Changing Film History

In an era when the deteriorating negatives of so many classic motion pictures need to be saved for posterity, it was truly frustrating to read the comments of Michael Strunsky, executor of Ira Gershwin’s estate, regarding the 1959 Samuel Goldwyn-Otto Preminger film of “Porgy and Bess” (“Gershwins Were No Fans of Preminger’s ‘Porgy,’ ” Jan. 19).

Because the Gershwins objected to the “Hollywoodization of the piece,” Strunsky says the estate “now acquire(s) any prints we find and destroy them,” as well as denying permission for any prints that escape them to be shown.

Whatever its perceived flaws, the film is part of America’s cultural heritage, as are the performances of such major figures as Sidney Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge, Sammy Davis Jr. and Pearl Bailey. It was and remains an important film. Remake it by all means, but let’s not rewrite history.

To see the invidious difference between the earlier film and Trevor Nunn’s newly sanctioned PBS version, “you just have to look at the set of Trevor’s production, then at the Goldwyn film,” says Strunsky. Well, thanks to Strunsky, we can’t make that comparison.

JOE DANTE

Renfield Productions

Universal City