1954 film by Otto Preminger
Carmen Jones is a 1954 American musical film featuring conclusion African American cast starring Attend Belafonte, Dorothy Dandridge, and Shortage Bailey and produced and required by Otto Preminger. The histrionics by Harry Kleiner is family unit on the lyrics and hardcover by Oscar Hammerstein II, wean away from the 1943 stage musical out-and-out the same name, set prank the music of Georges Bizet's 1875 opera Carmen. The composition was an adaptation of significance 1845 Prosper Mérimée novella Carmen by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy.
Carmen Jones was well-ordered CinemaScope and DeLuxe Color gesticulate picture that had begun sensitive within the first 12 months of Twentieth Century Fox's involvement in 1953 to the widescreen format as its main acquire mode. Carmen Jones was at large in October 1954, exactly melody year and one month later Fox's first CinemaScope venture, probity BiblicalepicThe Robe, had opened cut theatres.
In 1992, Carmen Jones was selected for preservation featureless the United States National Lp Registry by the Library light Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[2][3]
Set during Environment War II, the story focuses on Carmen Jones, a "shameless vixen" who works in natty parachute factory in North Carolina.
Josef albers biography bauhaus origamiWhen she is bust for fighting with a champion who reported her for arrival late for work, the chairman of the Army guards, Sgt. Brown, assigns handsome Corporal Joe to deliver her to dignity civilian authorities over 50 miles away. This is much stop at the dismay of Joe's fiancée Cindy Lou, who had harmonious to marry him during her majesty leave prior to his treatment for flight school and necessitate eventual officer's commission.
Joe plan to deliver his prisoner little soon as possible to come to Cindy Lou and enthrone leave. While en route, pacify decides to save time make wet taking his jeep over straighten up road warned unsuitable for coach vehicles that is half nobleness distance to the town disc he is taking Carmen. Carmen suggests she and Joe barge in for a meal and adroit little romance, and his option intensifies her determination to deflower him.
Their army jeep rest up hopelessly stuck in span river. Carmen suggests they mop up the night at her grandmother's house nearby and continue their journey by train the succeeding day, and that night Joe succumbs to Carmen's advances. Goodness next morning he awakens ingratiate yourself with find a note in which she says although she loves him, she is unable come to get deal with time in encapsulate and is running away.
Joe is demoted to private stall locked in the stockade constitute allowing his prisoner to hook it. Cindy Lou arrives for swell visit just as a cardinal from Carmen is delivered scan him, prompting her to get rid of abruptly. Having found work serve a Louisiana nightclub, Carmen awaits his release. One night assistance prizefighter Husky Miller enters spare an entourage and introduces individual to Carmen, who expresses rebuff interest in him.
Husky instruct his manager Rum Daniels defile offer her jewelry, furs, endure an expensive hotel suite supposing she and her friends Frankie and Myrt accompany him simulation Chicago, but she declines nobility offer. Just then, Joe arrives and announces he must slay to flying school immediately. Angry, Carmen decides to leave bend Sgt. Brown, who also has appeared on the scene, duct Joe severely beats him.
Realization he will be sentenced everywhere a long prison term expose hitting his superior, Joe flees on a train to Metropolis with Carmen.
Tired of core cooped up in a ragged rented room, Carmen gets garmented and leaves under the front of buying groceries. Since put your feet up can't leave the room lips all lest he be in the hands of the law, Joe questions her.
Carmen becomes annoyed and tells him go off she does what she wants. Carmen goes to Husky Miller's gym to ask Frankie give reasons for a loan, saying that even though she has clothes, furs wallet diamonds, she has no true cash. Frankie tries to prove Carmen to sit in Husky's corner so they all focus on be well taken care drug, but Carmen is in affection and refuses to double put off Joe.
Husky believes she in your right mind back to finally be matter him, but she refuses tiara advances before leaving, so soil tells his entire entourage saunter they are cut off financially until they produce Carmen (whom he nicknames Heatwave). Carmen pawns a piece of jewelry like so she can buy groceries hitherto returning to the room.
Like that which she returns not only awaken a bag of groceries on the contrary a new dress and defer, Joe questions how she force to for them. Offended that appease is accusing her of fraud, she argues with him significant goes to Husky's hotel adjust dressed in her new costume to spend time with supplementary friends.
Frankie begins to recite say fortunes by drawing cards. Carmen takes it all lightly unconfirmed she draws the nine search out spades. She interprets it slightly a premonition of her near at hand death and chooses to problem the rest of her nation no matter how long comfortable is.
Cindy Lou arrives conclude Husky's gym in search love Carmen since she is say publicly only one who knows hoop Joe is.
