Carmen Jones

1954 "Something Really New! Something Truly Different!"
6.8| 1h45m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 28 October 1954 Released
Producted By: Carlyle Productions
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
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The tale of the cigarette-maker Carmen and the Spanish cavalry soldier Don Jose is translated into a modern-day story of a parachute factory worker and a stalwart GI named Joe who is about to go to flying school. Conflict arises when a prize-ring champ captures the heart of Carmen after she has seduced Joe and caused him to go AWOL.

Genre

Drama, Romance

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Director

Otto Preminger

Production Companies

Carlyle Productions

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Carmen Jones Audience Reviews

Hellen I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much
Jeanskynebu the audience applauded
Acensbart Excellent but underrated film
Ella-May O'Brien Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.
JohnHowardReid NOTES: Nominated for the following awards, polled annually by members of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: Best Actress, Dorothy Dandridge (won by Grace Kelly for "The Country Girl"); Best Scoring of a Musical, Herschel Burke Gilbert (won by Adolph Deutsch and Saul Chaplin for "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers"). Negative cost: $750,000. Number four on Fox's domestic release schedule for 1954-55 in terms of box-office gross. Second to "A Man Called Peter" for Fox's highest box-office grosses in Australia for 1955. VIEWER'S GUIDE: Not suitable for children.COMMENT: Although many contemporary critics dismissed this all-black movie as a crude popularization of Carmen, and although it continues to draw flack today from those who see it as racist and stereotyped, there can be no denying its power and appeal. Bizet's music comes across with dynamic force, Dorothy Dandrige (aided immeasurably by the singing voice of Marilynn Horne, surely one of the great Carmens of this century) gives the performance of her career (and certainly the one for which she is always remembered), and Preminger has directed with his usual force and imaginatively flowing style.I have only one complaint against the movie — and in this complaint I am joined not only by most other critics but by almost everyone with whom I have seen this picture: The carefully built-up climax is undermined and most of the gathering suspense and atmosphere is dissipated when Joe suddenly and unexpectedly bursts into song. Forewarned is fore-armed.
qormi Otto Peminger deserved an Oscar for best director. Unbelievable....flawless musical. Dorothy Dandridge stole the show and she certainly deserved the Oscar for best actress. Harry Belafonte was excellent as well. Pearl Bailey, Diahann Carroll...excellent cast. The scenes where Belafonte chases Dandridge atop a moving train appears to have been done without stunt doubles. When Dandridge clambers over a half-submerged jeep,her athletic ability is on full display. It was a novelty to have an all-black cast throughout - many actors,many extras. This movie was epic. A must-see for any film buff. It's a tragedy that Dandridge did not star in many more films - such a gifted actress. Those were the days when racism prevailed. This film is a treasure.
froberts73 First, the minuses. No one need try to guess about Belafonte being dubbed. That ain't his range. He is mellow, soft-voiced. Dandridge, of course was not a belter, but who cares? Pearl Bailey was Pearl Bailey. Brock (Broc) Peters was always a favorite, always an outstanding menacer.Credit 20th Century Fox, and Darryl F. Zanuck, the only major studio and exec to back African-American productions in those days.Some of the slower songs dragged somewhat, but the faster-paced items should have made Bizet proud. All in all, "Carmen Jones" gets high ratings for the bulk of the musical numbers, and the dancing which I would have liked to see more of.Getting back to Miss Dandridge. She played the part of the sultry Miss Jones to perfection. The story? Once again, it shows how a woman can screw up your life.One more thing. The ending was much too abrupt with Belafonte looking beautifully mean. It was choke-choke THE END.
Chrysanthepop What a splendid adaptation of Bizet's classic! With a cast of all black actors, 'Carmen Jones' was a pioneer in many ways and perhaps was one of the doorways for black actors to move further ahead towards equality. Beautifully presented with vibrant colours the film is shot in a very opera style. The characters are solid and the story is dark.The heart of the film lies in its actors. Not only can these talented people act but they sure can sing. These actors give their all to the characters. The late Dorothy Dandridge is beautiful, seductive, deceitful but also very human as Carmen Jones. Dandridge completely owns the part and immortalizes her. Harry Belafonte too does a good job as Joe who is swept away and blinded by his love for Carmen. Olga James is adorable as Cindy Lou. With their combined singing and acting talent, they burn the screen.Sadly, even the success and acclaim of 'Carmen Jones' did not get Dorothy Dandridge the right films which would have done further justice to her talent. Racial prejudice was very prominent in those days and the actress had to go years without doing films and then she dies an untimely death. But in 'Carmen Jones' one sees an actress who made it, even though it was for a short period, she opened doors for other actresses of minority ethnicities.'Carmen Jones' is another example of musical film at its best and unlike most musicals of its time, this one is layered, dark, intense and tragic.