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19 out of 21 people found the following comment useful :-
A powerful display of Dandrige's appeal..., 1 August 2008

Author: ironside (robertfrangie@hotmail.com) from Mexico

Dorothy Dandrige's roles went beyond that of sex symbol to being a parody of female sexuality… Carmen Jones is a powerful display of her appeal…

Based on Bizet's operatic masterpiece, Otto Preminger's film is the story of a GI about to go to flying school (Harry Belafonte), a noble young man who loves the cigarette-maker Carmen very dearly…

Filled with passionate songs and a first-rate supporting cast, the movie is filled with exciting musical numbers that are necessary to the film… But as impeccable and skillful the supporting cast is, this is Dandrige's magnetic star of enduring international appeal… Her Carmen is a flame of fire, isolating in a few moments the essence of her attraction… Her enigma sustained throughout a career notable for its startling changes of tempo and direction…Her shapely figure, blazing eyes, with the air of the unexpected add up a touch of melancholy to even the most routine sequences… Her performance was a parable of love and its power to destroy if misused…

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23 out of 32 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the classics of African-American cinema, 2 April 2000

Author: mctheimer from Bellevue, Washington, USA

This film shows just how much talent existed and was mostly unused because of the small number of pictures made with African-American casts during the Golden Age of Hollywood.

It's a remake of Bizet's "Carmen", and was originally performed on Broadway in the 1940's. Otto Preminger filmed the play during the 1950's. The songs all retain Bizet's original music, but the lyrics have been updated to English. If you've never seen the opera, and are intimidated by opera in general, this film would actually be a good introduction to the topic.

The plot is moved from a Spanish village during the late 1800's to the American South during WWII. The cigarette factory is now a parachute factory, and the bullfighter is now a prize fighter. Generally, I thought the update was done well, just as some Shakespearean updates work well. The only part which doesn't work for me is that some of the dialogue and lyrics are in what I think of as "Porgy and Bess Ebonics", e.g. "dees", "dem", "dat", etc.

Carmen is played by Dorothy Dandridge, who is known as the African-American Marilyn Monroe. The two women's lives sadly parallel each other, although Dandridge could find even fewer scripts to show off her acting talents. Harry Belafonte plays the seduced male lead. Both are stunning beautiful, and at their prime.

All of the singing voices are dubbed by first rank operatic voices; the songs for Carmen Jones are dubbed by Marilyn Horne, for example.

The tragedy is realizing how many great actors and actresses could have had brilliant careers except for their skin color. It was interesting and sad to watch the Movietone Newsreel coverage of the premiere, which came attached to the copy of the tape I had. It features all of the white movie stars attending the premiere, the white studio heads -- and just happens to have a second or two of Harry Belafonte and Dorothy Dandridge at the end.

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16 out of 22 people found the following comment useful :-
Dorothy Dandridge's best film, 4 January 2006

Author: jotix100 from New York

It's incredible that it took an Austrian director, Otto Preminger, the courage to bring this wonderful screen adaptation of the Bizet's immortal opera Carmen to the American public. As a musical, "Carmen Jones" had been seen, successfully, on Broadway, because of the many talented black performers that weren't allowed to be seen in Hollywood movies. Preminger had a knack for tackling issues that other, better known directors, stayed away from.

"Carmen Jones", as seen today, shows us a film that is somehow dated, but when it made its debut, it surprised a lot of people because it was a revolutionary work, something the American movie goers weren't used to seeing. The strength of the film lies in the performances Mr. Preminger got from his multi-talented cast.

The adaptation of the opera sets the film in the South. We are taken to a military base during the war. The local people work in the factory, attached to the base, making parachutes and other war related equipment. Carmen Jones, is the sultry young woman who sticks out from the rest of her co-workers, not only by her beauty, which was obvious, but by the way she can reduce men to servitude, which is what happens to Joe, the man who is being promoted until fate intervenes and Carmen renders him useless.

The gorgeous Dorothy Dandridge made a magnificent Carmen Jones. In fact, this was Ms. Dandridge's best screen work because she smolders the screen every time she is seen in the film. Harry Belafonte is Joe, the man whose passion for the lovely Carmen will consume him and will not let him see straight. Pearl Bailey is a delight in her take of Frankie. Olga James is seen as the sweet Cindy Lou, the girl in love with Joe. Joe Adams, Brock Peters and a young Diahann Carroll are also seen in minor roles.

