Sammy Davis Jr. & Dorothy Dandridge Are Among The Stars Of Porgy & Bess

These pictures are from the 1959 film Porgy and Bess. It's based on a Gershwin opera set among the black residents of a fishing community in 1912 South Carolina. Porgy and Bess starred Sidney Poitier and Dorothy Dandridge as the main characters. Sammy Davis Jr., Pearl Bailey, Brock Peters & Diahann Carroll were among the other stars. The film has its share of problems. The source material was considered racially insensitive and full of racial stereotypes. Almost all of the principal actors had their singing voices dubbed over. The movie was not shot on location. The Gershwin family was not happy with the finished product. While the film did go on to win an Oscar for its musical score, it was not a commercial or critical success. It has been all but dismissed these days.

The first picture features Sidney Poitier as Porgy, Sammy Davis Jr. as Sportin' Life, Dorothy Dandridge as Bess & Brock Peters as Crown. The other pictures are of Sammy and Dorothy.