The Loves of Carmen (1948)

Director:

Charles Vidor

Writers:

Prosper Mérimée (novel)
Helen Deutsch (screenplay)

Release Date:

23 August 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

A beautiful but amoral gypsy girl entices a young dragoon to betray his honor and get cashiered from the service, and for her sake he soon turns to a life of crime.

Plot Keywords:

Gypsy | Bandit | Dragoon | Murder | Black Cat

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Rita Hayworth	...	Carmen
Glenn Ford	...	Don José
Ron Randell	...	Andrés
Victor Jory	...	García
Luther Adler	...	Dancaire
Arnold Moss	...	Colonel
Joseph Buloff	...	Remendado
Margaret Wycherly	...	Old Crone
Bernard Nedell	...	Pablo
John Baragrey	...	Lucas
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Florence Auer	...	Chestnut Seller (uncredited)
Trevor Bardette	...	Lucas' Footman (uncredited)
George Bell	...	Bit Man (uncredited)
Alma Beltran	...	Trinket Seller (uncredited)
Lulu Mae Bohrman	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Paul Bradley	...	Man on Stagecoach (uncredited)
Nina Campana	...	Chestnut Seller (uncredited)
Jose Cansino	...	Gypsy Dancer (uncredited)
Vernon Cansino	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Al Caruso	...	Bit Man (uncredited)
Wally Cassell	...	Dragoon stagecoach passenger (uncredited)
Lucille Charles	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Dolores Corral	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Peter Cusanelli	...	Man in Crowd (uncredited)
Tony Dante	...	Groom (uncredited)
Jerry De Castro	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Rosita Delva	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Lala Detolly	...	Stagecoach Passenger (uncredited)
Claire Du Brey	...	Woman with Broom (uncredited)
Juan Duval	...	Toreador (uncredited)
Joaquin Elizondo	...	Man on Stagecoach (uncredited)
Paul Fierro	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Roy Fitzell	...	Gypsy Dancer (uncredited)
Helen Freeman	...	Shopkeeper (uncredited)
Angela Gomez	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Lupe González	...	Chestnut Seller (uncredited)
Kate Drain Lawson	...	Woman Relative (uncredited)
Thomas Malinari	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Joseph Malouf	...	Orderly (uncredited)
Paul Marion	...	Dragoon Sergeant (uncredited)
Eula Morgan	...	Woman in Crowd (uncredited)
Tessie Murray	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
David Ortega	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Alfred Paix	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Inez Palange	...	Woman in Crowd (uncredited)
Veronica Pataky	...	Bride (uncredited)
Francis Pierlot	...	Beggar (uncredited)
Fernando Ramos	...	Gypsy Dancer (uncredited)
Frances Rey	...	Woman in Window (uncredited)
Leona Roberts	...	Ancient Old Gypsy (uncredited)
Julio Rojas	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Andrew Roud	...	Bit Man (uncredited)
Cosmo Sardo	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Celeste Savoi	...	Trinket Seller (uncredited)
Marie Scheue	...	Woman on Stagecoach (uncredited)
Robert Sidney	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Pat Silver	...	Woman on Stagecoach (uncredited)
Dimas Sotello	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Roselyn Strangis	...	Woman in Window (uncredited)
Rosa Turich	...	Bride's Mother (uncredited)
Nanette Vallon	...	Woman in Window (uncredited)
Virginia Vann	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Philip Van Zandt	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
John Verros	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Peter Virgo	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Roque Ybarra	...	Bit Part (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Vidor

Writing credits
Prosper Mérimée		(novel "Carmen")
Helen Deutsch		(screenplay)

Produced by
Charles Vidor	....	producer
Rita Hayworth	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco

Cinematography by
William E. Snyder		(director of photography) (as William Snyder)

Film Editing by
Charles Nelson

Art Direction by
Stephen Goosson
Cary Odell

Set Decoration by
William Kiernan
Wilbur Menefee

Costume Design by
Jean Louis

Makeup Department
Clay Campbell	....	makeup artist
Helen Hunt	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Earl Bellamy	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Frank Goodwin	....	sound engineer

Camera and Electrical Department
Fayte M. Browne	....	camera operator (as Fayte Brown)
Edward Cronenweth	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Walter Meins	....	grip (uncredited)

Music Department
Morris Stoloff	....	musical director (as M.W. Stoloff)

Other crew
Eduardo Cansino	....	associate choreographer
Francis Cugat	....	associate technicolor color director
Ralph Faulkner	....	director of sword-play
Natalie Kalmus	....	technicolor color director
Robert Sidney	....	choreographer
F. McDowell	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• The Beckworth Corporation
• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1948) (USA) (theatrical)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (198?) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia (1950) (France) (theatrical) (as Columbia Films S.A.)

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

The Beckworth Corporation

Trivia:

Rita Hayworth's brother, Vernon Cansino, played one of the Dragoon soldiers that helps Don Jose escort her to prison.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Carmen is holding a hot chicken leg and talking to Don Jose, the chicken leg inverts between shots.

Quotes:

Dancaire: Was the colonel's party successful, Carmen?
Carmen García: No, it was very stupid.
Dancaire: Was it successful?
Pablo: We need another 200 duros to get García out of jail.
Carmen García: Let him stay where he is.
Dancaire: Is that a way for a loving wife to feel about her husband?
Carmen García: Let him rot.
Pablo: No money for García? We'll tell him.
Carmen García: [She takes a bag of money out from the inside of her skirt] There, thief. And be welcome to it.
Dancaire: Is that all?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in You jian chun tian (1981)

Soundtrack:

The Love of a Gypsy

....Rita is totally fascinating....

...And at the zenith of her 'love goddess' period. This films is a literal (and completely non-musical) version of the Carmen story. When Rita dances in the film (and she does dance!)-- she is always hidden from the camera/audience--as a way of saying: love goddess at work--no frills necessary. Even so, she makes Carmen truly naughty--so much so that you wonder that she lives as long as she does. Carmen is a woman with more than the necessary number of tragic flaws. Rita makes her beautiful and vibrant--but tragic nevertheless.