Sounder
Drama
Koch Releasing  (1972) 105 mins G

7.9 (906 votes)
Based on the Newbery Award-winning book by William H. Armstrong.

Nathan Lee Morgan (Winfield), an African American sharecropper, steals foods from his neighbor to feed his hungry family and is arrested, leaving his wife, Rebecca (Cicely Tyson) and their three children to endure the hardships of poverty and prejudice in the Depression-era South. Directed by Martin Ritt, Sounder is a powerful story of a boy, his dog and a family's triumph over adversity....

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Cast and Crew
Cicely Tyson  ......  Rebecca Morgan
Paul Winfield  ......  Nathan Lee Morgan
Kevin Hooks  ......  David Lee Morgan
Carmen Mathews  ......  Mrs. Boatwright
Taj Mahal  ......  Ike
James Best  ......  Sheriff Young
Director  .....  Martin Ritt
Producer  .....  Robert B. Radnitz
Writer  .....  William H. Armstrong; Lonne Elder III
Notes
Trivia:
Cicely Tyson commented in a TCM interview that director Martin Ritt's cinematographer (principal cameraman), while shooting the famous "homecoming sequence" with Tyson and co-star Paul Winfield, was so moved by their performances that he was certain he missed framing the action properly in the shots and respectfully asked them to do the difficult scene again. They obliged, but a later examination of daily rushes revealed that they got shot and acting perfect the first time, and take 1 was a print. (more)

Filming Locations:
Clinton, Louisiana, USA (more)

Awards:
Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 7 nominations (more)