i have always be a fan of this largely unseen filming of the gershwin opera and since i last saw it in 1959. a many of you know and it have be unavailable on video or dvd while in fact and the gershwin family seek to destroy all exist print . yet and for some reason hopefully signal an end to it opposition and the gershwin family recently approve the showing of a collector print at the museum of the move image in astoria and queen . . well and the wide screen and technicolor print be excellent . ( not perfect and but excellent . ) the sound be outstanding and in road show quality stereo . the folk who saw this in it original release wouldn not have see a much good copy . ( the program note include the original variety review and which caution that people might balk at the steep limit release ticket price of $ 3 . 50 . ) and and as much a i love it originally and porgy and bess be good than i remember it . it just wonderful . sidney poitier a porgy be at the point where his career be just begin to catch fire and and his charisma shine through . dorothy dandridge a bess be spectacularly beautiful . brock peter a crown be aggressively masculine . pearl bailey a maria provide a few comic moment and although her role be small . and sammy davis and jr. and a sport life and steal every scene he in while he especially rivet in his two big number represent it ain not necessarily so and there a boat that leavin soon for new york . ( that last one win applause in the screening i saw . ) porgy and bess be set bound and but it really doesn not matter when the set be as gorgeous a this one . the costume be also outstanding . sidney and dorothy singing voice be dub in and but they be dub in extremely well . the exquisite summertime be sing by clara and play by a young diahann carroll while her singing also be dub . ( actually and only pearl and sammy do their own vocalizing . ) the music be sublime and of course and but what really strike me this time be how much emotion preminger get out of the story . people be actually sniffle in the audience a number of time once when bess sings that beautiful i love you porgy . and i get a kick out of the audience actually laugh out loud at the line in it ain not necessarily so . could it be they have never hear this song before or never really listen to it . i believe that much of the emotional impact of this film be due to poiter and dandridge performance you root for their love to win out . a minor quibble with the 136 minute run time one or two slow spot and and a stereotypical and amos n andy kind of scene about bess see a shyster lawyer to get a divorce from crown and even though she not even marry to him . ( i would have cut that . ) and the beginning be a little confusing both title character be introduce awkwardly theyre part of the movie before you realize who they be . and i do not think preminger use a single close up in the entire movie . it all seem to be shoot in 3/4 and which i be guess be his way of work with the wide screen . porgy and bess have always be a cult film for those of u who saw it and for those of u who love the soundtrack and and for some of u who have only hear about it . let hope they find a way to re release this and and put it out on dvd . it deserve the wide audience possible .