猜猜谁来吃晚餐 Guess Who's Coming To Dinner

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
(Drama/Comedy) (1967)
Major Characters


John Wade Prentice……………………………………Sidney Portier
     A very accomplished and sweet black doctor who works for the
     United Nations’ World Health Organization. John falls in love with
     Joey, his first relationship since his wife and child were killed in an
     accident eight years earlier.

Joey (Joanna) Drayton………………………………….Katherine Houghton
     A sweet and innocent young white woman who lives in San Francisco,
     who meets and falls in love with John while on vacation in Hawaii.

Matt Drayton………………………………………………Spencer Tracy
     Joey’s father, who is a wealthy and very liberal San Francisco newspaper publisher,
     and who has spoken out for racial equality and civil rights all of his adult life.

Christina  Drayton………………………………..……Katherine Hepburn
     Joey’s mother, who owns a small art gallery, and who has also
     been a supporter of civil rights all of her life.

Monsignor Ryan………………………………….…….Cecil Kellaway
     A Catholic priest, who has been a dear family friend of the Draytons,
     who is also an extremely liberal and tolerant person (A "monsignor"
     is a word for an official of the church).

Tillie (Miss Matilda Banks)………………………...Isabel Sanford
     The Drayton’s black housekeeper, who has been a part of the family
     for over 22 years, and who helped raise Joey from when she was a baby.

Mr. Prentice…………………………………………………Roy E. Glenn Sr.
     John’s father, a retired mailman who lives in Los Angeles.

Mrs. Prentice………………………………………………..Beah Richards
     John’s extremely sweet and thoughtful mother.

Hillary St. George………………………………………….Virginia Christine
     An assistant to Christina who works in her art gallery.


Plot Summary

This film is the classic story of a Joanna, a young, charming and innocent woman,
who falls in love with, and decides to marry,  John, a wonderful black doctor.
More specifically, it is the story of how the people around them, including their
parents, friends and others, react to the news of a possible marriage between a black
man and a white woman.

Joanna had been convinced that her parents would have no problem with the situation,
because they had always raised her to believe that blacks and whites were equal, and
that that any kind of racial intolerance was unacceptable. However, when her mother
learns of the marriage plans, she is at first more shocked than happy, and when her
father finds out, he finds himself unable to support what his daughter was about to do.
Soon after, Mrs. Drayton comes to fully embrace the marriage, but Mr. Drayton must come
face to face with the fact that he has trouble accepting his own liberal philosophy when
it is applied so dramatically to his own life.

Over the course of the day, various other people face the news with greatly varied
reactions, from Monsignor Ryan, who is extremely happy for the young couple, to Tillie,
who seems as opposed to the idea of an interracial couple as the most conservative
white people. That afternoon, John’s parents fly up to San Francisco, and when they
discover that Joanna is white, they too must face their own fears and prejudices.
Eventually though, it is Mr. Drayton who must emotionally struggle the most, and who must
come to realize that a truly liberal and progressive person can’t oppose their marriage
simply because other people in the world could make their lives difficult.

Some Brief Words on the Legal and Social Situation Concerning Biracial Couples in
1960’s America: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner came out in 1967, which was also the year
that the United States Supreme Court ruled in a case called Loving v. Virginia that all
laws which banned interracial marriages violated the United States Constitution. In fact,
until that year, over 15 states still had statutes which prohibited a black and white
person from getting married! The Loving case reflected the great social changes that
were occurring within the United States at the time, most specifically because of the
long and often violently opposed Civil Rights Movement. And as this film showed, even among
socially liberal people who lived in such cities as San Francisco, the idea of a black and
white person getting married was still shocking.  Indeed, in many parts of the country, it
probably still is…


Some Words and Expressions that You may not Know


          John and Joanna return to San Francisco, so that she can
           introduce him to her wonderful and liberal parents.


You go find your folks.
     A somewhat old-fashioned word for parents or people.

It’s called a kinetic sculpture.
     If something is "kinetic," it is usually in motion. A rarely used word.

Christine’s lunching with Mr. Calzent. If you like, I can ring her up.
     "To lunch" with someone is a dated verb (better to say to have lunch),
     and to "ring up" someone is now less common than "to phone."

Do you live in San Francisco, doctor? :: No, I’m just passing through.
     If you are "passing through" a town, you’re just there a day or two.

