“Lilies of the Field” is a comedy-drama film about a traveling handyman who agrees to help a group of Roman Catholic nuns with repairs to their property. They are impressed by his kindness and strong work ethic, and come to believe that this Baptist black man has been sent by God to help them build a chapel. Director Ralph Nelson (“Requiem for a Heavyweight” 1962) tightly directed this heart-warming film, ensuring good performances, great production values, and superior writing. The screenplay was written by James Poe, adapted from the 1962 novel of the same name by William Edmund Barrett.
Sidney Poitier is the lead actor of the movie, lending his incomparable talents to the role. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor, the film’s sole Oscar. Poitier was the first black man to win an Oscar, with Hattie McDaniel being the first black woman to win the coveted statuette for Best Supporting Actress for “Gone With the Wind” (1939). “Lilies of the Field” had four other nominations – Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Lilia Skala), Best Screenplay, and Best Cinematography/Black-and-White (Ernest Haller).
Co-stars include Lilia Skala as the Mother Superior, Dan Frazer as Father Murphy, Stanley Adams as Juan, and Lisa Mann, Isa Crino, Francesca Jarvis, and Pamela Branch as the nuns. Jester Hairston was the singing voice of Poitier, and composer of the film’s theme song “Amen.” The watchable “Lilies of the Field” was popular at the box office for producer Ralph Nelson, Rainbow Productions, and United Artists.
Lilies of the Field (1963)
cinema
My Review
“Lilies of the Field” is a comedy-drama film about a traveling handyman who agrees to help a group of Roman Catholic nuns with repairs to their property. They are impressed by his kindness and strong work ethic, and come to believe that this Baptist black man has been sent by God to help them build a chapel. Director Ralph Nelson (“Requiem for a Heavyweight” 1962) tightly directed this heart-warming film, ensuring good performances, great production values, and superior writing. The screenplay was written by James Poe, adapted from the 1962 novel of the same name by William Edmund Barrett.
Sidney Poitier is the lead actor of the movie, lending his incomparable talents to the role. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor, the film’s sole Oscar. Poitier was the first black man to win an Oscar, with Hattie McDaniel being the first black woman to win the coveted statuette for Best Supporting Actress for “Gone With the Wind” (1939). “Lilies of the Field” had four other nominations – Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Lilia Skala), Best Screenplay, and Best Cinematography/Black-and-White (Ernest Haller).
Co-stars include Lilia Skala as the Mother Superior, Dan Frazer as Father Murphy, Stanley Adams as Juan, and Lisa Mann, Isa Crino, Francesca Jarvis, and Pamela Branch as the nuns. Jester Hairston was the singing voice of Poitier, and composer of the film’s theme song “Amen.” The watchable “Lilies of the Field” was popular at the box office for producer Ralph Nelson, Rainbow Productions, and United Artists.