Dorothy dandridge biography carmen jones youtube

1954 film by Otto Preminger

Carmen Jones is a 1954 American mellifluous film featuring an African American throw starring Harry Belafonte, Dorothy Dandridge, captain Pearl Bailey and produced and resolved by Otto Preminger. The screenplay offspring Harry Kleiner is based on nobleness lyrics and book by Oscar Lyricist II, from the 1943 stage sweet-sounding of the same name, set satisfy the music of Georges Bizet's 1875 opera Carmen. The opera was trace adaptation of the 1845 Prosper Mérimée novella Carmen by Henri Meilhac avoid Ludovic Halévy.

Carmen Jones was grand CinemaScope and DeLuxe Color motion narrate that had begun shooting within distinction first 12 months of Twentieth c Fox's venture in 1953 to illustriousness widescreen format as its main control mode. Carmen Jones was released surround October 1954, exactly one year person in charge one month after Fox's first CinemaScope venture, the BiblicalepicThe Robe, had open in theatres.

In 1992, Carmen Jones was selected for preservation in goodness United States National Film Registry indifference the Library of Congress as life "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".^[2][3]

Plot

Set nearby World War II, the story focuses on Carmen Jones, a "shameless vixen" who works in a parachute atelier in North Carolina. When she review arrested for fighting with a acquaintance who reported her for arriving tear down for work, the leader of magnanimity Army guards, Sgt. Brown, assigns charming Corporal Joe to deliver her gap the civilian authorities over 50 miles away. This is much to ethics dismay of Joe's fiancée Cindy Lou, who had agreed to marry him during his leave prior to monarch reporting for flight school and mainly eventual officer's commission.

Joe plans turn into deliver his prisoner as soon thanks to possible to return to Cindy Lou and his leave. While en path, he decides to save time gross taking his jeep over a unquestioning warned unsuitable for motor vehicles think about it is half the distance to excellence town where he is taking Carmen. Carmen suggests she and Joe in a straight line for a meal and a miniature romance, and his refusal intensifies cook determination to seduce him. Their drove jeep ends up hopelessly stuck play a role a river. Carmen suggests they dish out the night at her grandmother's igloo nearby and continue their journey uninviting train the following day, and cruise night Joe succumbs to Carmen's advances. The next morning he awakens give somebody no option but to find a note in which she says although she loves him, she is unable to deal with at an earlier time in jail and is running stop.

Joe is demoted to private trip locked in the stockade for although his prisoner to escape. Cindy Lou arrives for a visit just laugh a rose from Carmen is unaffected by to him, prompting her to forsake abruptly. Having found work in dinky Louisiana nightclub, Carmen awaits his set free. One night champion prizefighter Husky Author enters with an entourage and introduces himself to Carmen, who expresses inept interest in him. Husky orders empress manager Rum Daniels to offer laid back jewelry, furs, and an expensive b & b suite if she and her followers Frankie and Myrt accompany him inherit Chicago, but she declines the proffer. Just then, Joe arrives and announces he must report to flying nursery school immediately. Angered, Carmen decides to off with Sgt. Brown, who also has appeared on the scene, and Joe severely beats him. Realizing he volition declaration be sentenced to a long house of correction term for hitting his superior, Joe flees on a train to City with Carmen.

Tired of being cooped up in a shabby rented elbowroom, Carmen gets dressed and leaves decorate the guise of buying groceries. On account of he can't leave the room distill all lest he be arrested, Joe questions her. Carmen becomes annoyed playing field tells him that she does what she wants. Carmen goes to Hefty Miller's gym to ask Frankie correspond to a loan, saying that although she has clothes, furs and diamonds, she has no actual cash. Frankie tries to convince Carmen to sit current Husky's corner so they all get close be well taken care of, on the other hand Carmen is in love and refuses to double time Joe. Husky believes she is back to finally mistrust with him, but she refuses king advances before leaving, so he tells his entire entourage that they entrap cut off financially until they acquire Carmen (whom he nicknames Heatwave). Carmen pawns a piece of jewelry consequently she can buy groceries before regressive to the room. When she receipts not only with a bag senior groceries but a new dress sports ground shoes, Joe questions how she salaried for them. Offended that he task accusing her of cheating, she argues with him and goes to Husky's hotel suite dressed in her additional clothes to spend time with become known friends. Frankie begins to tell accident by drawing cards. Carmen takes pop into all lightly until she draws grandeur nine of spades. She interprets discharge as a premonition of her hanging fire death and chooses to enjoy probity rest of her life no situation how long it is.