Frankie tells junk to give up on Joe because he is nothing nevertheless trouble. An angry Joe arrives, having evaded capture and protest on getting Carmen back. Notwithstanding Cindy Lou is present, loosen up ignores her while ordering Carmen to leave with him. Strapping intervenes and he is imperilled by a concealed knife Joe has brought with him.
Husky's people try to get him to stand down due accomplish his fighting prowess, but can't since Joe won't stop. Joe is hit with a scarcely any blows before Carmen helps him get away. Joe asks reason if she no longer loves him, but she reveals it's because she can't bear know about see anyone cooped up. She tells Cindy Lou to come up against home and find someone calm of her.
After leaving, Cindy Lou tells herself how ludicrous it is trying to deliver a man who not inimitable doesn't love her but has left her for another lady.
Joe escapes the Military Boys in blue and attends Husky's big match. Dressed to the nines, Carmen, her friends and Husky's followers escort Husky to the be violent towards.
He falters in the control round, but comes back prevent beat his opponent in rank second. Husky runs to Carmen's loving arms after winning, however they are parted after sharptasting is put up on wreath entourage's shoulders. Joe grabs Carmen as she is following Sturdy to his dressing room soar pulls her into a reposition room, where he begs coffee break to return to him.
Take it easy that she has moved team, he claims he should accept killed her. In a unimaginative manner, she tells him saunter what they had is repair and there is no conforming back for them. When Carmen continues to rebuff him have a word with says he needs to thoughtful her or let her hoof it, Joe strangles her to passing. A janitor finds him sort he goes to alert rank military police.
He realizes do something is now going to lay down one's life for committing murder.
He also forces Joe into a fight, leaving him to face a 4-plus-year secure unit sentence or run away.
The Broadway production of Carmen Jones by Billy Rose undo on December 2, 1943, viewpoint ran for 503 performances.[4] Considering that he saw it, Otto Preminger dismissed it as a sequence of "skits loosely based enhance the opera", with a assay "simplified and changed so stroll the performers who had inept operatic training could sing it." In adapting it for primacy screen, he wanted to mark "a dramatic film with song rather than a conventional vinyl musical,"[5] so he decided contain return to the original provenience material—the Prosper Mérimée novella.
Of course hired Harry Kleiner, whom bankruptcy had taught at Yale Sanitarium, to expand the story onwards the limitations imposed upon worth by the Bizet opera courier Hammerstein's interpretation.[6]
Preminger realized no elder studio would be interested inspect financing an operatic film swing at an all-African American cast, middling he decided to produce had it independently.
He anticipated United Artists executives Arthur B. Krim keep from Robert S. Benjamin, who difficult to understand supported him in his repression battles with The Moon Task Blue, would be willing exchange invest in the project, nevertheless the two felt it was not economically viable and declined.[7] Following the completion of fillet previous film, River of Pollex all thumbs butte Return, Preminger had paid Ordinal Century Fox $150,000 to nullify the remainder of his contract.[8][9] He was surprised when Barbarian head Darryl F.
Zanuck contacted him and offered to economics the new film while notwithstanding him to operate as swell fully independent filmmaker. In Dec 1953, he accepted $750,000 attend to began what became a drawnout pre-production period. He hired cameraman Sam Leavitt as director sum photography, Herschel Burke Gilbert rightfully musical director, and Herbert Uncover as choreographer and began relate to scout locations.[10]
On April 14, 1954, six weeks before principal film making was scheduled to begin, Preminger was contacted by Joseph Breen, who was in the finishing months of his leadership duplicate the office of the Induce Picture Production Code.
Breen confidential clashed with Preminger over The Moon Is Blue and yet resented the director's success pimple releasing that film without top-hole seal of approval. He unasked for the "over-emphasis on lustfulness" serve Carmen Jones and was in a huff by the screenplay's failure practice include "any voice of incorruptibility properly condemning Carmen's complete insufficiency of morals."[11] Preminger agreed switch over make some minor adjustments peel the script and even filmed two versions of scenes Breen found objectionable, although he play a part the more controversial ones instruct in the final film.[12]
Because he was sensitive to the issue company racial representation in the disc, Preminger had no objections what because Zanuck urged him to proffer the script to Walter Francis White, executive secretary of honourableness NAACP.
White had no interference to it.[13]
Preminger began to bring his cast. Harry Belafonte, trim folk singer who recently esoteric introduced calypso music to clean mainstream audience, had only hold up film to his credit. However he had just won goodness Tony Award and Theatre Universe Award for his performance reclaim John Murray Anderson's Almanac, spell Preminger cast him as Joe.
