Porgy and Bess (1959)
Porgy and Bess
Set in the early 1900s in the fictional Catfish Row section of Charleston, South Carolina, which serves as home to a black fishing community, the story focuses on the titular characters, crippled beggar Porgy, who travels about in a goat-drawn cart, and the drug-addicted Bess, who lives with stevedore Crown, the local bully.
Casting arrow_drop_down
Sidney Poitier
as Porgy
as Porgy
Dorothy Dandridge
as Bess
as Bess
Sammy Davis Jr.
as Sportin' Life
as Sportin' Life
Pearl Bailey
as Maria
as Maria
Brock Peters
as Crowne
as Crowne
Diahann Carroll
as Clara
as Clara
Leslie Scott
as Jake
as Jake
Ruth Attaway
as Serena Robbins
as Serena Robbins
Claude Akins
as Detective
as Detective
Clarence Muse
as Peter
as Peter
Everdinne Wilson
as Annie
as Annie
Ivan Dixon
as Jim
as Jim
Scatman Crothers
as Crabman
as Crabman
Maya Angelou
as Dancer
as Dancer
Nichelle Nichols
as Dancer
as Dancer
Crew arrow_drop_down
Irene Sharaff
Costume Design
Costume Design
DuBose Heyward
Theatre Play
Theatre Play
Dorothy Heyward
Theatre Play
Theatre Play
Samuel Goldwyn
Producer
Producer
Ken Darby
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Howard Bristol
Set Decoration
Set Decoration
Oliver Smith
Production Design
Production Design
Fred Lau
Sound Designer
Sound Designer
Leon Shamroy
Director of Photography
Director of Photography
Daniel Mandell
Editor
Editor
N. Richard Nash
Screenplay
Screenplay
Otto Preminger
Director
Director
Joseph C. Wright
Art Direction
Art Direction
Layne Britton
Makeup Artist
Makeup Artist
Hermes Pan
Choreographer
Choreographer
Paul Helmick
Assistant Director
Assistant Director
Serge Krizman
Art Direction
Art Direction
Frank McCoy
Makeup Artist
Makeup Artist
George Gershwin
Songs
Songs
George Gershwin
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Ira Gershwin
Lyricist
Lyricist
Fred Lau
Sound Recordist
Sound Recordist
