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ComedyDrama

Lilies of the Field

- Sidney Poitier as the life-loving ex-GI who one day encounters five nuns escaped from beyond the Berlin Wall...

An unemployed construction worker heading out west stops at a remote farm in the desert to get water when his car overheats. The farm is being worked by a group of East European Catholic nuns, headed by the strict mother superior, who believes the man has been sent by God to build a much needed church in the desert.

Release Date : 1963-06-04

Language :GermanSpanishEnglish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Rainbow ProductionsUnited Artists

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Sidney Poitier

Character Name : Homer Smith

Original Name : Sidney Poitier

Gender : Male

Lilia Skala

Character Name : Mother Maria

Original Name : Lilia Skala

Gender : Female

Lisa Mann

Character Name : Sister Gertrude

Original Name : Lisa Mann

Gender : Female

Isa Crino

Character Name : Sister Agnes

Original Name : Isa Crino

Gender : Female

Francesca Jarvis

Character Name : Sister Albertine

Original Name : Francesca Jarvis

Gender : Female

Pamela Branch

Character Name : Sister Elizabeth

Original Name : Pamela Branch

Gender : Female

Stanley Adams

Character Name : Juan Acolito

Original Name : Stanley Adams

Gender : Male

Dan Frazer

Character Name : Father Murphy

Original Name : Dan Frazer

Gender : Male

Bobby Driscoll

Character Name : Mexican Holding Chapel Door (uncredited)

Original Name : Bobby Driscoll

Gender : Male

Ralph Nelson

Character Name : Mr. Ashton (uncredited)

Original Name : Ralph Nelson

Gender : Male

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2023-05-24

This is one of my favourite performances from Sidney Poitier. Normally his characterisations were settled in an environment of racist and/or bigoted undertones. This drama actually has a much lighter, more comedic, touch to it. He is "Homer" a travelling factotum who happens upon five German nuns who who are bent on building a chapel - but they have no money, no labourer, and practically no way of communicating with their largely Spanish speaking neighbours. Now "Homer" is a kindly soul, so when the headstrong and determined "Mother Maria" (Lilia Skala) coaxes and cajoles him to help them out he is gradually drawn into their community - despite himself! He starts to teach them English, they start to teach him... well suffice to say nothing quite goes as planned for anyone as the story heads to it's obvious, but vindicating, solution. There's an enjoyable dynamic on screen here - some singing, some humour and as a general semblance of society builds, we begin to wonder who is doing whom more good. Ninety minutes just flies by, and it really is well worth catching up up with.