Some comments to the IMDb forum express their displeasure at the way the voices are heard. This seems to have been the only thing that Preminger should have worked with his collaborators Oscar Hammerstein II and Harry Kleiner into having the opera melodies sung naturally, the way one would expect Ms. Dandridge, who could sing, and of course, Harry Belafonte, a wonderful singer, to deliver them in a way that would have pleased those audiences not accustomed to hearing classical opera.

Regardless of what we think today, this was one of the breakthroughs that proved to America they could enjoy black performers on their merits and talent. Otto Preminger must be praised for being a pioneer in this field and for daring to be a man ahead of his time.

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14 out of 20 people found the following comment useful :-
Memorable Melodrama With A Standout Performance By Dorothy Dandridge, 23 February 2005
Author: Snow Leopard from Ohio

This memorable melodrama is an interesting adaptation of the classic "Carmen" story and music with a new setting and new song lyrics. Most of it works quite well, but it is remembered most of all for Dorothy Dandridge's impressive performance as "Carmen Jones".

The basic Carmen story itself is a perceptive and tragic look at the elemental passions and emotions that drive so much of what happens in human relationships. For the story to work most effectively, it takes a Carmen who not only has plenty of energy, but who also can be convincing in dominating all of the other characters. Dandridge excels at both, and she makes it easy to believe that she could get practically anything that she wanted from anyone.

Except for Pearl Bailey, who makes her character lively and entertaining in her own right, most of the rest of the cast is solid but is clearly - as is no doubt meant to be the case - overshadowed by Dandridge and Carmen. One exception, though, is Olga James as Cindy Lou. Although her character is very meek, and has no chance against Carmen, James does a fine job of making her sympathetic without becoming overly weepy or maudlin, and her performance adds some additional depth to the drama of relationships.

Most of the musical numbers work well, and there is good variety in them, as there is also in the settings and the material. The climactic sequence in the arena is nicely crafted, with the prizefight taking place in full view while, hidden from sight, the characters' passions are reaching the boiling point. It caps off an effective and interesting movie.

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10 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-
Cant believe it took me so long, 23 November 2004

Author: Dfredsparks from Dallas, TX

to see this amazing film. I thought Halle Berry did a great job in the Dandridge biopic, but after seeing Carmen Jones I don't know if she could do Dorothy justice. This woman was amazing in this film. she RADIATED sex appeal and I could see why her performance was groundbreaking. Otto Preminger directed and shot a beautiful film, and contemporary actors, especially black actors, should set the performances in this movie as highwater marks to shoot for. Pearl Bailey was amazing in addition to the two leads, Belafonte and Dandridge. Joe Adams as the boxer and the woman who played Cindy Lou also gave great performance.

Again to see black actors in this time period given a chance to perform a full range of characters was really amazing. In a lot of ways this film is more progressive than the drivel of black genre films coming out of Hollywood today

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11 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
Bizet gets drawllllllllllled!, 24 August 2003
Author: obie-4 from Azores

Unusual but well-made retelling of the "Carmen" opera with an African-American cast. The exquisite Dorothy Dandridge is on the money in the title role - she may have been one of Hollywood's greatest (and most underused) beauties. She and Belafonte generate a lot of heat on the screen. A good supporting cast includes Pearl Bailey and a very young Diahann Carroll.

Black folks had to take what they could get in Hollywood at the time and to the credit of the cast and Preminger, they manage to rise above the stereotypes. Who cares if "Carmen" was originally a Spanish opera, what's the big deal?

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6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Her Delilah Routine, 28 August 2005

Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York

Even after the success of Oklahoma, the partnership of Rodgers&Hammerstein was not cast in stone yet. After Oklahoma debuted, Oscar Hammerstein, II went to work on his next Broadway show with a dead collaborator. He wrote new lyrics for the music of Georges Bizet's opera Carmen and wrote a new book for an all black cast to perform it, in the tradition of Porgy and Bess.

