Porgy and Bess (1959) | |
| Director(s) | Otto Preminger, Rouben Mamoulian (uncredited) |
| Producer(s) | Samuel Goldwyn |
| Top Genres | Drama, Film Adaptation, Musical, Romance |
| Top Topics | Book-Based |
Featured Cast:
Porgy and Bess Overview:
Porgy and Bess (1959) was a Musical - Drama Film directed by Rouben Mamoulian and Otto Preminger and produced by Samuel Goldwyn.
Porgy and Bess was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2011.
Academy Awards 1959 --- Ceremony Number 32 (source: AMPAS)
| Award | Recipient | Result |
| Best Cinematography | Leon Shamroy | Nominated |
| Best Costume Design | Irene Sharaff | Nominated |
| Best Music - Scoring | Andre Previn, Ken Darby | Won |
BlogHub Articles:
Musical Monday: Porgy and Bess (1959)
on Feb 25, 2019 From Comet Over HollywoodIt?s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals. In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 500. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals. This week?s musical: Porgy and Bess (1959) ? Musi... Read full article
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Quotes from
No Quote for this film.
Facts about
One of only two widescreen films produced by Samuel Goldwyn; the other one was Guys and Dolls.
Originally bought as a film property by Columbia Pictures in 1942 to star an all-white cast in blackface: Al Jolson as Porgy, Rita Hayworth as Bess, and Fred Astaire as Sportin' Life. When that proved unrealistic, the property was sold to 20th Century Fox, where it was hoped to have been a follow-up to Stormy Weather. Rouben Mamoulian (who directed the original Broadway play) was announced as director and the following cast was announced: Paul Robeson as Porgy, Lena Horne as Bess, Hattie McDaniel as Maria, Canada Lee as Crown, Cab Calloway as Sportin' Life and Fredi Washington as Clara. When Horne proved to be unavailable after 'Stormy Weather' and Robeson clashed with 'Daryl Zanuck' due to his political beliefs, the film was shelved until 1957 when it was bought by Samuel Goldwyn.
Sidney Poitier had adamantly refused to take the role of Porgy when offered it by Samuel Goldwyn because he felt it perpetuated stereotypes of blacks of a bygone era. However, he was convinced to accept the project by friends and colleagues because a refusal of a Samuel Goldwyn offer would probably have ended his career in films.
read more facts about Porgy and Bess...
Originally bought as a film property by Columbia Pictures in 1942 to star an all-white cast in blackface: Al Jolson as Porgy, Rita Hayworth as Bess, and Fred Astaire as Sportin' Life. When that proved unrealistic, the property was sold to 20th Century Fox, where it was hoped to have been a follow-up to Stormy Weather. Rouben Mamoulian (who directed the original Broadway play) was announced as director and the following cast was announced: Paul Robeson as Porgy, Lena Horne as Bess, Hattie McDaniel as Maria, Canada Lee as Crown, Cab Calloway as Sportin' Life and Fredi Washington as Clara. When Horne proved to be unavailable after 'Stormy Weather' and Robeson clashed with 'Daryl Zanuck' due to his political beliefs, the film was shelved until 1957 when it was bought by Samuel Goldwyn.
Sidney Poitier had adamantly refused to take the role of Porgy when offered it by Samuel Goldwyn because he felt it perpetuated stereotypes of blacks of a bygone era. However, he was convinced to accept the project by friends and colleagues because a refusal of a Samuel Goldwyn offer would probably have ended his career in films.
read more facts about Porgy and Bess...
