Porgy and Bess
Introducing a new era in motion pictures!
1959 | 138m | English
Popularity: 0.9 (history)
| Director: | Otto Preminger |
|---|---|
| Writer: | DuBose Heyward, N. Richard Nash, Ira Gershwin |
| Staring: |
| In the early 1900s, the fictional Catfish Row section of Charleston, South Carolina serves as home to a black fishing community. Crippled beggar Porgy, who travels about in a goat-drawn cart, loves the drug-addicted Bess, who lives with stevedore Crown, the local bully. | |
| Release Date: | Jun 24, 1959 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Otto Preminger |
| Writer: | DuBose Heyward, N. Richard Nash, Ira Gershwin |
| Genres: | Drama, Romance, Music |
| Keywords | musical, fisherman, south carolina, based on opera, charleston, 1900s |
| Production Companies | Columbia Pictures, Samuel Goldwyn Productions |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $3,500,000
Budget: $7,000,000 |
| Updates |
Updated: Jul 30, 2025 Entered: Apr 27, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Sidney Poitier | Porgy |
| Dorothy Dandridge | Bess |
| Sammy Davis Jr. | Sportin' Life |
| Pearl Bailey | Maria |
| Brock Peters | Crowne |
| Diahann Carroll | Clara |
| Leslie Scott | Jake |
| Ruth Attaway | Serena Robbins |
| Claude Akins | Detective |
| Clarence Muse | Peter |
| Everdinne Wilson | Annie |
| Ivan Dixon | Jim |
| Scatman Crothers | Crabman |
| Maya Angelou | Dancer |
| Nichelle Nichols | Dancer |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Otto Preminger | Director |
| Dorothy Heyward | Theatre Play |
| DuBose Heyward | Book, Theatre Play |
| N. Richard Nash | Screenplay |
| Oliver Smith | Production Design |
| Howard Bristol | Set Decoration |
| Fred Lau | Sound Recordist, Sound Designer |
| Joseph C. Wright | Art Direction |
| Layne Britton | Makeup Artist |
| Frank McCoy | Makeup Artist |
| Paul Helmick | Assistant Director |
| Ken Darby | Original Music Composer |
| Daniel Mandell | Editor |
| Irene Sharaff | Costume Design |
| Serge Krizman | Art Direction |
| Hermes Pan | Choreographer |
| George Gershwin | Original Music Composer, Songs |
| Ira Gershwin | Book, Lyricist |
| Leon Shamroy | Director of Photography |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Samuel Goldwyn | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Diahann Carroll | Nominated |
Popularity History
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| 2024 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 2 |
| 2024 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 4 |
| 2024 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 4 |
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| 2024 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 1 |
| 2024 | 12 | 4 | 9 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 3 |
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| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
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