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Lilies of the Field (1963)

NR06/04/1963Comedy, Drama1h 34m
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Sidney Poitier as the life-loving ex-GI who one day encounters five nuns escaped from beyond the Berlin Wall...

Overview

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.

Top Billed Cast

  1. Cast 1

    Sidney Poitier

    Homer Smith

  2. Cast 1

    Lilia Skala

    Mother Maria

  3. Cast 1

    Lisa Mann

    Sister Gertrude

  4. Isa Crino

    Sister Agnes

  5. Cast 1

    Francesca Jarvis

    Sister Albertine

  6. Cast 1

    Pamela Branch

    Sister Elizabeth

  7. Cast 1

    Stanley Adams

    Juan Acolito

  8. Cast 1

    Dan Frazer

    Father Murphy

  9. Cast 1

    Bobby Driscoll

    Mexican Holding Chapel Door (uncredited)

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 ...