Porgy and Bess (1959)

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138 min - Drama | Musical | Romance - 24 June 1959 (USA)

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Reviews: 51 user | 4 critic

In this legendary Gershwin opera set among the black residents of a fishing village in 1912 South Carolina... See full summary »

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Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 8 nominations See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
	Sidney Poitier	...	Porgy
	Dorothy Dandridge	...	Bess
	Sammy Davis Jr.	...	Sportin' Life
	Pearl Bailey	...	Maria
	Brock Peters	...	Crown
	Leslie Scott	...	Jake
	Diahann Carroll	...	Clara
	Ruth Attaway	...	Serena Robbins
	Claude Akins	...	Detective
	Clarence Muse	...	Peter
	Everdinne Wilson	...	Annie
	Joel Fluellen	...	Robbins
	Earl Jackson	...	Mingo
	Moses LaMarr	...	Nelson
	Margaret Hairston	...	Lily

Full cast and crew »

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Storyline

In this legendary Gershwin opera set among the black residents of a fishing village in 1912 South Carolina, Bess - a woman with a disreputable history - tries to break free from her brutish lover Crown after he becomes wanted for murder. The only person willing to overlook her past and offer her shelter is the crippled Porgy. Their relationship is threatened by the disapproval of the townspeople, the presence of her old drug supplier Sportin' Life - and the threatened return of Crown. Written by scgary66

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

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Introducing a new era in motion pictures!

Genres:

Drama | Musical | Romance

Parents Guide:

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 June 1959 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Porgy und Bess See more »

Filming Locations:

Samuel Goldwyn Studios - 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, USA See more »

Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$3,500,000 (USA) (1959)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Samuel Goldwyn Company, The See more »

Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

138 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

See full technical specs »

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Two days before filming was slated to begin, a fire broke out and destroyed most of the costumes, props and sketches. See more »

Connections

Spoofed in "Saturday Night Live: Cicely Tyson/Talking Heads (#4.11)" (1979) See more »

Soundtracks

"A Woman Is a Sometime Thing"
Music by George Gershwin
Lyrics by DuBose Heyward
Sung by Leslie Scott, Sammy Davis Jr., Earl Jackson, and chorus See more »

Porgy and Bess (1959)

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Also Known As:

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Budget:

Gross:

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Production Co:

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

Did You Know?

Trivia

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Soundtracks