Carmen Jones Overview:

Carmen Jones (1954) was a Musical - Drama Film directed by Otto Preminger and produced by Otto Preminger.

SYNOPSIS

A sizzling screen version of Bizet's Carmen updated for an all-black cast, including an especially sizzling Dandridge. Soldier Belafonte falls for Dandridge, a seductive factory worker. The lovers flee after the soldier kills his sergeant, but Carmen's taunting faithlessness drives her lover to a crime of passion. Hammerstein provided lyrics for Bizet's melodies, and Preminger added the snap.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

.

Carmen Jones was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1992.

Academy Awards 1954 --- Ceremony Number 27 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best ActressDorothy DandridgeNominated
Best Music - ScoringHerschel Burke GilbertNominated
.

BlogHub Articles:

You Otto See It: Carmen Jones (1954)

By Google profile on Nov 9, 2008 From Out of the Past - A Classic Film Blog

About MeBlogger, Out of the Past - A Classic Film Blog and more. Please add my Google profile to your circles. I do love de movie Carmen Jones. It's de best dat Preminger got! Carmen Jones (1954 or 55) is by far my favorite Otto Preminger film yet. I just adore this film. What's not to love? It's a... Read full article


See all Carmen Jones articles

Quotes from

Frankie: We'll be livin' off the fatheads of the land.


Frankie: Somethin' tells me Chicago's gonna be real good for you.
Myrt: Somethin' tells me you gonna be real bad for Chicago.


Joe: Thanks, but I don't drink.
Carmen Jones: Boy, if the army was made up of nothin' but soldiers like you, war wouldn't do nobody no good.


read more quotes from Carmen Jones...

Facts about

Otto Preminger wanted to film on location in Chicago and South Carolina, but studio records show the movie was shot entirely on the Fox lot. One notable exception was the children's chorus scenes that were shot on location at a working dynamite factory. The parents, of course, were present, many of them sitting on boxes of explosives - idly smoking.
Joyce Bryant and Elizabeth Foster also did screen tests for the role of Carmen Jones. Dorothy Dandridge did her screen test working opposite veteran actor James Edwards in the role of Joe. Edwards, whose career was on the decline, was never considered for the role.
Eartha Kitt was offered the role of Carmen but they wanted her to be dubbed so she would have an operatic voice in the role, same offer they made to 'Harry Belefonte' and Diahann Carroll. Kitt refused, wanted to use her natural chest voice. It didn't matter for Pearl Bailey, whose own voice suited her comedy songs.
read more facts about Carmen Jones...
Share this page:
Visit the Classic Movie Hub Blog CMH
Best Actress Oscar 1954






See more Best Actress awards>>
National Film Registry

Carmen Jones

Released 1954
Inducted 1992
(Sound)




See All Films in National Registry >>
Also directed by Otto Preminger




More about Otto Preminger >>
Also produced by Otto Preminger




More about Otto Preminger >>
Also released in 1954




See All 1954 films >>
More "World War II" films



See All "World War II" films >>
More "Book-Based" films



See All "Book-Based" films >>
More "Based on Play" films



See All "Based on Play" films >>
More "Femme Fatale" films



See All "Femme Fatale" films >>