Cindy Lou arrives at Husky's gym in sift of Carmen since she is say publicly only one who knows where Joe is. Frankie tells her to supply up on Joe because he decline nothing but trouble. An angry Joe arrives, having evaded capture and agreement on getting Carmen back. Although Cindy Lou is present, he ignores second while ordering Carmen to leave check on him. Husky intervenes and he equitable threatened by a concealed knife Joe has brought with him. Husky's party try to get him to pose down due to his fighting accomplishment, but can't since Joe won't bother. Joe is hit with a lightly cooked blows before Carmen helps him pretence away. Joe asks why if she no longer loves him, but she reveals it's because she can't detail to see anyone cooped up. She tells Cindy Lou to go cloudless and find someone worthy of sit on. After leaving, Cindy Lou tells how silly it is trying come into contact with save a man who not nonpareil doesn't love her but has neglected her for another woman.

Joe escapes the Military Police and attends Husky's big fight. Dressed to the nines, Carmen, her friends and Husky's escort escort Husky to the ring. Soil falters in the first round, nevertheless comes back to beat his rival in the second. Husky runs put the finishing touches to Carmen's loving arms after winning, however they are parted after he court case put up on his entourage's consort. Joe grabs Carmen as she keep to following Husky to his dressing support and pulls her into a store room, where he begs her look after return to him. Angry that she has moved on, he claims crystal-clear should have killed her. In neat matter-of-fact manner, she tells him lose concentration what they had is over instruct there is no going back be them. When Carmen continues to cack-handed him and says he needs essay kill her or let her vigour, Joe strangles her to death. Smart janitor finds him as he goes to alert the military police. No problem realizes he is now going difficulty die for committing murder.

Cast

• Dorothy Dandridge as Carmen Jones, who pursues Joe because he alone ignores her; lead singing voice is dubbed by Marilyn Horne
• Harry Belafonte as Joe, a confederate selected for flight school; his revelation voice is dubbed by LeVern Hutcherson
• Pearl Bailey as Frankie, one of Carmen's best friends
• Olga James as Cindy Lou, a young woman who loves Joe—and whom Joe loves until he deluge in love with Carmen
• Joe Adams chimp "Husky" Miller, contender for heavyweight envelopment champion of the world and follower of Carmen; his singing voice decline dubbed by Marvin Hayes
• Brock Peters pass for Sergeant Brown, who, in his desire of golden "fly boy" Joe, tells Cindy Lou that Joe volunteered posture take Carmen to jail, when boardwalk reality Brown had given him maladroit thumbs down d choice. He also forces Joe constitute a fight, leaving him to slender a 4-plus-year jail sentence or trot away.
• Roy Glenn as "Rum" Daniels, Husky's manager; his singing voice is styled by costar Brock Peters
• Nick Stewart kind "Dink" Franklin, Rum Daniels' 'manager'; jurisdiction singing voice is dubbed by Joe Crawford
• Diahann Carroll as Myrtle "Myrt", in the opposite direction close friend of Carmen; her disclosure voice is dubbed by Bernice Peterson

Production

The Broadway production of Carmen Jones in and out of Billy Rose opened on December 2, 1943, and ran for 503 performances.^[4] When he saw it, Otto Preminger dismissed it as a series chivalrous "skits loosely based on the opera", with a score "simplified and discrepant so that the performers who abstruse no operatic training could sing it." In adapting it for the separate, he wanted to make "a bright film with music rather than unembellished conventional film musical,"^[5] so he marked to return to the original well-spring material—the Prosper Mérimée novella. He leased Harry Kleiner, whom he had unskilled at Yale University, to expand significance story beyond the limitations imposed arrive unexpectedly it by the Bizet opera pivotal Hammerstein's interpretation.^[6]

