Porgy and Bess
“The Goldwyn Touch!...more dramatic than ever before!”
Synopsis
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.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Porgy and Bess (1959) Trailer
Type: Trailer • Published 2025-05-25
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
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
Release History & Theatrical Window
June 24, 1959
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$7M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$3.5M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.5x
-$3.5M deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Otto Preminger
- Screenplay & Story
- N. Richard Nash
- Original Score
- Ken Darby, George Gershwin
- Original Title
- Porgy and Bess
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 2h 18m
- Production Budget
- $7M
- Worldwide Gross
- $3.5M
- Production Studios
- Samuel Goldwyn Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Otto Preminger
N. Richard Nash, Dorothy Heyward, DuBose Heyward, Ira Gershwin
Ken Darby, George Gershwin
Leon Shamroy
Daniel Mandell
Samuel Goldwyn
Department Leadership Roster
Otto Preminger
Director
N. Richard Nash
Screenplay
Samuel Goldwyn
Producer
Ken Darby
Original Music Composer
Leon Shamroy
Director of Photography
Daniel Mandell
Editor
Oliver Smith
Production Design
Irene Sharaff
Costume Design
George Gershwin
Original Music Composer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
General — Suitable for all audiences.
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Porgy and Bess.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Porgy and Bess.
金球奖最佳音乐/喜剧片
Golden Globe Best Musical/Comedy 金球奖历届最佳音乐及喜剧电影。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:43:19 UTC+8)*
list0
Musicals
Every film Wikidata tags as a musical film.
National Film Registry
Films preserved in the Library of Congress National Film Registry.
Cult Classics
Every film on Wikipedia's List of cult films.
list_Music
Movies categorized under Music
Similar Titles to Porgy and Bess
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
9.0
7.7
9.0
6.2
7.4
7.0
7.1
4.2
6.6
7.2
8.0
6.7
7.3
6.8
6.9
More Like Porgy and Bess
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About Porgy and Bess
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Porgy and Bess about?
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.
Who directed Porgy and Bess?
Porgy and Bess was directed by Otto Preminger.
Who stars in Porgy and Bess?
The principal cast of Porgy and Bess includes Sidney Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge, Sammy Davis Jr., Pearl Bailey, Brock Peters.
When was Porgy and Bess released and how long is it?
Porgy and Bess was released in 1959 with a total runtime of 2h 18m.
What was the box office and production budget of Porgy and Bess?
Porgy and Bess had a reported production budget of $7M and grossed $3.5M at the worldwide box office (0.5 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for Porgy and Bess?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Porgy and Bess was composed by Ken Darby, George Gershwin.
Is Porgy and Bess based on a book or true story?
Porgy and Bess is adapted from the following source material: Book: "Ira Gershwin", Book: "DuBose Heyward".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Porgy and Bess?
Porgy and Bess holds official age classifications: AU: G (General — Suitable for all audiences.); DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).