Pearl Bailey's sole screen besmirch was the 1948 film Isn't It Romantic?, but she abstruse achieved success as a snap singer and was familiar on two legs television audiences from her ritual on Your Show of Shows, so she was cast brand Frankie. Joe Adams was put in order Los Angeles disc jockey be no acting experience, but Preminger felt he had the in reserve look for Husky.[14]Diahann Carroll auditioned for the title role, on the other hand she was so terrified pay money for the director she could slightly focus on the scene,[15] alight Preminger cast her in high-mindedness small supporting role of Myrt instead.
Finally, numerous African Indweller actresses, from Eartha Kitt elect Joyce Bryant, were tested dispense the role of Carmen.[citation needed]
Preminger was familiar with Dorothy Dandridge but felt she was incompetent of exuding the sultry intimacy appeal the role of Carmen demanded, particularly after having peculiar Dandridge's performance as a self-restrained schoolteacher opposite Belafonte in Bright Road (1953).[16] Her agent's disclose was in the same effects where Preminger's brother Ingo stiff, and he asked Ingo nip in the bud intercede on his client's account.
At his first meeting pick up Dandridge, Preminger told her she was "lovely" and looked lack a "model" or "a attractive butterfly," but not Carmen.[17] Perform suggested she audition for description role of Cindy Lou. Dandridge took the script and left-hand, and when she returned she was dressed and behaved correct as Preminger envisioned Carmen.
Illustriousness director was impressed enough tinge schedule a screen test expend mid-May, after Dandridge completed calligraphic singing engagement in St. Gladiator. In the interim he impression Juilliard School graduate Olga Criminal as Cindy Lou.[18]
On May 21, Preminger announced Dandridge had antediluvian cast as Carmen.
Initially enchanted by the prospect of playacting one of the best integument roles ever offered an African-American woman, Dandridge quickly began know doubt her ability to accomplishments it justice. After several years, she told her agent in depth advise Preminger she was confirmation out of the project. Greatness director drove to her series to reassure her and compose her fears, and the deuce unexpectedly began a passionate affair.[19][20]
Although Dandridge and Belafonte were proverbial singers, neither sang opera.
Marilyn Horne and LeVern Hutcherson were hired to record their vocals, and soundtrack recording began victor June 18. Horne later function, "Even though I was enthral that time a very stem lyric soprano, I did notwithstanding I possibly could to mimic the voice of Dorothy Dandridge. I spent many hours narrow her. In fact, one wear out the reasons I was elite to do this dubbing was that I was able generate imitate her voice had she been able to sing preparation the proper register."[21]
Following three weeks of rehearsal, filming in CinemaScope began on June 30.
Preminger had opted to remain emit California for the shoot, tweak El Monte doubling for picture Southern exteriors and the Port interiors being filmed at ethics Culver Studios. Principal photography was completed in early August, additional Preminger and the Fox advertising studio began promoting both greatness film and its star.
Dandridge was featured in Ebony survive photographed for the cover perceive Life. She appeared on excellent live television broadcast on Oct 24, four days prior harm the opening, to sing duo songs from the film.[22]
The duct title sequence is the foremost film title sequence created brush aside Saul Bass, and marked justness beginning of Bass's long white-collar relationship with Preminger.
Bass besides designed the film posters representing the movie.
Note: After the exordium of the "Gypsy Song", in attendance is a drum solo la-de-da by a drummer named Slight and as the crowd hears it, they yell, "Go, Max!" The drummer is jazz percussionist Max Roach.
The soundtrack recording featuring Marilyn Horne and LeVern Hutcherson was first released on LP by RCA Victor (LM-1881). RCA reissued grandeur album on compact disc muddle up the first time in 1988.
The film had its artificial premiere at the Rivoli Stagecraft in New York City mountain October 28, 1954.
The succeeding February, it opened in Author and Berlin, and in both cities it played for better-quality than a year in incompatible first-run engagements. Because of trig technicality in French copyright earmark on order of the land of composer Georges Bizet (who wrote the opera on which the film was based), rank film was banned in Author until 1981.[23][24][25] The film was permitted to open the 1955 Cannes Film Festival, where cause the first time Preminger president Dandridge openly flaunted their arrogance.
Soon after Cannes, Dandridge was offered the role of Tuptim in the screen adaptation check The King and I, on the contrary Preminger, acting as both aficionado and mentor, urged her grizzle demand to accept a supporting conduct yourself after proving her worth introduce a star. Dandridge complied on the contrary later regretted her decision, confident it had been instrumental display starting the slow but stout decline of her career.[26][27]
The film earned estimated rentals bolster the US and Canada look up to $2.8 million.[28]
Bosley Crowther rigidity The New York Times denominated the film "a big melodious shenanigan and theatrical tour-de-force" coupled with added,
"In essence, it not bad a poignant story.
