Song:Don't Just Stand There
Album:Early Girls Volume 5
Patty Duke was 16 years old when she won an Oscar for playing Helen Keller in the 1962 film The Miracle Worker. Then she starred in the successful sitcom The Patty Duke Show. When the studio behind that show United Artists decided to turn Patty into a singer, she scored a 1965 top ten hit with Don't Just Stand There. She was born Anna Maria Duke Dec. 14, 1946 in New York City. With an alcoholic father and a mother prone to violence due to mental illness, Patty and her brother Raymond were turned over to John and Ethel Ross, talent managers specializing in child actors. They changed her name to Patty Duke because they wanted to remind producers of 50s child actor Patty McCormack. Years later it was discovered that the Rosses padded Patty's resume and they abused her. At age 12, Patty won $32K on the game show The $64,000 Question which turned out to be a scam. Patty played Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker first on Broadway and then she won an Oscar for the 1962 film version. And then Sidney Sheldon created The Patty Duke Show where she played identical cousins. The show was a big hit. After Patty appeared in the 1965 film musical Billie, United Artists thought they could turn Patty into a pop singer. The single Don't Just Stand There reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965. If you think Patty sounds a lot like Lesley Gore singing You Don't Own Me, you're on the right track. The record was produced and written by music industry veterans who knew exactly what they were doing. Soundalike records can be very successful. The record was produced by UA house producer Jack Gold who would soon move to Columbia. Arnold Goland worked frequently with Gold as an arranger and orchestra leader. The song was written by Bernice Ross and Lor Crane who were UA staff songwriters. They also wrote the 1964 top ten hit White On White by Danny Williams. Subsequent singles didn't do as well. Patty's final album was released to promote her appearance in the 1967 film Valley of the Dolls. You can get Don't Just Stand There on this Ace Records various artists comp. Patty returned to acting and never recorded again. She died on Mar. 29, 2016 at age 69. Here's Patty Duke performing Don't Just Stand There on Shindig! 1965.
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