Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Stanley Kramer

Writer:

William Rose (written by)

Release Date:

12 December 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

a love story of today

Plot:

Matt and Christina Drayton are a couple whose attitudes are challenged when their daughter brings home a fiancé who is black.

Plot Keywords:

Doctor | Interracial Romance | Older Man Younger Woman | Widower | Housekeeper

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 20 nominations

Cast

Spencer Tracy	...	Matt Drayton
Sidney Poitier	...	Dr. John Wade Prentice
Katharine Hepburn	...	Christina Drayton
Katharine Houghton	...	Joey Drayton
Cecil Kellaway	...	Monsignor Ryan
Beah Richards	...	Mrs. Prentice
Roy Glenn	...	Mr. Prentice (as Roy E. Glenn, Sr.)
Isabel Sanford	...	Tillie (as Isabell Sanford)
Virginia Christine	...	Hilary St. George
Alexandra Hay	...	Carhop
Barbara Randolph	...	Dorothy
D'Urville Martin	...	Frankie
Tom Heaton	...	Peter
Grace Gaynor	...	Judith
Skip Martin	...	Delivery Boy

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:Approved | South Korea:12 | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | West Germany:6 | Argentina:Atp | Singapore:PG | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Columbia/Sunset Gower Studios - 1438 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Katharine Houghton's future film debut.

Goofs:

Continuity: While shaving before dinner, Matt has varying amounts of shaving cream on his face while speaking with Christina.

Quotes:

[first lines]
John: You know, I just had a thought. Why don't I go check into a hotel and get some rest, and you go find your folks?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Just Shoot Me!: Guess Who's Coming to Blush (#7.1)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

Glory of Love

Brilliant

Sure it's dated; it was made in 1967 and is very much a product of its time. But the sheer virtuosity of Stanley Kramer and a dream cast make this a film worth viewing over and over again.

Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy are so good in this film that you simply forget that they are famous actors playing roles that were written by a screenwriter.

Sidney Poitier is so brilliant as the potential groom that I defy anyone not to fall in love with this brilliant and intense man.

The stars are aided and abetted by a heaven-sent supporting cast: Isabel Sanford is hilarious as the family maid who fears change; Beah Richards (Oscar-nominated) positively glows as Poitier's mother; Roy Glenn is a marvel as Poitier's working-class father.

Katharine Houghton (Hepburn's niece) nearly sinks the film; she is so bad that if it were not for the wonderful actors around her, the film would be simply dreadful; fortunately, the rest of the cast is so good that Houghton's performance actually becomes competent in their midst.

As for the message; well, all I can say is see the film. It is as relevant today as it was thirty-eight years ago.

Fabulous.