IMDb RATING
6.8/10
5.9K
YOUR RATING
Contemporary version of the Bizet opera, with new lyrics and an African-American cast.Contemporary version of the Bizet opera, with new lyrics and an African-American cast.Contemporary version of the Bizet opera, with new lyrics and an African-American cast.
- Nominated for 2 Oscars
- 5 wins & 8 nominations total
Brock Peters
- Sergeant Brown
- (as Broc Peters)
LeVern Hutcherson
- Joe
- (voice)
- (as Le Vern Hutcherson)
Marilyn Horne
- Carmen Jones
- (voice)
- (as Marilynn Horne)
Marvin Hayes
- Husky Miller
- (voice)
Alvin Ailey
- Dance Soloist
- (uncredited)
DeForest Covan
- Trainer
- (uncredited)
Joseph E. Crawford
- Dink Franklin
- (singing voice)
- (uncredited)
Carmen De Lavallade
- Dance Soloist
- (uncredited)
Bernie Hamilton
- Reporter
- (uncredited)
Margaret Lancaster
- Singing Voice
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- Oscar Hammerstein II
- Harry Kleiner
- Prosper Mérimée(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis film contains just 169 shots in 103 minutes of action. This equates to an average shot length of about 36 seconds, which is very high, given the 8 - 10 seconds standard of most Hollywood films made during the 1950s.
- GoofsThe story takes place circa 1944, but all of the women's fashions and hairstyles are strictly 1954; when Carmen and Frankie are talking outside the Chicago Pawn Shop, 1950s-era automobiles passing by can clearly be seen reflected in the showcase window.
- Quotes
Carmen Jones: I always did want to see the big town.
Frankie: You got your wish, honey. Somethin' tells me Chicago's gonna be real good for you.
Myrt: Somethin' tells me you gonna be real *bad* for Chicago.
- Crazy creditsThe opening credits and end title are set around a flaming rose.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood (1998)
Featured review
A fascinating experiment
I believe the other reviewer misses the point. This film was a fascinating experiment in restaging and updating an opera "warhorse." Imagine a Hollywood studio trying to do something like this today? Unthinkable.
The basic story line is classic - man, woman, betrayal, death. I find the musical renderings of Bizet's tunes most interesting. (Dmitri Tiomkin was one of the musical directors (uncredited).) The original lyrics aren't all that interesting, so re-writing the words doesn't seem to me of much consequence. I could wish, however, that the singing and acting were better. (Except for Carmen -- Marilyn Horne!!)
The race thing doesn't trouble me at all. The original 'Carmen' was set in the Seville underclass, so this transformation to America of the 1920s made perfect sense. And it gave a lot of black actors a good gig!
Opera stage directors and designers often set operas in modern times. Shakespeare's plays are often reset into modern times. Remember Ethan Hawkes' "Hamlet?" We should encourage these revitalization attempts. After all, they are, in a very real sense, truly creative works.
Sometimes they succeed, sometimes they fail, but films like 'Carmen Jones' exemplify a vital history of 'Americanizing' the sometimes stale European 'high art' ideal into more readily digestible fare. This maybe isn't the greatest movie ever made, but c'mon! Give Hollywood a break. They were trying to DO something, so let's give some credit for a good attempt.
The basic story line is classic - man, woman, betrayal, death. I find the musical renderings of Bizet's tunes most interesting. (Dmitri Tiomkin was one of the musical directors (uncredited).) The original lyrics aren't all that interesting, so re-writing the words doesn't seem to me of much consequence. I could wish, however, that the singing and acting were better. (Except for Carmen -- Marilyn Horne!!)
The race thing doesn't trouble me at all. The original 'Carmen' was set in the Seville underclass, so this transformation to America of the 1920s made perfect sense. And it gave a lot of black actors a good gig!
Opera stage directors and designers often set operas in modern times. Shakespeare's plays are often reset into modern times. Remember Ethan Hawkes' "Hamlet?" We should encourage these revitalization attempts. After all, they are, in a very real sense, truly creative works.
Sometimes they succeed, sometimes they fail, but films like 'Carmen Jones' exemplify a vital history of 'Americanizing' the sometimes stale European 'high art' ideal into more readily digestible fare. This maybe isn't the greatest movie ever made, but c'mon! Give Hollywood a break. They were trying to DO something, so let's give some credit for a good attempt.
helpful•169
- JackLind
- Aug 30, 2004
- How long is Carmen Jones?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Oscar Hammerstein's Carmen Jones
- Filming locations
- Southern Pacific railroad crossing at 8746 E Los Angeles Avenue, aka California Highway 118, Moorpark, California, USA(scene where Carmen attempts escape from the Jeep)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $750,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 45 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.55 : 1
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