The true story of the relationship between famed author William Allen White and his teenaged daughter Mary, who died in a horseback-riding accident at age 16, and the powerful effect the tra... Read allThe true story of the relationship between famed author William Allen White and his teenaged daughter Mary, who died in a horseback-riding accident at age 16, and the powerful effect the tragedy had on the life of her father.The true story of the relationship between famed author William Allen White and his teenaged daughter Mary, who died in a horseback-riding accident at age 16, and the powerful effect the tragedy had on the life of her father.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
- Won 1 Primetime Emmy
- 1 win & 1 nomination total
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
On November 18, 1977 everyone in Emporia tuned in to watch "Mary White", the made-for-TV movie about our hometown girl. That year was the only time I saw the work, but it stayed vivid in my mind. So, recently for a gift to myself, I bought the DVD of this movie filmed in my hometown.
From the beginning we know Mary dies. This film dramatizes what the White family, Emporia and, perhaps, the world lost. Because of her father's editorial fame and by her 16th year, Mary had dined with presidents, chatted with literati and consorted with the social thinkers of the day, all in her own home. She was bright, self-actualizing and a champion for doing the right thing. Then in 1921, she dies. Her father grieves in the only way he knows, through the press; and the world comes to know of Mary White, so much so that 56 years after her death, this work was filmed. Mary White was a remarkable young woman, and she is played superbly by Kathleen Beller.
The made-for-TV movie takes some dramatic license with the facts, has period gaffes and seasonal continuity problems (it was filmed in the spring); but, on the whole, is an inspiring and poignant portrayal of a teenage girl with a social conscience and the courage to work for change. I can only think of what contribution Mary would have made as an adult. Would her contribution have eclipsed her father and brother?
The William Allen White home is now an official site of the Kansas State Historical Society, open to the public. Many of the scenes in this film were shot within and on the grounds of Mary White's home.
From the beginning we know Mary dies. This film dramatizes what the White family, Emporia and, perhaps, the world lost. Because of her father's editorial fame and by her 16th year, Mary had dined with presidents, chatted with literati and consorted with the social thinkers of the day, all in her own home. She was bright, self-actualizing and a champion for doing the right thing. Then in 1921, she dies. Her father grieves in the only way he knows, through the press; and the world comes to know of Mary White, so much so that 56 years after her death, this work was filmed. Mary White was a remarkable young woman, and she is played superbly by Kathleen Beller.
The made-for-TV movie takes some dramatic license with the facts, has period gaffes and seasonal continuity problems (it was filmed in the spring); but, on the whole, is an inspiring and poignant portrayal of a teenage girl with a social conscience and the courage to work for change. I can only think of what contribution Mary would have made as an adult. Would her contribution have eclipsed her father and brother?
The William Allen White home is now an official site of the Kansas State Historical Society, open to the public. Many of the scenes in this film were shot within and on the grounds of Mary White's home.
10vsturkey
I forget many things - but this movie I have not!
Very sensitive and enriching.
I remember a great deal of humor and smiles, but also a strong and open message. I say open in that it is not an elitist, talk-down-to message - rather it is simple and accessible, without dumbing-down the feelings and efforts of the protagonists.
Excellent script/story that is very effectively, enjoyably realized.
See this movie. It must be showing on Hallmark, right?
Very sensitive and enriching.
I remember a great deal of humor and smiles, but also a strong and open message. I say open in that it is not an elitist, talk-down-to message - rather it is simple and accessible, without dumbing-down the feelings and efforts of the protagonists.
Excellent script/story that is very effectively, enjoyably realized.
See this movie. It must be showing on Hallmark, right?
Memorable! This exquisite production brings to life the words of Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, William Allen White in reminiscence after the death of his teenaged daughter in 1921. This is a feast for the literate, the discerning and the humanist. It must also be the peak realization of Ed Flanders' memorable career. He is well remembered here for his brilliant portrayal of the author.
Mary is a charming, spunky, independent and sometimes feisty teenage girl (and her character is well-portrayed by the actress as well).
As daughter of a well-known and famous journalist/newspaper editor she has to fight to gain her own separate identity as an individual. She chooses to do so on the battleground of human rights issues, where she at times finds that she also has to overcome her own white upper-class blindness in order to truly understand the needs of people.
The movie is not only well-done, given its made-for-television format, it should be thought-provoking and challenging for anyone.
As daughter of a well-known and famous journalist/newspaper editor she has to fight to gain her own separate identity as an individual. She chooses to do so on the battleground of human rights issues, where she at times finds that she also has to overcome her own white upper-class blindness in order to truly understand the needs of people.
The movie is not only well-done, given its made-for-television format, it should be thought-provoking and challenging for anyone.