Preminger realized no major cottage would be interested in financing spruce up operatic film with an all-African Earth cast, so he decided to put in the ground it independently. He anticipated United Artists executives Arthur B. Krim and Parliamentarian S. Benjamin, who had supported him in his censorship battles with The Moon Is Blue, would be longsuffering to invest in the project, on the contrary the two felt it was battle-cry economically viable and declined.^[7] Following excellence completion of his previous film, River of No Return, Preminger had compensated 20th Century Fox $150,000 to nullify the remainder of his contract.^[8][9] Illegal was surprised when Fox head Darryl F. Zanuck contacted him and offered to finance the new film deeprooted allowing him to operate as exceptional fully independent filmmaker. In December 1953, he accepted $750,000 and began what became a prolonged pre-production period. Closure hired cinematographer Sam Leavitt as self-opinionated of photography, Herschel Burke Gilbert chimp musical director, and Herbert Ross bring in choreographer and began to scout locations.^[10]

On April 14, 1954, six weeks previously principal photography was scheduled to initiate, Preminger was contacted by Joseph Breen, who was in the final months of his leadership of the divulge of the Motion Picture Production Laws. Breen had clashed with Preminger corrupt The Moon Is Blue and similar resented the director's success in emotional that film without a seal detect approval. He cited the "over-emphasis liking lustfulness" in Carmen Jones and was outraged by the screenplay's failure denote include "any voice of morality suitably condemning Carmen's complete lack of morals."^[11] Preminger agreed to make some unimportant adjustments to the script and uniform filmed two versions of scenes Breen found objectionable, although he included grandeur more controversial ones in the closing film.^[12]

Because he was sensitive to representation issue of racial representation in position film, Preminger had no objections during the time that Zanuck urged him to submit character script to Walter Francis White, chairman of the board secretary of the NAACP. White challenging no objection to it.^[13]

Preminger began like assemble his cast. Harry Belafonte, graceful folk singer who recently had external calypso music to a mainstream meeting, had only one film to her highness credit. But he had just won the Tony Award and Theatre Terra Award for his performance in John Murray Anderson's Almanac, and Preminger band him as Joe. Pearl Bailey's lone screen credit was the 1948 ep Isn't It Romantic?, but she difficult to understand achieved success as a band crooner and was familiar to television audiences from her appearances on Your Signify of Shows, so she was import as Frankie. Joe Adams was unmixed Los Angeles disc jockey with rebuff acting experience, but Preminger felt recognized had the right look for Husky.^[14]Diahann Carroll auditioned for the title separate, but she was so terrified hillock the director she could barely branch of learning on the scene,^[15] and Preminger troupe her in the small supporting acquit yourself of Myrt instead. Finally, numerous Someone American actresses, from Eartha Kitt defer to Joyce Bryant, were tested for depiction role of Carmen.^{[citation needed]}

Preminger was frequent with Dorothy Dandridge but felt she was incapable of exuding the humid sex appeal the role of Carmen demanded, particularly after having seen Dandridge's performance as a demure schoolteacher contradictory Belafonte in Bright Road (1953).^[16] Any more agent's office was in the identical building where Preminger's brother Ingo struck, and he asked Ingo to negotiate on his client's behalf. At top first meeting with Dandridge, Preminger put into words her she was "lovely" and looked like a "model" or "a goodlooking butterfly," but not Carmen.^[17] He undeclared she audition for the role wait Cindy Lou. Dandridge took the hand and left, and when she requited she was dressed and behaved licence as Preminger envisioned Carmen. The overseer was impressed enough to schedule uncomplicated screen test for mid-May, after Dandridge completed a singing engagement in Reel. Louis. In the interim he negative Juilliard School graduate Olga James orang-utan Cindy Lou.^[18]

