Sounder (1972)

Director:

Martin Ritt

Writers:

Lonne Elder III (screenplay)
William H. Armstrong (novel)

Release Date:

10 May 1973 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Family

Plot:

The son of a family of black sharecroppers comes of age in the Depression-era South after his father is imprisoned for stealing food.

Plot Keywords:

Sharecropper | Boy | Prison | Stealing | Food

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Cicely Tyson	...	Rebecca Morgan
Paul Winfield	...	Nathan Lee Morgan
Kevin Hooks	...	David Lee Morgan
Carmen Mathews	...	Mrs. Boatwright
Taj Mahal	...	Ike
James Best	...	Sheriff Young
Eric Hooks	...	Earl Morgan
Yvonne Jarrell	...	Josie Mae Morgan
Sylvia Kuumba Williams	...	Harriet (as Sylvia 'Kuumba' Williams)
Teddy Airhart	...	Mr. Perkins (as Ted Airhart)
Richard Durham	...	Perkins' Foreman
Wendell Brumfield	...	Deputy #1
Al Bankston	...	Deputy #2
Myrl Sharkey	...	Teacher (as Merle Sharkey)
Inez Durham	...	Court Clerk
William T. Bennett	...	Judge (as Judge William Thomas Bennett)
Thomas N. Phillips	...	Pastor (as Reverend Thomas N. Phillips)
Carl Braser	...	Wagon Driver
Jerry Leggio	...	Guard #1 (as Jerry Leggio Jr.)
Peter Goff	...	Guard #2 (as Pete Goff)
Walter L. Chaney	...	Guard #3
Roy Idom	...	Guard #4
Randy Wilson	...	Convict #1
Isaac Greggs	...	Convict #2
Jackie Spears	...	Girl #1
Porter Mathews	...	Boy #1
Spencer Bradford	...	Clarence
Janet MacLachlan	...	Camille
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Swampy	...	Sounder (uncredited)

Directed by
Martin Ritt

Writing credits
Lonne Elder III		(screenplay)
William H. Armstrong		(novel)

Produced by
Robert B. Radnitz	....	producer

Original Music by
Taj Mahal

Cinematography by
John A. Alonzo		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Sidney Levin		(as Sid Levin)
Michael A. Hoey		(uncredited)

Casting by
Joe Scully

Production Design by
Walter Scott Herndon		(as Walter Herndon)

Production Management
Don Guest	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Don Guest	....	assistant director
Charles Washburn	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Louis Donelan	....	property master
Robert Krume	....	construction coordinator
Peter Wooley	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Dennis Jones	....	boom man
Tom Overton	....	sound mixer
Jerry Rosenthal	....	post-production sound
Robert Rogow	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Stunts
Jerry Brutsche	....	stunt performer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
William W. Gillohm	....	still photographer (as Bill Gillohm)
Richard Hart	....	gaffer
Roy Hogstedt	....	first assistant camera operator
Joe R. Marquette Jr.	....	camera operator
Chuck Record	....	key grip
Timothy E. Wade	....	second assistant camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nedra Rosemond-Watt	....	wardrobe (as Nedra Rosemond Watt)

Editorial Department
Roy E. Peterson	....	assistant film editor
Ken Zemke	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Taj Mahal	....	music performer
Norman B. Schwartz	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Jack Lietzke	....	transportation manager

Other crew
Linda Acaldo	....	location secretary
Nancie Gilbert	....	production secretary
Bryan Lindoff	....	location manager
Frank Weatherwax	....	animal trainer
Marvin Weldon	....	script supervisor
Ted Bonnet	....	unit publicist (uncredited)

Thanks
William T. Bennett	....	we wish to thank (as Judge William T. Bennett)
Arch V. Doughty	....	we wish to thank (as Sheriff Arch V. Doughty)
John Williams	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Radnitz/Mattel Productions

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1972) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1975) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• 20th Century Fox (1973) (France) (theatrical)
• Koch Vision (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Mill Creek Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (video)
• Walt Disney Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Cinemobile Systems  locations
• DeLuxe Laboratories  color (as De Luxe)
• Panavision  filmed in
• St. Helena Parish School Board, The  we wish to thank

Also Known As:

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Sweden:11 | UK:U | USA:G | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Clinton, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Radnitz/Mattel Productions

Trivia:

Cicely Tyson commented in a TCM interview that director Martin Ritt's cinematographer (principal cameraman), while shooting the famous "homecoming sequence" with Tyson and co-star Paul Winfield, was so moved by their performances that he was certain he missed framing the action properly in the shots and respectfully asked them to do the difficult scene again. They obliged, but a later examination of daily rushes revealed that they got shot and acting perfect the first time, and take 1 was a print.

Goofs:

Continuity: When embracing at the reunion, Earl's hands change position.

Movie Connections:

Featured in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Needed Time

Quiet...VERY quiet

Tale of a sharecropping family in 1933 Louisiana and what happens when the father (Paul Winfield) is sent to jail for stealing food to feed his family. It also deals with the oldest son (Kevin Hooks) coming of age. Sounder, BTW, is the name of the family dog.

Quiet, slow but ultimately very moving tale of a poor black family in the 1930s. There's some beautiful shots here (it was shot on location in Louisiana) and very little dialogue and only occasional music. I must admit I was getting a little bored at first--I wanted the story to MOVE! But the film slowly grew on me and, after half an hour, I was hooked. The images tell the story along with some very moving Oscar-nominated performances by Winfield and Cicely Tyson (as his wife). Even young Hooks (who was only 14 when this was done) is quite good. The film slowly works on you and, by the end, I was crying my eyes out--But don't worry--it DOES have a very happy ending.

This was a HUGE hit in 1972. It was one of the few G-rated films dealing with a black family. Unlike most other 1970s black films it had no drugs, violence, sex or swearing--this was a true rarity back then. And white, black, young and old audiences loved it. It works on all levels. It was also nominated for Best Picture. It didn't win anything but the fact that it was nominated was enough. The cast went through hell making it. I remember, in an interview, Winfield said it was brutally hot during the whole shot, the cast was eaten alive by mosquitoes and he caught a TERRIBLE case of hay fever from all the pollen. It's to this whole casts credit that they all give out good performances. Sadly...this film has been forgotten. That's too bad...it should be rediscovered.

There was a sequel 3 years later (with a different cast). It was "Sounder Part 2" but it seems nobody has ever seen it. But don't miss this one. A perfect family film.