It’s Hillary who runs the gallery now.
     "To run" a store or business is to manage it. A "gallery" is a small
     business where painting and other art is shown and sold to the public.

Her idea of filling hotel rooms with original art is brilliant.
     "Brilliant"  is a powerful adjective meaning very smart. It is more
     common in England, where it also means sensational or great.

The hotel gets free décor.
     A word to describe objects such as paintings or
     vases that help to decorate the inside of a house.

The painter gets a chance to make a sale and mom gets her commission.
     An important word in business, referring to the percentage
     of the selling price that a person gets for selling a product.

Isn’t that clever?
     A nice little adjective meaning smart, intellectually quick or witty.

Twelve bucks, right?
     A very common slang word for dollars.

You still ain’t tell me why you come home early.
     Note the use of  "ain’t" where "isn’t" should be. This is very incorrect
     English that you should avoid, although it isn’t that uncommon.

We’ll have it on the terrace.
     Another word for an outdoor patio, or a flat living area next to a house.

That’s Dorothy. Isn’t she a knockout?
     A dated but still fun word to describe a beautiful or very sexy person
     (Her beauty is so great that, just like a boxer, she knocks you out).

Which days? :: Never mind!
     An important expression that you use when you want to imply
     that what was just said or discussed is actually not important.

Geneva.
     A city in Switzerland, and headquarters of the
     United Nation’s World Health Organization.

Los Angeles, please. Area code 213.
     This refers to the three numbers that you must dial to get a particular
     area of the country, before dialing a specific phone number.

The toll and charges.
     Two words that refer to the costs of a long-distance telephone call.

I don’t like seeing a member of my own race getting above hisself.
     One of Tillie’s more memorable lines. The correct word is "himself."

Come on; just the turtle soup and tournedos.
     The greatest and most versatile phrasal verb in English, often taking on
     the meaning of whatever words that follow it. Here, it means please
     ("Tournedos" is a cut of beef, but this is never used).

I rang the gallery to tell Hillary that Cazalet agreed to our scheme.
     "Scheme" is an interesting word that means a plan of action,
     but note that it often connotes something secretive or tricky.

I’m so happy, I’m just….. :: Bursting. I can see that.
     "To burst" is a powerful verb meaning to explode
     or break wide open, in this case with happiness.

I think I might, if you would pipe down long enough to tell me.
     "Pipe down" is a fun imperative (command)
     phrasal verb meaning  shut up or keep quiet.

Mary, what the hell difference does that make?
     This is a common addition to Wh questions, which are
     used to show added emotion, such as anger or confusion.

You reckon to marry the girl, son?
     A very old-fashioned way of saying to think, or consider.

He doesn’t have any tensions in him.
     An important word referring to degree of nervousness or
     emotional anxiety. Rarely used as a plural noun, but there it is!

He was married before and had a son. It was so tragic.
     If something is "tragic," it is filled with great suffering and sadness.

Isn’t that a lovely name?
     Another word for pretty. More common in England than the US.


          Mrs. Drayton meets John, and soon find herself in shock.


I take it Joanna’s already busted out with the big news?
     In this case, "to bust out" with the big news is to reveal
     and talk about  it in a quick and excited manner.

She’s only known me for 10 days and so she can’t tell you when I’m blushing.
     "To blush" is to become red in the cheeks from embarrassment
     (It’s obviously harder to see when a black person is blushing).

I hope you won’t think it presumptuous if I
say that you ought to sit down before you fall down.
     If someone is "presumptuous," they are being
     too forward, confident or even arrogant.

He thinks you’re gonna faint because he’s a Negro.
     "To faint" is to lose consciousness, often because of emotional shock.
     "Negro" is the very dated word for a black person, which quickly died out
     in the years immediately following the release of this movie
     (Note that in rapid speech, "going to"----->"gonna").

It would be all right if I say "My goodness," wouldn’t it?
     "My goodness" is a conservative way of expressing surprise or other emotion.

What did they say when you told them that I wasn’t a colored girl?
     "Colored," like "Negro," is a very dated way to refer to black people.

After all, a lot of people will think were a shocking pair.
     Note that a "pair" can refer to two of anything, from socks to people.

John was invited to lecture at Hawaii University
and we met at this big party at the Dean’s.
     The "dean" of a University is the person at the top who manages it.

That’s marvelous.
     Another good alternative to wonderful, great or fantastic.

And that’s the whole situation, in a nutshell.
     To tell about something "in a nutshell" is to
     give a summary, with just the most important details.