That show was Carmen Jones and it ran for 502 performances on Broadway from 1943 to 1945. Hammerstein discovered what the team of Robert Wright and Chet Forrest had previously found out in adapting Edvard Grieg's melodies into their hit, Strange Music. That there's nothing like writing with a collaborator who can't complain and who's melodies are already a hit.

In fact while the show was originally on Broadway, Rise Stevens had sung in Going My Way the song that eventually became Dat's Love. And Nelson Eddy and sung The Toreador Song in his film Balalaika. Hammerstein brilliantly capitalized on some free publicity for his own show.

Harry Belafonte and Dorothy Dandridge give great acting performances though it's kind of strange to hear other voices coming from the mouths of two good singers. Their voices weren't operatic though, yet the singers dubbing them matched well with the personalities of both the leads. And Dandridge had Marilyn Horne, you can't do much better than that.

The whole thing originates from the French novelist's Prosper Merimee's story of the ill effects of passionate love. Harry Belefonte's on his way to being a Tuskegee airman and he runs afoul of Carmen Jones. Belefonte's got himself a gal, but Dandridge puts on her Delilah routine and Belefonte's dead meat.

In addition to Samson and Delilah the Belefonte character is remarkably similar to George Hurstwood in Theodore Dreiser's Sister Carrie. Another man who threw it all away for passion. I wouldn't be surprised if Dreiser refined Merimee's theme.

But Dandridge's performance is the best. As the hedonistic Carmen Jones, she's a wonder on screen. Seeing her realize that part on the screen, we can well understand why Belefonte threw it all away for love. Dandridge became the first black woman nominated in the Best Actress category, but she lost the Oscar sweepstakes to Grace Kelly for The Country Girl.

For those who like the opera Carmen, I think they'll be well pleased with Oscar Hammerstein, II did with Bizet's music and Merimee's story.

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6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Dandridge and Bizet!, 10 January 2005

Author: Edward Reid from Tallahassee, FL, US

Some greatness here. Dandridge's performance is riveting, and Pearl Bailey is a wonderful addition. Bizet's music is as appealing as always. The singers are excellent. The dancers at Billy Pastor's are another high point.

Too many slips for me to rate it a 10. It's lip-synced -- like every other movie musical, and (despite what one other reviewer said), one of the best lip-sync jobs I've seen. Only My Fair Lady does better (of those I've seen). Dandridge, Belafonte, and Bailey are particularly good; Olga James much less so. But I always find lip-syncing painfully obvious and distracting and will probably never have a chance to top-rate a movie musical as a result. It's also quite distracting when Joe breaks into song, because LeVern Hutcherson's voice is so different from Harry Belafonte's. It's a real shame that experienced singers like Dandridge and Belafonte weren't allowed to sing. Marilyn Horne, wow -- but I like the voice to match the face.

The acting is uneven. Some is excellent, led by Dandridge, and others do well too. But some of the acting is stiff.

Then there's the re-setting. Oh, moving the place is fine. It's funny that a couple of reviewers have referred to "how the Spaniards do it" and "Spanish opera". Hey, Carmen is set in Seville and Bizet attempted to use some Spanish musical idioms, but Carmen is a French opera through and through. Bizet was French, Prosper Merimee was French, the libretto is in French. But Carmen Jones only uses the top arias from Carmen, and ends up adding a lot of dialog to fill in the time. The story is true to the original, but Bizet told more in music and Hammerstein tells more in words. Oscar should have trusted Georges more.

I notice that Alvin Ailey is uncredited as a dancer. I found a couple of photos of him on the web -- it's hard, because his dance company has been so much more famous than the man, but I found a couple. I *think* I figured out which one he is -- some slo-mo work there -- but most of the dancers' faces don't come into focus for long enough to know for sure. It would be mostly a curiosity to know, since the movie doesn't show enough of the dance to see any personal style.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
The Oscar Hammerstein Carmen, 31 July 2006

Author: FloatingOpera7 from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Carmen Jones (1954): Starring Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, Joe Adams, Olga James, Pearl Bailey, Nick Stewart, Roy Glenn, Diahann Carroll, Brock Peters, Madame Sul-Te-Wan, Sandy Lewis. With the singing voices of Marilyn Horne, LeVerne Hutcherson, Marvin Hayes, Bernice Peterson, Margaret Lancaster....Director Otto Preminger, Lyrics By Oscar Hammerstein II, Screenplay Harry Kleiner.

