My first knowledge of this film was in 1961 when I bought the soundtrack album, issued in the UK by Philips Records. I quickly realised this was a truly wonderful work, but at the same time was puzzled how I'd missed it at the pictures. The label said 1959, so was I on holiday when it came to Derby? Enquiries with a local cinema manager plus BFI Information revealed that the film had not actually arrived in England, delayed by "problems." The official reason given was that it could only be premiered at London's Dominion where South Pacific had taken over for four years, and producer Samuel Goldwyn insisted on Todd-AO equipment which was only installed at the Dominion. This was a highly dubious explanation that didn't really stand up. Were they honestly expecting us to believe that the film cost seven million dollars, but they couldn't afford a couple of new projectors at an alternative London cinema?
Fortunately for me, when the film finally arrived at the Dominion in October 1962, it simultaneously had a "test" road show at the ABC in nearby Nottingham. Being so familiar with the album, I was easily impressed by the Todd-AO presentation. However, when the film went on general release on the ABC circuit in May 1963, I watched it again at the ABC Derby (in 35mm) and couldn't really see any reduction in the visual quality. Mr Goldwyn's fears, if they existed, were quite groundless and would suggest other reasons for the film's hesitancy in England. In truth, the general release proved to be half-hearted and short-lived. The advertisements focused on the lively performance of Sammy Davis Jr ("Swing with Sammy," "Sammy Steals the Show"), but the problem for Columbia Pictures was that they were really trying to release the equivalent of Verdi's Aida, a musical masterpiece certainly, but never a crowd pleaser. Witness Porgy's run in Leicester, a city of some 300,000. The ABC Leicester didn't have any time for Porgy and Bess, so the entire Leicester population had to make do with a three-day showing at the independent Westleigh cinema, a couple of miles from the city centre. Many small towns such as Coalville, Matlock, Whitby, etc. didn't even get that. This all goes to show that the 50-year controversy about withholding the film from the public has been quite unnecessary. A normal DVD release would have been bought by mainly Gershwin fans and probably watched once a year as a special treat. The arrogance and obstinacy of the Gershwin estate has pointlessly elevated this film to the rank of "cause célèbre."
Review of Porgy and Bess
