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Carmen Jones Details

1954

60
from 701 members

Starring	Harry Belafonte, Dorothy Dandridge, Olga James, Pearl Bailey
Director	Otto Preminger
Genres	Music/Musical

Carmen Jones

In 1943, Oscar Hammerstein Jr. took Georges Bizet's opera Carmen, rewrote the lyrics, changed the characters from 19th century Spaniards to World War II-era African-Americans, switched the locale to a Southern military base, and the result was Carmen Jones. Dorothy Dandridge stars as Carmen Jones, tempestuous employee of a parachute factory. Harry Belafonte plays Joe (originally José), a young military officer engaged to marry virginal Cindy Lou (Olga James). When Carmen gets into a fight with another girl, she is placed under arrest and put in Joe's charge. Succumbing to her attractiveness, Joe accompanies Carmen to her old neighborhood, where, after killing a sergeant sent to retrieve him, he deserts the army. Carmen tries to be faithful, but fortune-telling Frankie (Pearl Bailey) warns her that she and her soldier are doomed. Enter Joe Adams in the role of boxer Husky Miller (a play on Carmen's bullfighter Escamillo), who sweeps Carmen off her feet, ultimately with tragic consequences. Alhough both Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte were singers, their opera voices were dubbed in by LeVern Hutcherson and Marilyn Horne.~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Starring	Harry Belafonte, Dorothy Dandridge, Olga James, Pearl Bailey, Diahann Carroll
Director	Otto Preminger
Studio	BFI VIDEO
Run time	DVD: 1 hr 45 mins
Certificate
Genres	Music/Musical
Language	DVD: English
Hearing-impaired	English
Released	Production year: 1954 To Rent: DVD: 29 Mar 2004

Critic's review of Carmen Jones
View all critics' reviews (2)
- Black American updating of Bizet's opera, not really satisfactory but given full marks for trying, though the main singing is dubbed and the effect remains doggedly theatrical.
- 33203
- - Halliwell's Film Guide
  - 02 Mar 2006 at 15:43
Most helpful member's review of Carmen Jones
View all members' reviews (13)
- - 6
  - 0
  Fantastic stuff (in my personal top 10)
  
  I love this film from the very bottom of my heart. I used to have it on video and seeing it again got me whistling all those fantastic Bizet tunes for days ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 349166
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - WingCommander
  - London
  - 23 Sep 2005 at 15:57
Most recent members' reviews of Carmen Jones
View all members' reviews (13)
- - 0
  - 0
  A Lacklustre Musical
  
  The producers didn`t quite get it right. It lacks character, rather bity there was no flow to the presentation of the story. Certainly not one of my favorite ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1093117
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - oldtimerfilmbuff
  - 16 reviews
  - 16 Feb 2012 at 16:51
- - 0
  - 0
  Of historic interest only
  
  Of historic interest only.Disappointing and does not compare well at all with the original Carmen. Dated acting and production; more like a high school musical... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1051933
- - a customer
  - 16 Oct 2011 at 15:34
- - 0
  - 0
  Old brilliant classic musical
  
  What a film! I'm uncultured when it comes to opera, but I know all the words and every tune to this Carmen opera. The story is sympathetic, I think, to the ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1039538
- - mazzoc
  - 20 reviews
  - knowsley
  - 11 Sep 2011 at 19:30
View all members' reviews (13)
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Rating breakdown

701 Member ratings

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- Carmen Jones
  
  In 1943, Oscar Hammerstein Jr. took Georges Bizet's opera Carmen, rewrote the lyrics, changed the characters from 19th century Spaniards to World War II-era African-Americans, switched the locale to a Southern military base, and the result was Carmen Jones. Dorothy Dandridge stars as Carmen Jones, ...