// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs The Member of the Wedding a good film? It's a tie.
| The Member of the Wedding | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Fred Zinnemann |
| Screenplay by | |
| Based on | |
| Produced by | Stanley Kramer |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Hal Mohr |
| Edited by | William A. Lyon |
| Music by | Alex North |
Production company | Stanley Kramer Productions |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 90 minutes (TCM print) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Member of the Wedding is a 1952 American drama film directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Ethel Waters, Julie Harris and Brandon de Wilde. The story, based on Carson McCullers' 1946 novel of the same name, is set in a small town in the Southern United States.
Plot
[edit]Feeling rejected when her older brother takes his honeymoon without inviting her, Frankie runs away from her middle-class Southern home. She endures several other adolescent traumas, such as the sudden death of her young cousin John Henry. With the help of warm-hearted housekeeper Berenice Sadie Brown, Frankie makes an awkward transition to young womanhood.
Cast
[edit]- Ethel Waters as Berenice Sadie Brown
- Julie Harris as Frankie Addams
- Brandon deWilde as John Henry
- Arthur Franz as Jarvis Addams
- Nancy Gates as Janice
- William Hansen as Mr. Addams
- James Edwards as Honey Camden Brown
- Harry Bolden as T. T. Williams
- Dickie Moore as Soldier
- Hugh Beaumont as Minister (uncredited)
Soundtrack
[edit]The soundtrack was composed by Alex North and performed by Morris Stoloff and his orchestra. Ethel Waters is also credited in the score, singing the hymn "His Eye Is on the Sparrow".[1] The song that plays in the opening credits is titled "Magnolia".[2]
Awards
[edit]Julie Harris was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance.[3]
Adaptations
[edit]Carson McCullers' novel was later adapted for television several times. The character of Berenice was played by Claudia McNeil in 1958, by Pearl Bailey in 1982 and by Alfre Woodard in 1996. Anna Paquin was cast as Frankie in the 1996 production.[4]
References
[edit]- ↑ "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
- ↑ "Unchained- Soundtrack details - SoundtrackCollector.com". www.soundtrackcollector.com. Retrieved July 13, 2026.
- ↑ uncredited (September 1, 2007). "Fred Zinnemann's 'Member of the Wedding' (1952) -". Retrieved July 13, 2026.
- ↑ Staff, AfterEllen.com (February 13, 2020). "'The Member of the Wedding' is a Black History Month Must-Watch - AfterEllen". AfterEllen. Archived from the original on August 14, 2024. Retrieved July 13, 2026.
External links
[edit]- The Member of the Wedding at IMDb
- The Member of the Wedding at the TCM Movie Database (archived)
- The Member of the Wedding at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
 | This article related to an American drama film of the 1950s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
- 1952 films
- 1950s coming-of-age drama films
- American black-and-white films
- American coming-of-age drama films
- American films based on plays
- Columbia Pictures films
- Films based on American novels
- Films based on works by Carson McCullers
- Films directed by Fred Zinnemann
- Films produced by Stanley Kramer
- Films scored by Alex North
- Films set in Georgia (U.S. state)
- Film noir
- Films with screenplays by Edward Anhalt
- Films with screenplays by Edna Anhalt
- 1952 drama films
- 1952 English-language films
- 1952 American films
- English-language drama films
- 1950s American drama film stubs