industry." Admission is $5 for adults and $1.50 for youth. Add on a walking tour of Old Fort Sherman or Downtown Coeur d'Alene for $10 for adults and $6 for youth. Walking tours take place Tuesday through Saturday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Visit www.museumni.org for more information.