A Raisin in the Sun (1961)

 

Release Date: May 29, 1961

Director: Daniel Petrie

Writer(s): Lorraine Hansberry

Starring: Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil

Estimated Budget: $1.5 million

U.S. Domestic: N/A

 

This lauded drama follows the Youngers, an African-American family living together in an apartment in Chicago. Following the death of their patriarch, they try to determine what to do with the substantial insurance payment they'll soon receive. Opinions on what to do with the money vary. Walter Lee (Sidney Poitier) wants to make a business investment, while his mother, Lena (Claudia McNeil), is intent on buying a house for them all to live in -- two differing views of the American Dream.