Lost in the Stars (1974 film)

Last updated
Lost in the Stars
LostInTheStars1974.jpg
Theatrical poster
Directed by Daniel Mann
Written by Alfred Hayes
Maxwell Anderson (play)
Alan Paton (novel)
Produced by Ely A. Landau
Starring Brock Peters
Melba Moore
Raymond St. Jacques
Paula Kelly
Cinematography Robert B. Hauser
Edited by Walter Hannemann
Music by Kurt Weill
Distributed by American Film Theatre
Release date
  • April 8, 1974 (1974-04-08)(US)
Running time
107 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Lost in the Stars is the 1974 film version of the Kurt Weill-Maxwell Anderson musical adaptation of the Alan Paton novel Cry, the Beloved Country . The film was produced and released as part of the American Film Theatre, which adapted theatrical works for a subscription-driven cinema series.

Contents

Plot

Directed by Daniel Mann, the film follows a Zulu preacher, Reverend Stephen Kumalo (Brock Peters), in his journey to Johannesburg to search for his long-missing son, Absalom (Clifton Davis). He discovers his son is a paroled felon living in a shantytown with his pregnant girlfriend (Melba Moore). Absolom becomes involved in a robbery plan that results in the death of a white anti-apartheid advocate. Absolom is jailed, tried and sentenced to death, leaving his father unable to continue his ministerial work. [1]

Cast

Production

Due to the film's criticism of the apartheid system, it could not be shot on location in South Africa, requiring exterior footage to be shot in Cottage Grove, Oregon. [2]

Critical response

Lost in the Stars has been poorly received by critics. At the time of its release, Vincent Canby of The New York Times called it "a very bad movie" and questioned why the film version dropped the reconciliation between Reverend Kumalo and the murdered man's father, which was integral to the Paton novel and the original stage version. [3]

When the film was released on DVD in 2003, its received more unfavorable reviews. Time Out New York called it "a series of well-intentioned clichés" [4] while Film Threat stated it was "not the missing classic that one hopes it could be." [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Absalom</span> Third son of the Israelite king David

Absalom was the third son of David, King of Israel with Maacah, daughter of Talmai, King of Geshur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Paton</span> South African author (1903–1988)

Alan Stewart Paton was a South African writer and anti-apartheid activist. His works include the novels Cry, the Beloved Country (1948), Too Late the Phalarope (1953), and the short story The Waste Land.

<i>Missing</i> (1982 film) 1982 historical drama film

Missing is a 1982 American biographical thriller drama film directed by Costa-Gavras from a screenplay written by Gavras and Donald E. Stewart, adapted from the book The Execution of Charles Horman: An American Sacrifice (1978) by Thomas Hauser, based on the disappearance of American journalist Charles Horman, in the aftermath of the United States-backed Chilean coup of 1973, which deposed the democratically elected socialist President Salvador Allende.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brock Peters</span> American actor (1927–2005)

Brock Peters was an American actor and singer, best known for playing the villainous "Crown" in the 1959 film version of Porgy and Bess, and Tom Robinson in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird. He made his Broadway debut in the 1965 Norman Rosten play Mister Johnson. He was nominated for a Tony Award and won a Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award for his lead role as Rev. Stephen Kumalo in the 1972 Broadway revival of the musical Lost in the Stars. He received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 1991 and a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1992.

Lost in the Stars is a musical with book and lyrics by Maxwell Anderson and music by Kurt Weill, based on the novel Cry, the Beloved Country (1948) by Alan Paton. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1949; it was the composer's last work for the stage before he died the following year.

<i>Freedomland</i> (film) 2006 US crime drama mystery film by Joe Roth

Freedomland is a 2006 American crime drama mystery film directed by Joe Roth and starring Samuel L. Jackson, Julianne Moore, Edie Falco, Ron Eldard, William Forsythe, Aunjanue Ellis, and Anthony Mackie. It is based on Richard Price's 1998 novel of the same name, which touches on themes of covert racism. The film grossed $14.7 million against a $30 million budget. The Rotten Tomatoes critical consensus calls it "poorly directed and overacted".

<i>Silver Bullet</i> (film) 1985 film by Dan Attias

Silver Bullet is a 1985 American horror film based on the 1983 Stephen King novella Cycle of the Werewolf. It stars Gary Busey, Everett McGill, and Corey Haim, with Megan Follows, Terry O'Quinn, Lawrence Tierney, Bill Smitrovich, Kent Broadhurst, David Hart, and James Gammon in supporting roles. The film is directed by Dan Attias, written by King and produced by Martha De Laurentiis.

<i>Cry, the Beloved Country</i> 1948 novel by Alan Paton

Cry, the Beloved Country is a 1948 novel by South African writer Alan Paton. Set in the prelude to apartheid in South Africa, it follows a black village priest and a white farmer who must deal with news of a murder.

