# Call Me Anna > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Call_Me_Anna > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Call_Me_Anna.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_Me_Anna > Source revision: 1355186291 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 1990 American TV film Call Me Anna Genre Biography Drama Based on Call Me Anna by Patty Duke Kenneth Turan Written by John McGreevey Directed by Gilbert Cates Starring Patty Duke Timothy Carhart Howard Hesseman Deborah May Ari Meyers Millie Perkins Composer Garry Sherman Country of origin United States Original language English Production Executive producer Sheldon Pinchuk Producers Gilbert Cates Anna Duke-Pearce Cinematography Mark Irwin Editor Lee Burch Running time 97 minutes Production companies Call Me Anna Company Finnegan/Pinchuk Productions Gilbert Cates Productions Mianna Pearce Productions Original release Network ABC Release November 11, 1990 (1990-11-11) ***Call Me Anna*** is a 1990 American [made-for-television](/source/Television_film) [biographical](/source/Biographical_film) [drama film](/source/Drama_(film_and_television)) directed by [Gilbert Cates](/source/Gilbert_Cates) and written by [John McGreevey](/source/John_McGreevey). It is based on the 1987 book *Call Me Anna* by [Patty Duke](/source/Patty_Duke) and [Kenneth Turan](/source/Kenneth_Turan). The film stars Patty Duke, [Timothy Carhart](/source/Timothy_Carhart), [Howard Hesseman](/source/Howard_Hesseman), [Deborah May](/source/Deborah_May), [Ari Meyers](/source/Ari_Meyers) and [Millie Perkins](/source/Millie_Perkins). The film premiered on [ABC](/source/American_Broadcasting_Company) on November 11, 1990.[1][2][3] ## Plot The film traces Duke’s rise to fame, beginning with her early years under the management of John and Ethel Ross, who changed her name from Anna Marie Duke to Patty Duke. It highlights her breakthrough role as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker, for which she won an Academy Award at age 16. The narrative also explores her struggles with bipolar disorder, tumultuous personal relationships, and eventual advocacy for mental health awareness. - IMDb ## Cast - [Patty Duke](/source/Patty_Duke) as Anna Marie Duke - [Ari Meyers](/source/Ari_Meyers) as Patty Duke (youth) - Jenny Robertson as Patty Duke (young adult) - [Arthur Taxier](/source/Arthur_Taxier) as [John Astin](/source/John_Astin) - [Howard Hesseman](/source/Howard_Hesseman) as John Ross - [Deborah May](/source/Deborah_May) as Ethel Ross - [Millie Perkins](/source/Millie_Perkins) as Frances Duke - [Timothy Carhart](/source/Timothy_Carhart) as [Harry Falk](/source/Harry_Falk_(director)) - [Matthew Perry](/source/Matthew_Perry) as [Desi Arnaz Jr.](/source/Desi_Arnaz_Jr.) - [David Packer](/source/David_Packer_(actor)) as Glenn Bell (pseudonym for Michael Tell) - [Karl Malden](/source/Karl_Malden) as Dr. Harold Arlen - Woody Eney as [Fred Coe](/source/Fred_Coe) - Dana Gladstone as Fred Maxwell - François Giroday as Bob McLaren - Lora Staley as [Anne Bancroft](/source/Anne_Bancroft) - Ray Duke as John Patrick Duke - [Glenn Quinn](/source/Glenn_Quinn) as [George Chakiris](/source/George_Chakiris) - [Cory Danziger](/source/Cory_Danziger) as [Sean Astin](/source/Sean_Astin) - Zachary Benjamin as Sean Astin (young) - Ryan Francis as [Mackie Astin](/source/Mackenzie_Astin) - Matthew Linville as Mackie Astin (young) - Paige Gosney as Billy - Seth Isler as Game Show Producer - Nicholas Hormann as Game Show Host - [Richard Fancy](/source/Richard_Fancy) as Contract Lawyer ## Reception The original airing of the film ranked 18th out of 93 shows airing the week of November 5–11, 1990. It earned a 15.9 rating and a 24 share, ranking second in its time slot.[4] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Ken Tucker (November 9, 1990). ["Call Me Anna"](https://ew.com/article/1990/11/09/call-me-anna/). EW.com. Retrieved November 22, 2018. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Howard Rosenberg (November 10, 1990). ["TV Reviews : 'Call Me Anna' Depicts Duke's Turbulent Life"](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-11-10-ca-3671-story.html). Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved November 22, 2018. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** David Hiltbrand (November 12, 1990). ["Picks and Pans Review: Call Me Anna"](https://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-call-me-anna-vol-34-no-19/). People.com. Retrieved November 22, 2018. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Broadcasting"](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-BC/Broadcasting-Magazine/BC-1990/BC-1990-11-19.pdf) (PDF). *worldradiohistory.com*. November 19, 1990. Retrieved October 10, 2025. ## External links - [*Call Me Anna*](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099209/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) v t e Films directed by Gilbert Cates I Never Sang for My Father (1970) Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams (1973) The Affair (1973) One Summer Love (1976) The Promise (1979) The Last Married Couple in America (1980) Oh, God! Book II (1980) Consenting Adult (1985) Backfire (1988) My First Love (1988) Do You Know the Muffin Man? (1989) Call Me Anna (1990) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Call Me Anna](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_Me_Anna) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_Me_Anna?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.