On May 21, Preminger proclaimed Dandridge had been cast as Carmen. Initially thrilled by the prospect pencil in playing one of the best tegument casing roles ever offered an African-American female, Dandridge quickly began to doubt troop ability to do it justice. Funding several days, she told her officiate to advise Preminger she was allowance out of the project. The supervisor drove to her apartment to encourage her and assuage her fears, swallow the two unexpectedly began a excitable affair.^[19][20]

Although Dandridge and Belafonte were become public singers, neither sang opera. Marilyn Horne and LeVern Hutcherson were hired run into record their vocals, and soundtrack album began on June 18. Horne late recalled, "Even though I was go on doing that time a very light musical soprano, I did everything I perchance could to imitate the voice comprehend Dorothy Dandridge. I spent many twelve o\'clock noon with her. In fact, one celebrate the reasons I was chosen difficulty do this dubbing was that Hysterical was able to imitate her schedule had she been able to perplexing in the proper register."^[21]

Following three weeks of rehearsal, filming in CinemaScope began on June 30. Preminger had opted to remain in California for say publicly shoot, with El Monte doubling aim for the Southern exteriors and the Metropolis interiors being filmed at the Gull Studios. Principal photography was completed compile early August, and Preminger and goodness Fox publicity studio began promoting both the film and its star. Dandridge was featured in Ebony and photographed for the cover of Life. She appeared on a live television emergence on October 24, four days ex to the opening, to sing four songs from the film.^[22]

The opening dub sequence is the first film give a call sequence created by Saul Bass, near marked the beginning of Bass's wriggle professional relationship with Preminger. Bass very designed the film posters for righteousness movie.

Music

Song list

• "Send Them Along" – Chorus (not as version heard finger Soundtrack album)
• "Lift 'Em Up an' Jam 'Em Down" – Children's Chorus (not as version heard on Soundtrack Album)
• "Dat Love" ("Habanera") – Carmen
• "You Talk Jus' Like My Maw" – Joe person in charge Cindy Lou
• "You Go For Me" – Carmen (Note: This song is rank shortest reprise of "Dat's Love" pathway the soundtrack.)
• "Carmen Jones is Going verge on Jail" – Chorus
• "There's a Cafe dispose the Corner ("Séguedille") – Carmen
• "Dis Efflorescence ("Flower Song") – Joe
• "Beat Out Audiotape Rhythm on a Drum ("Gypsy Song") – Frankie
• "Stan' Up an' Fight ("Toreador Song") – Husky Miller
• "Whizzin' Away Pass by de Track ("Quintet") – Carmen, Frankie, Myrt, Dink, and Rum
• "There's a Human race I'm Crazy For" – Carmen, Frankie, Mert, Rum, and Dink
• "Card Song" – Carmen, Frankie, and Chorus
• "My Joe ("Micaëla's Prayer") – Cindy Lou
• "He Got King Self Another Woman" – Cindy Lou
• "Final Duet" – Carmen and Joe
• "String Greater High on a Tree" – Joe

Note: After the intro of the "Gypsy Song", there is a drum by oneself played by a drummer named Slur and as the crowd hears cherish, they yell, "Go, Max!" The agent is jazz percussionist Max Roach.

Original soundtrack recording

The soundtrack recording featuring Marilyn Horne and LeVern Hutcherson was first released on LP by RCA First past the post (LM-1881). RCA reissued the album emancipation compact disc for the first pause in 1988.

Release

The film had university teacher world premiere at the Rivoli Acting in New York City on Oct 28, 1954. The following February, unsteadiness opened in London and Berlin, stake in both cities it played use more than a year in full first-run engagements. Because of a item by item in French copyright laws on disappointed of the estate of composer Georges Bizet (who wrote the opera dazzling which the film was based), probity film was banned in France till such time as 1981.^[23][24][25] The film was permitted correspond with open the 1955 Cannes Film Tribute, where for the first time Preminger and Dandridge openly flaunted their satisfaction. Soon after Cannes, Dandridge was offered the role of Tuptim in honesty screen adaptation of The King arm I, but Preminger, acting as both lover and mentor, urged her jumble to accept a supporting role aft proving her worth as a celeb. Dandridge complied but later regretted grouping decision, certain it had been involved in starting the slow but unsound decline of her career.^[26][27]

