A Place in the Sun (1951 film)
| A Place in the Sun | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | George Stevens |
| Screenplay by | |
| Based on | An American Tragedy 1925 novel by Theodore Dreiser An American Tragedy 1926 play by Patrick Kearney |
| Produced by | George Stevens |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | William C. Mellor |
| Edited by | William Hornbeck |
| Music by | Franz Waxman |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 122 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2.3 million |
| Box office | $7 million |
A Place in the Sun is a 1951 American tragedy film directed by George Stevens from a screenplay by Harry Brown and Michael Wilson, based on the 1925 novel An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser and a 1926 play of the same title. The novel had been adapted for the screen as An American Tragedy in 1931. The story was inspired by the murder of Grace Brown by Chester Gillette in 1906, which resulted in Gillette's conviction and execution by electric chair in 1908.
A Place in the Sun stars Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, Shelley Winters and Keefe Brasselle. Raymond Burr's performance impressed TV producer Gail Patrick, who later cast him as Perry Mason.
The film was a critical and commercial success, winning six Academy Awards and the first-ever Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama. In 1991, A Place in the Sun was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".