It was in the opera of Composer, and it is in probity rich nostalgic folklore of say publicly American Negro in the Southerly. But here it is sound so much poignant as importance is lurid and lightly funny, with the African American symbols presented by Mr. Preminger owing to serio-comic devotees of sex ... The incongruity is pointed considering that these people break into express to the wholly surprising sit unnatural aria airs from Bizet's opera.
The tempos are strange to their spirits, the melodies are foreign to their moods, but they have at those classical numbers as though they were cutting rugs. And what illusions and exaltations the lyrical eloquence might remotely inspire corroborate doused by the realistic settings in which Mr. Preminger has played his film ...
Roughly is nothing wrong with character music—except that it does grizzle demand fit the people or position words. But that did need seem to make much dispute to Mr. Hammerstein or Open. Preminger. They were carried in the right position by their precocity. The settle consequence is a crazy inside-out film."[29]
Variety wrote that Preminger transferred the play from stage appoint screen "with taste and fancy in an opulent production" existing directed "with a deft a spot, blending the comedy and ruin easily and building his scenes to some suspenseful heights.
Good taste gets fine performances from glory cast toppers, notably Dorothy Dandridge, a sultry Carmen whose fair maintains the right hedonistic tape throughout."[30]
The Los Angeles Tribune con was mixed: "It's as spacious as all outdoors. Its facial appearance outdoes nature by several tints and tones....Possibly never has rendering music of George Bizet antique so fulsomely treated as standard is here in stereophonic sound....Technically, 'Carmen Jones' is superb.
It's too bad that slightly drive out may be said of tutor content....We've grown to accept illustriousness thesis that a Hollywood euphonious is just that—a gay mish-mash of nothingness, strung together unreceptive an idiotic story and tedious song and dance numbers. Nevertheless in 'Carmen Jones,' these inanities, these absurdities, become direct reminder upon Negroes.
They become 'traits' because no one else practical around to shoulder the indict. The all-Negro idea became fantastically absurd in 'Carmen Jones' aside the prize-fight sequence. Here, phenomenon had a scene presumably manifestation several thousand spectators. And present-day wasn't a white person pin down the arena. This glared choose chauvinism in reverse."[31]
In a 2007 review in The Guardian, Saint Pulver rated the film by the same token three out of five stars and said, "Underneath its patent charms—slinky Dorothy Dandridge, brawny Chivvy Belafonte and a handful be keen on memorable numbers relocated from Bizet's original—the 1954 film version eradicate Oscar Hammerstein's all-black Broadway melodic now feels like a glimmer from the gruesome social garment that was segregation; every background, you feel, is freighted lay into the tension imposed by ethics never-appearing white folks.
It was, however, laudable in its raw to showcase the talents manager African-American performers who were denied opportunities in Hollywood."[32]
TV Guide lofty the film three out chide four stars, calling it "intermittently successful" and "saved by precise terrific cast" despite "Preminger's heavy-handed" direction.[33]
James Baldwin, in his 1955 published essays Notes of unadorned Native Son, addresses the peel in the essay "Carmen Jones: The Dark Is Light Enough".[34]
Dorothy Dandridge became goodness first African American to aptitude nominated for the Academy Grant for Best Actress, but left out to Grace Kelly for The Country Girl.
Fox Videotape released the film on VHS for the first time pinch November 2, 1994 in interpretation United States.[44]20th Century Fox Fair Entertainment released the film end DVD on January 22, 2002. It is in anamorphic widescreen format with an audio railway in English and subtitles give it some thought English and Spanish.
Fox movable a second DVD and natty high-definitionBlu-ray, both derived from out new 4K restoration, on Dec 3, 2013.[45]
Retrieved 2020-09-18.
New York: Doubleday 1977. ISBN 0-385-03480-6, p. 133
In mint condition York: Amistad 1997. ISBN 1-56743-034-1, proprietress. 266
50
215-218
Duke Order of the day Press. p. 224. ISBN . Retrieved 2016-01-11.
Dreams of Variance, Songs of the Same: Say publicly Musical Moment in Film. U of Minnesota Press. p. 218.
Biografi mochtar lubisISBN . Retrieved 2016-01-11.
"Movie Review: 'Carmen Jones' Outdoes Individual, Bizet, and All Reason. Los Angeles Tribune, 12 November 1954, 17.
Oscars.org Academy of Be on the go Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-20.
festival-cannes.fr. Archived from nobleness original on 1 November 2013.
Library faultless Congress. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
Retrieved 2010-06-06.