A Raisin in the Sun ( 1961 film ) - wikipedia A Raisin in the Sun ( 1961 film ) A Raisin in the Sun One of original theatrical posters Directed by Daniel Petrie Produced by Philip Rose David Susskind Screenplay by Lorraine Hansberry Based on A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry Starring Sidney Poitier Ruby Dee Claudia McNeil Diana Sands Stephen Perry Music by Laurence Rosenthal Cinematography Charles Lawton, Jr. Edited by William A. Lyon Paul Weatherwax Distributed by Columbia Pictures Release date May 29, 1961 ( 1961 - 05 - 29 ) Running time 128 min. Country United States Language English Budget $1.5 million 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 the Library of Congress as being `` culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant ''. Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Awards 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Plot The Younger family - Walter Lee, his wife Ruth, younger sister Beneatha, son Travis and mother Lena - live in a small apartment in Chicago 's south side. They are anticipating a life insurance check for Lena 's husband 's death in the amount of $10,000, and each of them has an idea as to what he or she would like to do with this money. Matriarch Lena wants to buy a house to fulfill the dream she shared with her deceased husband. Walter Lee would rather use the money to invest in a liquor store, believing the income would put an end to the family 's financial woes. Ruth, wanting to provide more space and better opportunities for Travis, agrees with Lena. Beneatha would like to use the money to pay her medical school tuition. Lena spends $3,500 for a down payment on a house in Clybourne Park, and after being agitated many times by Walter, gives him the remaining $6,500 and tells him to save $3,000 of it for Beneatha 's medical school and take the remaining $3,500 for his own investments. Meanwhile, Ruth discovers she is pregnant and, fearing another child will add to the financial pressures, considers having an abortion. Walter voices no objection, but Lena is strongly against it, saying `` I thought we gave children life, not take it away from them ''. Beneatha rejects her suitor George, believing he 's blind to the problems of their race. Her Nigerian classmate Joseph Asagai proposes to her, wanting to take her to Africa with him after they finish school, but she is unsure what to do. When their future neighbors find out the Youngers are moving in, they send Mark Lindner ( known as Karl in the play ) from the Clybourne Park Improvement Association to offer them money in return for staying away, but they refuse the deal. Meanwhile, Walter loses the insurance money when one of his `` partners '' in the liquor store scheme, Willy Harris, skips town with the money. Desperate, Walter offers to take Lindner up on his offer to take money to stay out of Clybourne Park, even while his family begs him not to sell away their dignity. When Lindner arrives, however, Walter has a last - minute change of heart and rejects Lindner 's offer again. The Youngers eventually move out of their apartment, fulfilling their dream. The future seems uncertain and slightly dangerous, but they believe that they can succeed through optimism, determination, and remaining together as a family. Cast Sidney Poitier as Walter Lee Younger Ruby Dee as Ruth Younger Claudia McNeil as Lena Younger Diana Sands as Beneatha Younger Stephen Perry as Travis Younger John Fiedler as Mark Lindner Ivan Dixon as Joseph Asagai Louis Gossett, Jr. as George Murchison Joel Fluellen as Bobo Roy Glenn as Willie Harris Louis Terrel as Herman Awards Ruby Dee won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress. Both Poitier and MacNeil were nominated for Golden Globe Awards, and Petrie received a special `` Gary Cooper Award '' at the 1961 Cannes Film Festival. See also List of American films of 1961 References Jump up ^ `` Festival de Cannes : A Raisin in the Sun ''. festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009 - 02 - 21. External links African Americans portal Film in the United States portal 1960s portal Discrimination portal Wikimedia Commons has media related to A Raisin in the Sun ( 1961 film ). A Raisin in the Sun on IMDb Films directed by Daniel Petrie The Bramble Bush ( 1960 ) A Raisin in the Sun ( 1961 ) The Main Attraction ( 1962 ) Stolen Hours ( 1963 ) The Idol ( 1966 ) The Spy with a Cold Nose ( 1966 ) Moon of the Wolf ( 1973 ) The Neptune Factor ( 1973 ) The Gun and the Pulpit ( 1974 ) Buster and Billie ( 1974 ) Eleanor and Franklin ( 1976 ) Lifeguard ( 1976 ) Sybil ( 1976 ) Eleanor and Franklin : The White House Years ( 1977 ) The Betsy ( 1978 ) Resurrection ( 1980 ) Fort Apache, The Bronx ( 1981 ) Six Pack ( 1982 ) The Dollmaker ( 1984 ) The Bay Boy ( 1984 ) Square Dance ( 1987 ) Rocket Gibraltar ( 1988 ) Cocoon : The Return ( 1988 ) My Name Is Bill W. ( 1989 ) Lassie ( 1994 ) Kissinger and Nixon ( 1995 ) The Assistant ( 1998 ) Inherit the Wind ( 1999 ) Wild Iris ( 2001 ) Lorraine Hansberry 's A Raisin in the Sun Performances A Raisin in the Sun ( 1961 film ) Raisin ( musical ) A Raisin in the Sun ( 2008 film ) Related Clybourne Park Hansberry v. Lee Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Raisin_in_the_Sun_(1961_film)&oldid=825411674 '' Categories : 1961 films English - language films 1960s drama films African - American films American films American drama films American black - and - white films Columbia Pictures films Films about dysfunctional families Films about race and ethnicity Films based on plays Films set in the 1950s Films set in Chicago Films directed by Daniel Petrie United States National Film Registry films Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Français Bahasa Indonesia Italiano Nederlands Polski Português Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Türkçe Edit links This page was last edited on 13 February 2018, at 06 : 42. About Wikipedia

Question: who plays beneatha in a raisin in the sun movie
Answer: Diana Sands