<i>The Cincinnati Kid</i> 1965 film by Norman Jewison

The Cincinnati Kid is a 1965 American drama film directed by Norman Jewison. It tells the story of Eric "The Kid" Stoner, a young Depression-era poker player, as he seeks to establish his reputation as the best. This quest leads him to challenge Lancey "The Man" Howard, an older player widely considered to be the best, culminating in a climactic final poker hand between the two.

<i>Went the Day Well?</i> 1942 British film

Went the Day Well? is a 1942 British war film adapted from a story by Graham Greene and directed by Alberto Cavalcanti. It was produced by Michael Balcon of Ealing Studios and served as unofficial propaganda for the war effort. The film shows a Southern English village taken over by German paratroopers, reflecting the greatest potential nightmare for the British public of the time, although the threat of German invasion had largely receded by that point. The film is notable for its unusually frank, for the time, depiction of ruthless violence.

<i>No Escape</i> (1994 film) 1994 film by Martin Campbell

No Escape, released in some countries as Escape from Absolom and Absolom 2022, is a 1994 American science fiction action film directed by Martin Campbell. It stars Ray Liotta, Lance Henriksen, Stuart Wilson, Kevin Dillon, Michael Lerner and Ernie Hudson. It was based on the 1987 novel The Penal Colony by Richard Herley. In a dystopian future, a former Reconnaissance Marine serves life imprisonment on an island inhabited by savage and cannibalistic prisoners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melba Moore</span> American singer and actress

Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba Smith(sources differ), known by her stage name Melba Moore, is an American singer and actress.

<i>Transylvania 6-5000</i> (1985 film) 1985 horror comedy film directed by Rudy De Luca

Transylvania 6-5000 is a 1985 horror comedy film about two tabloid reporters who travel to modern-day Transylvania to uncover the truth behind Frankenstein sightings. Along the way, they encounter other horror film staples — a mummy, a werewolf, a vampire — each with a twist.

<i>Heartbeeps</i> 1981 film

Heartbeeps is a 1981 American romantic-comedy and science fiction film about two robots who fall in love and decide to strike out on their own. The film was directed by Allan Arkush, written by John Hill, and stars Andy Kaufman and Bernadette Peters as the robots alongside Randy Quaid, Kenneth McMillan, Melanie Mayron, Christopher Guest, and the voice of Jerry Garcia in a rare film appearance. It was Kaufman's final performance in a theatrical film. Universal Pictures released the film in the United States on December 18, 1981.

<i>Cotton Comes to Harlem</i> 1970 American action film by Ossie Davis

Cotton Comes to Harlem is a 1970 American neo-noir action comedy film co-written and directed by Ossie Davis and starring Godfrey Cambridge, Raymond St. Jacques, and Redd Foxx. The film, later cited as an early example of the blaxploitation genre, is based on Chester Himes' novel of the same title. The opening theme, "Ain't Now But It's Gonna Be," was written by Ossie Davis and performed by Melba Moore. The film was one of the many black films that appeared in the 1970s and became overnight hits. It was followed two years later by the sequel Come Back, Charleston Blue.

<i>Cry, the Beloved Country</i> (1995 film) 1995 South African film

Cry, the Beloved Country is a 1995 South African-American drama film directed by Darrell Roodt, based on the novel Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton. It stars James Earl Jones and Richard Harris.

<i>Cry, the Beloved Country</i> (1951 film) 1951 film

Cry, the Beloved Country is a 1951 British drama film directed by Zoltán Korda and starring Sidney Poitier, Charles Carson and Canada Lee, in his last film role. The film is based on the novel of the same name written by Alan Paton.

<i>Hear No Evil</i> (1993 film) 1993 American film

Hear No Evil is a 1993 American thriller film directed by Robert Greenwald, starring Marlee Matlin, D. B. Sweeney and Martin Sheen. It was released by 20th Century Fox on March 26, 1993. Matlin and Sheen would later co-star on the television series The West Wing.

<i>Footloose</i> (2011 film) American film by Craig Brewer

Footloose is a 2011 American musical drama film co-written and directed by Craig Brewer. It is a remake of the 1984 film of the same name, and stars Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, Andie MacDowell and Dennis Quaid. The film follows a young man who moves from Boston to a small Southern town and protests the town's ban against dancing. Filming took place from September to November 2010 in Georgia. It was released in Australia and New Zealand on October 6, 2011, and in North America on October 14, 2011. It grossed $15.5 million in its opening weekend and $63 million worldwide.

<i>The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold</i> 1958 film by Lesley Selander

The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold is a 1958 American Western film in Eastmancolor released by United Artists. The second of two theatrical features specifically based on and continuing the TV show The Lone Ranger it stars Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels, reprising their roles from the TV series. The first feature film was 1956's The Lone Ranger. No further films based on this specific version of the characters were made after this one.

References