I have vague memories of watching this TV movie, as a teenager back in 1977, and always wanted to watch it again when I saw it mentioned anywhere. Until this month, it never seemed to be anywhere to watch, but is currently on Peacock. (After writing this review, I see it can now be watched at Amazon in various ways.) It starts off with the freak horseback riding accident that killed 16-year-old Mary White, the daughter of noted Kansas journalist William Allen White. Her father, well played by Ed Flanders, is narrating the story in flashbacks. He's actually reading the obituary he wrote for her. He does so without tears and without rage. He obviously accepts her death and does not see her or the family as unfairly victimized by the universe.
Mary was a crusader like her father, someone trying to right the injustices in the world. Unfortunately, that all quickly became tiresome in this film. Mary's self-righteousness and anger at not conquering all the country's evils becomes boring. Add to this her anger as being seen as her father's daughter and not a person in her own right, as well as being seen as Peter Pan by her father, and I had to start resisting the temptation of turning off the movie for good. Don't get me wrong here. There was nothing wrong with Mary White's desire to help others and improve the world. There was something wrong with the script of this movie.
It received an Emmy for best writing, too! This was back in the 1970s, however, when impressionable teenagers, like me, as well as others born after WWII, often felt we had to do something important and change the world, or our lives would be meaningless. Mary White fit right in with the 1970s, expressing the feelings of many teenagers at that time period, even though she lived in the early 1900s. Plus, seeing someone die tragically in their teens is another thing that can deeply move a teenager. It's truly too bad the writer of this film didn't give Mary White the type of excellent lines given to William Allen White. Instead she was given truly tiresome, repetitious dialogue.
Mary was a crusader like her father, someone trying to right the injustices in the world. Unfortunately, that all quickly became tiresome in this film. Mary's self-righteousness and anger at not conquering all the country's evils becomes boring. Add to this her anger as being seen as her father's daughter and not a person in her own right, as well as being seen as Peter Pan by her father, and I had to start resisting the temptation of turning off the movie for good. Don't get me wrong here. There was nothing wrong with Mary White's desire to help others and improve the world. There was something wrong with the script of this movie.
It received an Emmy for best writing, too! This was back in the 1970s, however, when impressionable teenagers, like me, as well as others born after WWII, often felt we had to do something important and change the world, or our lives would be meaningless. Mary White fit right in with the 1970s, expressing the feelings of many teenagers at that time period, even though she lived in the early 1900s. Plus, seeing someone die tragically in their teens is another thing that can deeply move a teenager. It's truly too bad the writer of this film didn't give Mary White the type of excellent lines given to William Allen White. Instead she was given truly tiresome, repetitious dialogue.
Did you know
- TriviaFrom Kansapedia, Kansas Historical Society: In 1921 there was a tragic event on a Tuesday evening in May, a horseback riding accident. She was taken home and city officials stopped all traffic in the White neighborhood and a telephone official cut all calls to their home. Mary died of a cerebral hemorrhage early Friday morning, May 13, 1921. One of her parents' most cherished memories was the group of African American children who assembled on their lawn and mourned Mary's death as they turned toward the window in Mary's room.
The day after her funeral, her mother and father wrote her obituary. The Emporia Gazette ran it May 17, the Kansas City Star picked it up. Franklin P. Adams reprinted it in his Conning Tower column in the New York Tribune, May 24, 1921. From there it was picked up in the daily press across the nation. A woman's magazine ran it then another and another. Christopher Morley was making an anthology and asked to include it. Alexander Woollcott put it into the first Reader and read it over the radio. Other radio entertainers used it and within a year it appeared in four books of reading for high schools and colleges. Mary's parents kept tally for 20 years, it was reprinted in more than 40 school readers or anthologies of Americana. Mary White survived in the hearts of high school and college students. In the greatest emotional crisis of their lives, William Allen White and Sallie White wrote a piece that lived and was treasured by scores of people. In a column-long editorial, they wrote the story of Mary's life. The spirit of the piece appealed to those who read it. The work has been published in more than 25 different books designed for high school and college reading. The editorial has been reprinted more than any other work by William Allen White. So the story of Mary White survived.
Many memorials were established in Mary's honor. Within a month of her death, Emporia High School established a rest room for African American girls in memory of Mary's struggles for their accommodations. Her mother furnished the room, redecorating on a regular basis, and keeping Mary's effects until her own death in 1950. Over the years her parents bought 50 acres for a park that was named Peter Pan Park. In 1926 they donated it to the city of Emporia in Mary's honor.
Mary's death came more than a year before she finished high school and would have entered Wellesley. The university continued to carry on her on the rolls of the Wellesley class of 1926. Five years after her death, the Wellesley class that she would have graduated with dedicated their class annual and graduation exercises in her memory.
- Crazy creditsAppears before end credits: "Filmed entirely on location in Emporia, Kansas and vicinity. We wish to thank Mrs. William L. White and the people in the area who made this film possible."
- ConnectionsFeatures In the Heart of a Fool (1920)
Details
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content