Cedar Rapids Gazette
April 25, 1986
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Bette Midler has been signed by NBC to develop a movie based on the life of a woman who grew up in a mental institution.
“Winnie: My Life in the Institution” tells the story of Gwina “Winnie” Sprockett, who from the age of 6 lived in a mental hospital.
She kept a diary and author Jamie Pastor-Polnick heard about it and collaborated with her on a biography.
“It tells the story of one special woman, but it’s also a universal story of being different and being treated differently,” said Michael Manheim, executive producer for NBC Productions.
“One of Winnie’s motivations in seeing the book published was to show that she was mentally capable of living on the outside. She was released but she felt people were so unkind to her that she returned within six months.”
Midler will produce and star in the movie if it goes into production.
