Anna Lucasta (1959 film)
Encyclopedia
Anna Lucasta is a 1959 film directed by Arnold Laven
. It stars Eartha Kitt
and Sammy Davis Jr.. “Anna Lucasta” was written by Chicago born Philip Yordan
(1914- 2003)son of Polish immigrants; a versatile and successful Oscar winning film writer, whom wrote westerns, historical epics, thrillers, and sci-fi scripts throughout his writing career. Anna Lucasta was originally meant to have Polish principals, but when Yordan failed to find a producer, he gave the script to the American Negro Theatre Company (est. 1940 in Harlem, New York). The American Negro Theatre Company’s stated mission was “to break down the barriers of black participation in the theater; to portray Negro life as they honestly saw it; [and] to fill in the gap of a black theater which did not exist.” They originally encouraged community based writers, and strived to stay away from Broadway-bound clichés. Receiving the Anna Lucasta script in 1944, was a turning point for the ANT. It was revised extensively to be well suited for a black cast, and became an immediate success; leading it to be Yordan’s only work to be a Broadway hit.
After being coerced by the family, he goes to San Diego to bring Anna home. He finds Anna at Noah’s Wharf Café drinking and kissing sailor Danny Johnson, played by Sammy Davis Jr., who had just proposed Anna go away with him. Joe insists Anna come home, and since Danny’s proposal did not include marriage, she decides to return home to Los Angeles with her father. Anna quickly catches on to Frank’s and Stanley’s scheme.
Rudolph arrives to the Lucasta residence and is instantly struck by Anna’s beauty. He courts her for a while and finally confesses his feelings to her. Anna reveals the reason she was in San Diego, why her father kicked her out and how she had to make a living on the streets to survive. Rudolph doesn’t care about her past and proposes marriage to Anna. Just before the wedding, Rudolph gets news that he has been hired to be a teacher at a college nearby. Joe, who overheard the news, goes down to the college and tells the Dean that his new hire’s wife is a tramp. Just after the wedding, Danny shows up determined to take Anna away. After finding out her father’s plans to sabotage any chance of a good life with Rudolph, Anna flees with Danny. They party together in San Diego for a week, until Danny runs out of funds. Anna mentions she has trosseau money in her parents home. They decide to go back to the house to get the money so they could pay their fare to Brazil. When they get there, Anna finds her father in bed, moaning, calling Anna his little angel. She takes her father’s hand, and he dies. Anna breaks out into tears, and Danny leaves the house. As he is leaving, Rudolph and the family are returning from church. Rudolph sees Danny leaving and assumes Anna is back home and in excitement, runs into the house.
Writer
Producer
Editing
Music
Art Director
Visual Effects
Make up
Costume-wardrobe
*Art Department
Sound
Film Production- Main
Arnold Laven
Arnold Laven was an American film and television director and producer. He was one of the founders and principals of the American film and television production company Levy-Gardner-Laven. Laven was a producer of, among other things, the long-running western television series The Rifleman and...
. It stars Eartha Kitt
Eartha Kitt
Eartha Mae Kitt was an American singer, actress, and cabaret star. She was perhaps best known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 hit recordings of "C'est Si Bon" and the enduring Christmas novelty smash "Santa Baby." Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the...
and Sammy Davis Jr.. “Anna Lucasta” was written by Chicago born Philip Yordan
Philip Yordan
Philip Yordan was an American screenwriter of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s who also produced several films.He was also known as a highly regarded script doctor...
(1914- 2003)son of Polish immigrants; a versatile and successful Oscar winning film writer, whom wrote westerns, historical epics, thrillers, and sci-fi scripts throughout his writing career. Anna Lucasta was originally meant to have Polish principals, but when Yordan failed to find a producer, he gave the script to the American Negro Theatre Company (est. 1940 in Harlem, New York). The American Negro Theatre Company’s stated mission was “to break down the barriers of black participation in the theater; to portray Negro life as they honestly saw it; [and] to fill in the gap of a black theater which did not exist.” They originally encouraged community based writers, and strived to stay away from Broadway-bound clichés. Receiving the Anna Lucasta script in 1944, was a turning point for the ANT. It was revised extensively to be well suited for a black cast, and became an immediate success; leading it to be Yordan’s only work to be a Broadway hit.
‘’’Plot‘’’
In 1959, United Artists produced a film version of Anna Lucasta starring Eartha Kitt as Anna Lucasta. Anna is a sassy African American beauty who was forced to make a living on the streets near the San Diego naval station at a young age after her father had kicked her out. She spends her nights drinking and seducing men in the area. Meanwhile, her mother and father live in Los Angeles, along with their son and daughter and their respective spouses under one roof. Her father Joe, an aging alcoholic, receives a letter one day from his old friend Otis Slocum in Alabama. In his letter, Otis tells Joe he will be sending his son Rudolph, to California with four thousand dollars, in hopes that Joe can help Rudolph find a fine wife. Frank, Anna’s brother in law, and her brother Stanley see this as a scheming opportunity to get their share of the $4000. Her mother Theresa, thinks Anna would be a fine wife for Rudolph, and that it would be a great opportunity for her to get a fresh start. Joe becomes livid at the thought and refuses to speak her name.After being coerced by the family, he goes to San Diego to bring Anna home. He finds Anna at Noah’s Wharf Café drinking and kissing sailor Danny Johnson, played by Sammy Davis Jr., who had just proposed Anna go away with him. Joe insists Anna come home, and since Danny’s proposal did not include marriage, she decides to return home to Los Angeles with her father. Anna quickly catches on to Frank’s and Stanley’s scheme.
