Directed by:
Gordon ParksScreenplay:
Gordon ParksCinematography:
Burnett GuffeyComposer:
Gordon ParksCast:
Dana Elcar, Peggy Rea, Dub Taylor, Russell Thorson, Estelle Evans, Malcolm Atterbury, George Mitchell, Kevin Hagen, Hope Summers, Jon Lormer, Richard Ward (more)Plots(1)
Based on his own autobiographical novel, The Learning Tree was, according to Roger Ebert, the first non-exploitation feature film made for wide release by an African American director. Set in rural 1920s-1930s Kansas, the film follows the story of Newt (Kyle Johnson), a teenager who must weather the racial prejudices of the time on a daily basis. After witnessing a murder, Newt must weigh what he saw against what it could mean for others in the black community, including his childhood friend Marcus (Alex Clarke). Of all the films that Gordon Parks directed, The Learning Tree was both the most personal and also the one that most dramatically offers links between his work as a master of 20th century photography and his efforts in the cinema. Shot by Burnett Guffey (Bonnie and Clyde, From Here to Eternity), the look of the film attests to the visual acuity of both Parks and his well-seasoned cinematographer. (Portland International Film Festival)
(more)Cast
Dana Elcar
USA
Peggy Rea
USA
Best movies:
The Gift of Love (1978) (TV movie)
How the West Was Won (1976) (series)
Walk Don't Run (1966)
Dub Taylor
USA
Best movies:
Back to the Future Part III (1990)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
Maverick (1994)
Russell Thorson
USA
Best movies:
The Name of the Game (1968) (series)
Run Silent Run Deep (1958)
36 Hours (1965)
Estelle Evans
UK
Best movies:
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
A Piece of the Action (1977)
Malcolm Atterbury
USA
Best movies:
North by Northwest (1959)
Rio Bravo (1959)
The Birds (1963)
George Mitchell
USA
Best movies:
Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)
3:10 to Yuma (1957)
The Andromeda Strain (1971)
Kevin Hagen
USA
Best movies:
Shenandoah (1965)
The Last Challenge (1967)
Pork Chop Hill (1959)
Hope Summers
USA
Best movies:
Inherit the Wind (1960)
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Spencer's Mountain (1963)
Jon Lormer
USA
Best movies:
Dead Ringer (1964)
Columbo (1971) (series)
The Sand Pebbles (1966)
Richard Ward
USA
Best movies:
Producers' Showcase (1954) (series)
Brubaker (1980)
Mandingo (1975)
Joel Fluellen
USA
Best movies:
A Raisin in the Sun (1961)
Roots: The Next Generations (1979) (series)
Mighty Joe Young (1949)
Don Dubbins
USA
Best movies:
From Here to Eternity (1953)
The Caine Mutiny (1954)
Separate But Equal (1991) (TV movie)
Steven Perry
Best movies:
A Raisin in the Sun (1961)
The Sound And The Fury (1959)
Escape From Atlantis (1997) (TV movie)
Zooey Hall
USA
Best movies:
The World's Greatest Lover (1977)
Morgan Sterne
USA
Best movies:
The Carey Treatment (1972)
Thomas Anderson
USA
Best movies:
Shaft's Big Score! (1972)
The Legend of Nigger Charley (1972)