I told him 97 times it wouldn’t make the
slightest bit of difference to you or dad.
     If something "doesn’t make a difference," it’s unimportant.

I told her not to spring all this on you so suddenly.
     In this case, to "spring this on" a person is to tell them all
     at once, without giving them time to absorb the news.

You could give her half an hour to get adjusted.
     In this case, "to get adjusted" means to get used
     to the idea of Joanna being with a black man.

All hell’s done broke loose.
     Tillie’s way of saying "All hell has broken loose,"
     or that there is now lots of trouble in the house.

Is the waste disposal out again?
     A "waste disposal," more commonly called the garbage disposal,
     is a device in kitchen sinks that dissolves food so that it can be
     washed down the kitchen pipes. If a machine is "out," it’s not working.


            Mr. Drayton meets John, and soon
          finds himself emotionally overwhelmed.


Doctor, where are you practicing?
     Note that a doctor "practices" medicine, just like a lawyer practices law.

I’m in tropical medicine, mostly in Africa.
     The area of medicine that deals with diseases like malaria and cholera.

I must not keep the Monsignor waiting; I’m late as it is.
     An interesting grammatical construction which
     in this case simply means "already."

What the hell is going on here?
     Note that "the hell" is added to Wh questions
     to show strong emotion such as anger or confusion.

I can explain it! :: Well, let’s have it.
     This is Matt’s way of saying "go ahead."

We flew back…to see if you or Mrs. Drayton
would have any objections if we got married.
     An "objection" is a statement of disapproval, or a reservation.

I had the stupid idea that there was some way to break this gently.
     "To break" a piece of news is to disclose or reveal it.

It never occurred to me that I might fall in love with a Negro,
but I did, and nothing in the world is going to change that.
     This is another way of saying that "I never thought that…."

I wouldn’t leave him go now, even if you were the governor of Alabama.
     A reference to George Wallace, the racist governor of Alabama in the
     1960s who was nationally  known for opposing black civil rights.

If you’re expecting any sensible statements from
me, you’ll have to give me some more time.
     A useful word meaning reasonable or rational.

What the hell is all the rush?!
     "Why are you in such a hurry?!"

We want you to state that when we do get married, we’ll have your blessing.
     A formal word that means official approval or encouragement.

Are you going to play golf? :: No, I’ll just call it off.
     "To call off" something is to cancel it.

When he puts on his American Eagle face,
nobody can tell what he’s thinking.
     The American Eagle, the national bird of the United States, has a very
     serious and proud look. This is Joanna’s way of saying that when her father
     looks very serious, you never know what he is thinking.

Tell him something has come up, something personal at home.
     If something "comes up," it unexpectedly happens.


          Mr. And Mrs. Drayton learn more about John, and soon discover
            that there will be no marriage without their approval.


Call the library and see if they got any dope on a John Wayne Prentice.
     In this case, "dope" is a way of referring to general information,
     particularly negative information about a person. "Dope" is more
     commonly used to refer to illegal drugs such as marijuana.

How do you feel about it? :: I was shaken at first. I still am, I suppose.
     To be "shaken" is to be greatly surprised or upset.

If I’m not intruding….
     "To intrude" means to enter a room or conversation when not wanted.
     It strongly connotes the violation of other people’s privacy.


Joanna thinks that she is committed,  and that our whole future is settled.
     If something is "settled," it means that everyone is in agreement
     about what should happen, in this case about their lives together.

Joanna said that you’re going to be married
no matter what we might think about it.
     A  grammatically interesting alternative to "whatever."

Unless you two approve, and without any
restrictions at all, there won’t be any marriage.
     Another word for  limitations, or perhaps set conditions.

I’m just as startled as you must be.
     A good word meaning scared or stunned, usually  by a sudden surprise.

Two weeks ago I would have sad such a thing was inconceivable.
     An interesting way of saying not possible.

It’s almost in the form of an ultimatum.
     An "ultimatum" is a powerful word meaning a demand
     that is made under the threat of force or violence.

Well, that’s where it’s at. Thank you for this opportunity to speak my piece.
     "That’s where it’s at" is a slangy way of saying "that’s the situation."
     If a person gets the chance "to speak his piece," he is given the opportunity
     to say what he is really feeling.

She’s 23….and she is exactly the way we brought her up to be.
     "To bring up" a child is to take care of them until they are an adult.

