April 17, 1961 – Hayley Mills Wins A Special Oscar for Pollyanna.
“To Hayley Mills for Pollyanna, the most outstanding juvenile performance during 1960.”
On April 17, 1961, the Academy Awards were held in Santa Monica, California. That year actress Hayley Mills would be the last actor to receive the Academy Juvenile Award, for her role in the Disney film Pollyanna. The film had propelled the young girl to stardom, and Mills went on to star in more Disney family films, including The Parent Trap.
Mills had auditioned for the lead in the film Tiger Bay, and was discovered by Lillian Disney, who suggested that Mills be cast in the lead in Pollyanna. The film was based on the book Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter, published in 1913. The book tells the story of a young girl who is suddenly orphaned and sent to live with her aunt in New England. The character tries to see the best in every situation, and ends up changing the entire town for the better. Not only did Mills win the Academy Juvenile Award, but she was also nominated for a BAFTA award for her role.
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