The Member of the Wedding (1952)

Director:

Fred Zinnemann

Writers:

Carson McCullers (play) (novel)
Edna Anhalt (writer) ...

Release Date:

1954 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

She became a woman in the middle of a kiss!

Plot:

A virtual "tour de force" for Julie Harris about a young tomboy named Frankie who is forced to face...

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Tomboy | Friendship | Wedding | Girl

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

Ethel Waters	...	Berenice Sadie Brown
Julie Harris	...	Frances 'Frankie' Addams
Brandon De Wilde	...	John Henry
Arthur Franz	...	Jarvis Addams
Nancy Gates	...	Janice
William Hansen	...	Mr. Addams
James Edwards	...	Honey Camden Brown
Harry Bolden	...	T.T. Williams
Dickie Moore	...	Soldier

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-G

Filming Locations:

Colusa, California, USA

Company:

Stanley Kramer Productions

Trivia:

Julie Harris, Ethel Waters, and Brandon De Wilde all repeated their roles from the original Broadway production.

Quotes:

John Henry: Mean old bossy Frankie!
Berenice Sadie Brown: Just what is she doing that's so mean? Just trying to get some rest.

Movie Connections:

Version of The Member of the Wedding (1997) (TV)

Soundtrack:

His Eye Is on the Sparrow

Story telling at its very finest!

On my very first viewing of The Member of the Wedding, I was stunned by its beauty, overwhelmed by its simplicity, captivated by its charm. A seemingly simple story of a young girl's attempt at growing up, this film takes us on a tumultuous and painful journey through the mind of Frankie Addams, a journey so fraught with twists and turns of emotion, we are barely able to keep up! Frankie's journey through adolescence is not an ordinary one. Her disapproval bordering on hatred of herself is bringing her to the edge of her world, and at times we are left wondering whether she has gone too far to ever come back. Her rebellion toward her journey is fierce, and Julie Harris is brilliant in her interpretation of a confused, angry young girl at odds with her world. If I had to make a list of the twenty movies that had the greatest impact on me in my lifetime, The Member of the Wedding would have to make the list. Ethel Waters is as charming and heart rending as she was in Pinky in this never to be forgotten film. I would suggest that it be used in the classroom as required viewing for students between the ages of twelve and fifteen, if only to give them a heroine with whom to share the sometimes chaotic journey from child to young adulthood.