We told her that it was wrong to believe that the
white people were essentially superior to black people.
     "Essentially" is a useful word meaning basically.

He’s an important guy…graduated Maxima Cum Laude, Johns Hopkins ’54.
     This is a Latin term meaning with excellent grades and class standing.
     (Johns Hopkins is a major University, as it was back in 1954).

Two text books and a list of medical society honors as long as your arm.
     One way of saying how accomplished John is in his profession.

He made a call to Los Angeles; I guess he doesn’t bum free phone calls either.
     "To bum" is a British slang term meaning to borrow,
     with no real intention of ever paying back.

He loves me, he loves me not.
     This is exactly what a person says when picking the petals of a flower,
     while trying to find out if an object of their affection really loves them.

I’ve been nervous, not about what they’d
ultimately feel, but just their first reaction.
     This is an important word meaning in the end, or when all is done.

I thought it was possible that they might let me down for the first half hour.
     "To let down" someone is to disappoint them.

You’re a big phony!
     A "phony" is a person who is not what they claim to be, or perhaps a liar,
     imposter or hypocrite. A phony piece of art is fake, or not genuine.

I feel glad that Joey is Joey.
     A useful alternative to happy.

Having a streak fry, huh?
     A very dated way of referring to a barbecue.

You want to give me a lift to Market Street? Save me a cab.
     A slightly more British way of saying a ride (in a car).

You know it, doll!
     A very 1960s way of saying "You’re right."

I hope this is better than the last one we had, hotshot.
     A "hotshot" is a slangy way of referring to a person
     who thinks they are very talented, accomplished or cool.

I deliver it; I don’t rustle the cattle.
    "To rustle cattle" is simply to steal cows. Not particularly useful!

Civil rights is one thing, but this here is something else.
     A reference to the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s, in which
     people fought for the rights of blacks to be equal members of US society.

I think he thought I was, you know, attractive.
     Still a great adjective for saying pretty or handsome, or just pleasant.

Do you mean have we been to bed together?
     Today, when speaking of sex, one is more likely say "slept together."

Are you saying they don’t have any sense of rhythm?
     This refers to the regular, repeated sounds of music or speech.

You can do the Watusi, but we are the Watusi.
     A type of dance that was popular in the 1960s.

Willy Mays could be elected mayor of San Francisco.
     A great baseball star who played with the San Francisco Giants.

I own a newspaper, but I couldn’t be elected dog catcher.
     A dog catcher is what you think he is, but for some reason, this
     is said whenever a person wants to express how unpopular someone is.

Frankly, I think your daughter is a bit optimistic.
     A good way for the speaker to warn that he’s about to give a completely
     honest opinion, even if it might be offensive or uncomfortable.

I’d settle for Secretary of State.
     In the US, this is the equivalent of a Foreign Minister.

Would you think it some kind of cowardice that no
matter how confident you two are, I’m just a little bit scared.
     An educated word for fear or lack of courage.

She said "My dad is a lifelong fighting liberal who loathes race prejudice."
     In the 1960s, those who were politically liberal were the ones
     who worked for civil rights. "To loath" is to hate or detest,
     and "race prejudice" is a dated way of referring to racism.

Hi dad, what’s up, man?
     A slangy and still common way of greeting, or saying hi to someone.

Stop butting in!
     "To butt into" a person’s business or life is to start
     investigating it, when they would prefer to keep it private.

Your mother says she is pleased.
     A slightly dated and weak word for satisfied, or perhaps happy.

Why do you keep trying to dramatize everything?
     "To dramatize" something is to make it seem
     dramatic, tense, or highly emotional.

It’s the damndest thing you ever heard of.    
     In this context, a funny little adjective meaning amazing or curious.

They pick up the brightest native kids and they put them
through courses, just like they do in the US Army corpsman.
     "Brightest" is smartest, "courses" are classes (in this case, in medicine).

They are all specialists trained to do one special task, like
sewing up a wound or delivering a baby, or what have you.
     A "task" is another word for a job or assignment. A "wound"
     is an injury, and often a hole or tear in the skin.

For every thousand kids they train, they can save a million lives a year.
     "To train" a person is to teach them a particular skill.

He got the best breaks because everybody he met didn’t
want him to think that they were prejudiced against him.
     In this case, "breaks" are little opportunities or advantages.
     In this context, a "prejudiced" person is racist or biased.

I wouldn’t know how to fault him.
     "To fault" a person is to blame them,