Rudolph arrives to the Lucasta residence and is instantly struck by Anna’s beauty. He courts her for a while and finally confesses his feelings to her. Anna reveals the reason she was in San Diego, why her father kicked her out and how she had to make a living on the streets to survive. Rudolph doesn’t care about her past and proposes marriage to Anna. Just before the wedding, Rudolph gets news that he has been hired to be a teacher at a college nearby. Joe, who overheard the news, goes down to the college and tells the Dean that his new hire’s wife is a tramp. Just after the wedding, Danny shows up determined to take Anna away. After finding out her father’s plans to sabotage any chance of a good life with Rudolph, Anna flees with Danny. They party together in San Diego for a week, until Danny runs out of funds. Anna mentions she has trosseau money in her parents home. They decide to go back to the house to get the money so they could pay their fare to Brazil. When they get there, Anna finds her father in bed, moaning, calling Anna his little angel. She takes her father’s hand, and he dies. Anna breaks out into tears, and Danny leaves the house. As he is leaving, Rudolph and the family are returning from church. Rudolph sees Danny leaving and assumes Anna is back home and in excitement, runs into the house.
Cast
- Eartha KittEartha KittEartha Mae Kitt was an American singer, actress, and cabaret star. She was perhaps best known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 hit recordings of "C'est Si Bon" and the enduring Christmas novelty smash "Santa Baby." Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the...
as Anna Lucasta - Sammy Davis Jr. as Danny Johnson
- Frederick O'NealFrederick O'NealFrederick O'Neal was an American actor, theater producer and television director. He founded the American Negro Theater and was the first African-American president of the Actors' Equity Association...
as Frank - Henry Scott as Rudolph Slocum
- Rex IngramRex Ingram (actor)Rex Ingram was an American stage, film, and television actor.-Early life and career:Born near Cairo, Illinois on the Mississippi River, Ingram's father was a steamer fireman on the riverboat Robert E. Lee...
as Joe Lucasta - Alvin ChildressAlvin ChildressAlvin Childress was an African American actor who is best known for playing the cabdriver Amos Jones in the 1950s television comedy series Amos 'n Andy.-Biography:...
as Noah - James EdwardsJames Edwards (actor)James Edwards was an African American actor in films and television. His most famous role was as Private Peter Moss in the 1949 film Home of the Brave, in which he portrayed a soldier experiencing racial prejudice while serving in the South Pacific during World War II...
as Eddie - Rosetta Le Noire as Stella
- Isabelle Cooley as Katie Lucasta
- Georgia Burke as Theresa Lucasta
- Claire Leyba as Blanch
- John ProctorJohn ProctorJohn Proctor was a farmer in 17th century Massachusetts. He married three women in his life, and divorced the first two. The last one he married was Elizabeth Proctor, who gave birth to two children, William and Sarah...
as Stanley Lucasta - Charles SwainCharles SwainCharles Edward Swain was an Australian athlete. He competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics in London on the Australasia team, a combined squad of competitors from Australia and New Zealand....
as Lester - Isaac JonesIke JonesIke Jones is a producer and actor who is perhaps best known as the former husband of actress Inger Stevens...
as Police officer - Wally Earl as Secretary
- Eileen Harley
Film Credits
Cinematography- Lucien Ballard
- Director of Photography
Writer
- Philip YordanPhilip YordanPhilip Yordan was an American screenwriter of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s who also produced several films.He was also known as a highly regarded script doctor...
Producer
- Sidney HarmonSidney HarmonSidney Harmon was a film producer and screenwriter. Harmon was nominated for an Academy Award for writing the original story that was the basis for the film The Talk of the Town . He began his career working as a writer on radio and in the theater in the 1930s...
Editing
- Richard C. Meyer….Film Editor
- Robert Lawrence…..Film Editor
Music
- Elmer Bernstein
- Sammy Cahn…Composer
- Lee Osborne….Music Editor
- Elmer Bernstein..Composer
Art Director
- John S. Poplin Jr.
- Charles White…Graphic Art
Visual Effects
- Jack Rabin…Special Photography Effects
- Irving Lerner Mont conceived by
- Louis DeWitt.. Special Photography effects
Make up
- Ted Coodley… Makeup Artist
- Helene Parrish Hairstylist
Costume-wardrobe
- Virginia Dey… Ward Stylist
- Sophia Stutz---Women’s ward
- Norman Martien.. Men’s ward
*Art Department
- Lyle B. Reifsnyder Set Dresser
- Richard Rubin Prop master
Sound
- Jack Solomon
Film Production- Main
- Leon Chooluck Prod Supv
- James Yarbrough Script Supervisor