Producer Samuel Goldwyn, one of the men who shaped Hollywood, bowed out at the age of 75 with this film version of the George and Ira Gershwin-Dubose Heyward folk opera about crippled Porgy (Sidney Poitier), his girl Bess (Dorothy Dandridge) and the inhabitants of Catfish Row.
The familiar music, given Oscar-winning treatment by André Previn and Ken Darby, is gloriously intact. However, despite a starry cast of principals (Poitier, Dandridge, Sammy Davis Jr, Brock Peters, Diahann Carroll, Pearl Bailey), the result disappoints.
Otto Preminger’s direction is heavy-handed, the singing not as good as it should be, and the whole production too lavish to convince as a poignant tale of slum life.
Porgy
Sidney Poitier Bess
Dorothy Dandridge Sportin’ Life
Sammy Davis Jr Maria
Pearl Bailey Crown
Brock Peters Jake
Leslie Scott Clara
Diahann Carroll Serena
Ruth Attaway
The familiar music, given Oscar-winning treatment by André Previn and Ken Darby, is gloriously intact. However, despite a starry cast of principals (Poitier, Dandridge, Sammy Davis Jr, Brock Peters, Diahann Carroll, Pearl Bailey), the result disappoints.