From 1954, director Otto Preminger and Broadway musical composer Oscar Hammerstein teamed up for "Carmen Jones", a musical version of the well-known and popular opera Carmen by Georges Bizet. For its time, this film was revolutionary and innovative. Musicals were primarily a vehicle for well-known Caucausian singing-actors: Judy Garland, Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, Ethel Merman, Julie Andrews, Mary Martin and others. The cast for this film is all-black, and the principal roles are portrayed by well-known African-American actors of their day- Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte. Although an all-black Broadway musical was not new at this time (George Gerswhin's "Porgy and Bess" had already appeared on Broadway and in the 40's all-black musical films like "The Green Pastures" and "Cabin In The Sky" preceded this film), Carmen Jones was still very unique and an important film for the black community, for it meant that better roles were finally given to black actors. The movie was made in colorful Cinemascope, which was quite new at the time, filmed (thank God) outdoors and not in a studio, giving the film a realistic quality rather than a "painted backdrop" feeling which you would otherwise get in a musical or opera for that matter. Although the Bizet opera version is not what you see here, much of the original plot, themes and characters from the opera remain intact. There's a Carmen, Don Jose and Micaela, except with different, more realistic names and attitudes. The setting has been changed from the typically romanticized 19th century Spain composed of free-spirited gypsies, bullfighters, passionate romance and soldiers to America sometime after World War II (possibly the Korean War period)definitely the 50's. Carmen's opening number "Habanera", in which a red-clad Carmen sings a seductive song about herself, is still as powerful and evocative as every Carmen production I've ever seen. Dorothy Dandrige had made several important films and her roles were like black Marilyn Monroe roles- sexy, smart and liberated. She was a sort of pre-feminist movement icon. Her love of freedom, sensuality and devil-may-care attitude serves her well for the part of Carmen, who lives to love men, leave them and move on to a better catch, living a life that is her own and doing exactly as she pleases. American Mezzo-soprano diva Marilyn Horne provides the singing voice for Carmen Jones. This was early in her opera career and it was a smart move, for many still remember her for her fine Carmen performances. Harry Belafonte as Joe, the soldier Carmen loves and later jilts delivers a man driven to torment and passion, a man transformed from a good, innocent, engaged man (he's engaged to Cindy Lou played by Olga James) to an obscessed and ultimately tragic figure. He is very realistic, in fact probably more so than other "Don Joses" who make him out to be some kind of psychotic soldier or overgrown boy. We feel for Joe's plight. We feel for Cindy Lou's plight. But Dorothy Dandridge is not complex enough for us to sympathize with her character. The film is probably at its best when there is no singing and we see the drama unfolding through dialog. But the words by Oscar Hammerstein are memorable, catchy and perfectly in-synch with the original music written for the Bizet opera, although it appears that Hammerstein composed variations and new music that seems to fit the Carmen music. This is a great film, despite the melodrama and the flat characters. Fans of Dorothy Dandridge, who lived a short life in the movies and who was, in her day, a serious black actress prior to the Civil Rights movement, will enjoy this film. This role is possibly her most famous and the one that earned her a great deal of fame.

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5 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
They Don't Make 'Em Like They Use'ta, 10 December 1999

Author: alil2young from U.S.A.

In school I heard of Natalie Wood but not Dorothy Dandrige. I heard of James Dean, but not really Sidney Portier. So how nice it is to see such a film on my own to know that it existed and is as worthy of favorable acclaim as the rest.

I saw this on A&E and was blown away! I am so disappointed to not see films of this caliber nor actors getting work to really challenge their skills like these actors did. This all star cast was superb and intense. They sweat, they cried, they had veins sticking out of their heads literally...so into their roles. The opera singing is something I don't think will be seen in black cinema today. If so, it'll probably be ostracized. "Carmen Jones" represents the missing link in black films today, the true element of quality, character and story.

I MUST buy this and have it for other to see, even if it is 15 years later!

Lil

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