Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (1967)

I just wanted to take the time to wish everyone a very Happy and safe Easter, I know these are difficult times, but if you are healthy and your family is to then you have to be thankful. For today's Sunday At The Classics, I wanted to check out a film that a lot of my professors talked about for being such a bold film for the time frame that it came out and that films is 1967's Guess Who's Coming To Dinner which was directed by Stanley Kramer (It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World). The film stars Sidney Poitier (In The Heat Of The Night) as Dr. John Prentice and Katharine Houghton (The Last Airbender) as Joey Drayton, an interracial couple who haven't quite told their folks about their relationship. So as a surprise, Joey and John decide to fly to San Francisco to put Joey's liberal parents to the test as they break the news to them. The film also stars Spencer Tracy (Judgement At Nuremberg) as Matt Drayton, Katharine Hepburn (The African Queen) as Christina Drayton, Cecil Kellaway (The Postman Always Rings Twice) as Monsignor Ryan, Beah Richards (In The Heat Of The Night) as Mrs. Prentice, Roy Glenn (Escape from the Planet of the Apes) as Mr. Prentice, and Isabel Sanford (Lady Sings The Blues) as Tilly.

The film was controversial at the time because it was one of the few films that showcased interracial couples in a positive way which wasn't happening very often in Hollywood. In fact, when this film was released in 1967, interracial relationships were still illegal in 17 states and there is one thing that the film nailed on the head. In one scene, I believe it was Tracy told them that it might take 50 years before an interracial couple is fully accepted and he wasn't off when he said that because there are still ignorant people in the world who scoff at it still to this day. That scene in the beginning when Poitier and Houghton are in the taxi and they are kissing must have really turned some heads back in the day. Sadly enough, shortly after the film was finished Spencer Tracy ended up passing away and he put on one hell of a performance in the film and he showcased why he was a legend. In fact, this was the ninth time that Spencer and Hepburn shared the screen together and she was absolutely amazing too. Sidney Poitier of course was the true star of the film with his performance that showcased why he was one of the hot young talents of Hollywood at the time and I am very surprised he wasn't nominated for an Oscar. Nonetheless, I loved the cinematography in this film, I thought it was shot very well and I loved the bright vibrant feel of it as well as far as tone. I loved the shots of San Francisco that you get in the beginning and throughout the film. This is definitely one film that you will want to check out that puts a man and his beliefs to work when he is confronted with it. I am going to give the film an A for a final grade.