A Raisin in the Sun (1961 film) A Raisin in the Sun (1961 film) A Raisin in the Sun is a 1961 drama film directed by Daniel Petrie and starring Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil, Diana Sands, Roy Glenn, and Louis Gossett Jr. (in his film debut), and adapted from the 1959 play of the same name by Lorraine Hansberry. It follows a black family that wants a better life away from the city. "A Raisin in the Sun" was released by Columbia Pictures on May 29, 1961. In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the United States of America National Film Registry by
Why Does the Sun Shine? (The Sun Is a Mass of Incandescent Gas) Zaret from Tom Glazer's 1959 album, "Space Songs". The lyrics for the refrain appear verbatim in the 1951 Golden Guide "Stars". They Might Be Giants re-arranged the song in an uptempo version for their 1998 live album, "Severe Tire Damage", and their 2009 children's album, "Here Comes Science", on which they added the self-penned "Why Does The Sun Really Shine? (The Sun is a Miasma of Incandescent Plasma)", which corrects several factual inaccuracies in the original song. It was also included on the soundtrack to the children's game show "". The second track, "Jessica", was originally recorded by The Allman