The Member of the Wedding (1952)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Fred Zinnemann

Writers:

Carson McCullers (play) (novel)
Edna Anhalt (writer) ...

Release Date:

1954 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

She became a woman in the middle of a kiss!

Plot:

A film version of the Carson McCullers play. Frankie Addams, a very boyish articulate 12-year-old girl...

Plot Keywords:

Tomboy | Wedding | Family Relationships | Adolescence | Father Daughter Relationship

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

Ethel Waters	...	Berenice Sadie Brown
Julie Harris	...	Frances 'Frankie' Addams
Brandon De Wilde	...	John Henry
Arthur Franz	...	Jarvis Addams
Nancy Gates	...	Janice
William Hansen	...	Mr. Addams
James Edwards	...	Honey Camden Brown
Harry Bolden	...	T.T. Williams
Dickie Moore	...	Soldier (as Dick Moore)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-G

Filming Locations:

Colusa, California, USA

Company:

Stanley Kramer Productions

Trivia:

The original Broadway production of "The Member of the Wedding," by Carson McCullers opened on January 5, 1950 at the Empire Theater (New York) and ran for 501 performances.

Quotes:

Berenice Sadie Brown: [Frankie threatens her with a knife] Lay it down, Satan!
Frances 'Frankie' Addams: [throws the knife into the kitchen door] I'm the world's greatest knife thrower.

Movie Connections:

Version of "The DuPont Show of the Month: The Member of the Wedding (#1.10)" (1958)

Soundtrack:

His Eye Is on the Sparrow

A perfect film in every department.

Harry Cohn loathed this film -what greater recommendation could there be? In fact Columbia had no idea what to do with this masterpiece -just read the publicity department's tag-line (A Girl Becomes a Woman in the Middle of a Kiss !)and see their original poster with a mature woman with a Louise Brooks hair style fending off the drunken soldier who in the movie attempts to kiss 12 year old Frankie when she runs away. Stanley Kramer makes up for every lousy movie he directed (i.e. his complete oeuvre) by PRODUCING this masterpiece. It is director Fred Zinneman's favorites of all his films -and no wonder! It doesn't put a foot wrong. It has two of the most remarkable female performances put on celluloid; Julie Harris (in her late twenties as a twelve year old trying to understand and come to terms with her feelings of alienation "(she) was a member of nothing in the World.....and she was afraid") and Ethel Waters as Berenice, only too aware of the reasons for her sense of aloneness, settling her need to love on two white children and a black youth,all three of whom she loses. There are three main characters in this Kitchen Piece. It would be wrong to ignore the contribution of a child actor of genius: Brandon de Wilde as Frankie's grave little cousin John Henry West.It is impossible to imagine a more perfect cast to bring this most difficult of novels and play to the screen. It looks as if this movie is at last available on video( in the States at least ) I already have a copy taped from the Box. For me it is the ONE essential film to own -when a DVD is available I shall be first in the queue to buy it- surely a CD of Alex North's beautiful score cannot be far behind!

This film is the litmus by which I judge the taste of all new acquaintances -if they haven't watched it with a shock of recognition and don't connect with Carson McCuller's genius and profound humanity, then I don't want to be a member of any club they might belong to!!