"A Raisin in the Sun" began as a groundbreaking Broadway
play. When it premiered in 1959, it was a smash hit
with audiences - black and white alike.
It won the 1959 New York Drama Critics Award for
best play of the year and catapulted playwright,
Lorraine Hansberry into the national spotlight. She
became the youngest and the first African-American to
win this award.
"A Raisin in the Sun" was the first play written to appear on Broadway that was written by
an African-American woman (Lorraine Hansberry) and
directed by an African-American man (Lloyd Richards). It also became one of the
longest-running African-American theatrical
production at the time with 530 performances.
Film Version Released in 1961
In 1961, the film version of "A Raisin in the Sun" was
released. Lorraine Hansberry wrote the script and all
of the major actors who appeared on Broadway agreed to
play the same roles on screen. This included Sidney
Poitier as Walter Lee Younger, Claudia McNeil as
mother Lena, Ruby Dee as his wife Ruth, and Diana
Sands as the sister, Beneatha.
 Creatively, Sidney Poitier and Claudia McNeil had
differences of opinion about who should be the focus
of "A Raisin in the Sun." This created real tension
between the two actors.
In his book, The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography,Sidney Poitier states, "Claudia
McNeil, a fine performer, was in complete dominance
over the most of the other members of the cast.
Naturally enough, she perceived the play as being best
when it unfolded from the mother's point of view. I
perceived the play as being best when it unfolded from
the son's point of view, however, and I argued that
position. In fact, we argued constantly."
Based on Lorraine Hansberry's Life
 Lorraine Hansberry uses some of her own life
experience in "A Raisin in the Sun." When she was nine
years old, her family moved to a white neighborhood in
Chicago. The family faced a lot of hostility from
neighbors and was sued in court based on housing
racial restrictions.
In her book, To Be Young, Gifted and Black,
Hansberry wrote about this experience. She states,
"I also remember my desperate and courageous
mother patrolling our household all night with a
loaded German Luger pistol, doggedly guarding her four
children, while my father fought the respectable part
of the battle in the Washington court."
Title Inspired by Langston Hughes Poem
The inspiration for the title, "A Raisin in the Sun," came from the Langston Hughes poem entitled "Harlem: A Dream Deferred."
Harlem: A Dream Deferred
By Langston Hughes
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore --
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over -
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load
Or does it just explode?
"A Raisin in the Sun" was one of the few black cast
movies made during its time. It is considered a
breakthrough drama because it showed a dimension of
African-American life that had never been seen before
on stage and screen. It successfully brought to life
the social realities of racial segregation and
frustrated ambition.
Award Winning Film
Sidney Poitier and Claudia McNeil were both nominated
for Golden Globe Awards for their performances in the
movie. Ruby Dee won the Best Supporting Actress Award
from the National Board of Review.
The movie was selected in 2005 to the U.S. Library
of Congress National Film Registry. The purpose of the
registry is to preserve films that are
"culturally, historically or aesthetically
significant films." (Click here to read about more African-American films in the National Film Registry.)
Buy "A Raisin in the Sun" DVD
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