Sunday Sinners

1940 1h 5m EN

🤯

10.0

MASTERPIECE

★10.0TMDB · 1

MusicComedyDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Reverend Jesse Hampton has a bone to pick with the management of Club Harlem, a wildly popular nightspot where drinking and dancing are the rule. No old-fashioned prude, the Reverend tries to see the positive side of the juke joint activities, knowing that the jitterbuggers are basically decent kids who just need to blow off a little steam. But the preacher sees red when the club opens on the Sabbath, threatening to turn the good townsfolk into Sunday sinners. An upcoming dance contest seems destined to become a showdown between the powers of light and darkness.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Norman Astwood
Gene Aiken
Edna Mae Harris
Corrine Aiken
Cristola Williams
Creola, the singer
Sidney Easton
Bootsie
Mamie Smith
Midge the Coffee Owner
Alec Lovejoy
Eli the Coffee Owner
Earl Sydnor
Reverend Jesse Hampton
Thelma Norton
Peggy Hampton

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Arthur Dreifuss
Writers: Vincent Valentini, Frank Wilson
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 65-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

86 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Arthur Dreifuss, shot by George Webber. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Donald Heywood. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Robert O. Crandall shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Norman Astwood and Edna Mae Harris and Cristola Williams carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0033115 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Arthur Dreifuss directs. George Webber behind the camera. Donald Heywood scores. Robert O. Crandall cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 65-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
286 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Arthur Dreifuss, shot by George Webber. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Donald Heywood. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Robert O. Crandall shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Norman Astwood and Edna Mae Harris and Cristola Williams carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0033115 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.