CARMEN JONES

Carmen Jones
Otto Preminger Productions / 20th Century-Fox, 1954, Color, 105 minutes, ***½
Released October, 1954

Oscar Hammerstein's all-black revision of Bizet's "Carmen," brought to the screen by Otto Preminger, showcases Harry Belafonte as a handsome soldier whose love for sexy, conniving Dorothy Dandridge leads him to murder. Pearl Bailey, Olga James and Diahann Carroll also star.

Carmen Jones is a magnificent mid-century American interpretation of the opera CARMEN. It is full of color, fire and energy, and follows Bizet's opera quite closely, thanks to the brilliant interpretation of Oscar Hammerstein II. Each song in the film matches the music of one of the major arias in Carmen, with new lyrics by Hammerstein.

Dorothy Dandridge walked away with the movie and received a Best Actress Academy Award nomination for her flawless interpretation of Carmen. All of the principals were popular singers, but they were dubbed by opera singers since none of them had the range and power for opera arias. But they were singers, so the lip-syncing, expressions and body movements are all perfectly natural. All in all, it's a truly wonderful movie - not to be missed!

Produced and Directed by: Otto Preminger
Production Manager: Herman E. Webber
Production Assistant: Maximilian Slater
Assistant Director: David Silver
Book and Lyrics by: Oscar Hammerstein II
Music Director: Herschel Burke Gilbert
Music by: Georges Bizet (from the opera CARMEN), adapted lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Based on Billy Rose's Broadway Production of the Musical Play "Carmen Jones"
Screenplay by: Harry Kleiner
Musical Direction: Herschel Burke Gilbert
Associate: Ted Dale
Music Recording: Vinton Vernon, Murray Spivack
Art Direction by: Edward L. Ilou
Set Decoration by: Claude E. Carpenter
Costumes Designed by: Mary Ann Nyberg
Sound: Roger Heman and Arthur L. Kirbach
Director of Photography: Sam Leavitt
Photographed in Cinemascope, Color by DeLuxe Laboratories
Film Editor: Louis R. Loeffler

Awards: Academy Award nominations for Best Actress (Dorothy Dandridge) and Best Score - Musical (Herschel Burke Gilbert)

Cast: Dorothy Dandridge [Carmen Jones], Harry Belafonte [Joe], Olga James [Cindy Lou], Pearl Bailey [Frankie], Diahann Carroll [Myrt], Roy E. Glenn Sr. [Rum], Nick Stewart [Dink], Joe Adams [Husky Miller], Brock Peters [Sgt. Brown], Sandy Lewis [T-Bone], Mauri Lynn [Sally], DeForest Covan [Trainer], LeVern Hutcherson [Singing Voice of Joe], Marilynn Horne [Singing Voice of Carmen], Marvin Hayes [Singing Voice of Husky]

Musical Program: [0:00] Overture: Torreador Song (played by Orchestra behind titles); [0:02] Send Along Anudder Load (sung by Mens Chorus); [0:04] Lift 'Em Up an' Put 'Em Down (sung by Boys Chorus); [0:06] Dat's Love (Habañera) (sung by Carmen and Chorus); [0:11] You Talk Jus' Like My Ma (sung by Cindy Lou and Joe); [0:15] Carmen Jones Is Goin' to Jail (sung by Chorus); [0:17] Dere's a Cafe on de Corner (Seguedille) (sung by Carmen); [0:35] Dis Flower (Flower Song) (sung by Joe); [0:39] Beat Out Dat Rhythm on a Drum (Gypsy Song) (sung by Frankie and Chorus, danced by Ensemble -- great number!); [0:55] Stan' Up an' Fight (Torreador Song) (sung by Husky Miller and Chorus); [0:52] Whizzin' Away Along de Track (Quintet) (sung by Carmen, Dink, Myrt, Rum and Frankie); [0:19] Card Song (Card song from Act III) (sung by Carmen, Frankie and Chorus); [1:24] My Joe (Michaela's Song) (sung by Cindy Lou); [1:29] He Got Hisself Another Woman (sung by Cindy Lou); [1:38] Torreador Song (sung by Chorus); [1:39] Final Duet (Duet and final chorus) (sung by Joe and Carmen); [1:43] String Me High on a Tree (sung by Joe)