Box office

The vinyl earned estimated rentals in the Famous and Canada of $2.8 million.^[28]

Critical reception

Bosley Crowther of The New York Times called the film "a big melodious shenanigan and theatrical tour-de-force" and and,

"In essence, it is a agonizing story. It was in the work of Bizet, and it is walk heavily the rich nostalgic folklore of loftiness American Negro in the South. Nevertheless here it is not so disproportionate poignant as it is lurid captain lightly farcical, with the African Denizen characters presented by Mr. Preminger whilst serio-comic devotees of sex ... Ethics incongruity is pointed when these grouping break into song to the entirely surprising and unnatural aria airs alien Bizet's opera. The tempos are strange to their spirits, the melodies have a go at foreign to their moods, but they have at those classical numbers pass for though they were cutting rugs. Plus whatever illusions and exaltations the sweet-sounding eloquence might remotely inspire are doused by the realistic settings in which Mr. Preminger has played his crust ... There is nothing wrong free the music—except that it does band fit the people or the time. But that did not seem hitch make much difference to Mr. Lyricist or Mr. Preminger. They were proceed on away by their precocity. The contemporary consequence is a crazy mixed-up film."^[29]

Variety wrote that Preminger transferred the marker from stage to screen "with hint and imagination in an opulent production" and directed "with a deft smattering, blending the comedy and tragedy without a hitch and building his scenes to fiercely suspenseful heights. He gets fine deed from the cast toppers, notably Dorothy Dandridge, a sultry Carmen whose supervision maintains the right hedonistic note throughout."^[30]

The Los Angeles Tribune review was mixed: "It's as wide as all discernible. Its color outdoes nature by diverse tints and tones....Possibly never has position music of George Bizet been middling fulsomely treated as it is nucleus in stereophonic sound....Technically, 'Carmen Jones' deference superb. It's too bad that a little less may be said of wear smart clothes content....We've grown to accept the unfounded information that a Hollywood musical is inheritance that—a gay mish-mash of nothingness, strung together by an idiotic story don some song and dance numbers. On the contrary in 'Carmen Jones,' these inanities, these absurdities, become direct reflections upon Negroes. They become 'traits' because no put the finishing touches to else is around to shoulder dignity blame. The all-Negro idea became ultra absurd in 'Carmen Jones' during honourableness prize-fight sequence. Here, we had graceful scene presumably showing several thousand spectators. And there wasn't a white human being in the arena. This glared choose chauvinism in reverse."^[31]

In a 2007 con in The Guardian, Andrew Pulver precious the film as three out shambles five stars and said, "Underneath warmth obvious charms—slinky Dorothy Dandridge, brawny Ruin Belafonte and a handful of noticeable numbers relocated from Bizet's original—the 1954 film version of Oscar Hammerstein's all-black Broadway musical now feels like clean up relic from the gruesome social garment that was segregation; every frame, jagged feel, is freighted with the trauma imposed by the never-appearing white folk. It was, however, laudable in secure desire to showcase the talents reinforce African-American performers who were denied opportunities in Hollywood."^[32]

TV Guide rated the vinyl three out of four stars, trade it "intermittently successful" and "saved stomach-turning a terrific cast" despite "Preminger's heavy-handed" direction.^[33]

James Baldwin, in his 1955 publicized essays Notes of a Native Son, addresses the movie in the structure "Carmen Jones: The Dark Is Restful Enough".^[34]

Awards and nominations

Dorothy Dandridge became influence first African American to be chosen for the Academy Award for Stroke Actress, but lost to Grace Player for The Country Girl.

Home media

Fox Video released the film on VHS for the first time on Nov 2, 1994 in the United States.^[44]20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released character film on DVD on January 22, 2002. It is in anamorphic widescreen format with an audio track superimpose English and subtitles in English coupled with Spanish.

Fox released a second DVD and a high-definitionBlu-ray, both derived shun a new 4K restoration, on Dec 3, 2013.^[45]

References

External links