Vonia "Carmen Jones" (1954) A musical based on an opera, with an African American cast. A few good musical numbers in between incongruous telling of a story. Promising young army man loves simple good woman. Man is assigned to take not so simple and not so good vixen to civilian authorities. Not so good woman manipulates and seduces man into not so promising man. Woman escapes. Man falls very hard for seductive vixen woman. Not so good woman tries to love him back, tries to be faithful, but eventually finds herself needing the baubles and trinkets of rich men. She "don't account to no man" and love "don't give you no right to own me". Man gives up everything only to find woman he loves with another man. Once promising young army man on his way to flight school strangles not so simple and not so good vixen to death. A racial musical Cliché, contrived tragedy Makes fun but that's all #Haibun #PoemReview

Antonius Block In this adaptation of the opera, Dorothy Dandridge is a firecracker, and Harry Belafonte is not bad himself. He plays a straight-laced GI who is engaged to a sweet young woman (Olga James), but finds himself seduced by Dandridge when he's charged with taking her in to authorities for fighting on the base. There are some scenes with over-the-top symbolism, such as Dandridge between his legs cleaning his uniform while he munches a peach, and it's pretty steamy stuff for 1954.Gradually we see Belafonte degrade himself, as Dandridge tires of him and moves out to another (a boxer played by Joe Adams). It's hard to feel good about Dandridge's character, but then again it's hard not to be mesmerized by her, and it's great to see a strong woman portrayed. In one scene she's baring her beautiful legs, and in another she's telling Belafonte that she "don't account to no man", and that love "don't give you no right to own me – there's only one that does, and that's me, myself." Hallelujah.It's a strong cast as well, including Pearl Bailey, and I considered a slightly higher rating, but knocked it down because of the voiceovers, which made several of the musical numbers a little less enjoyable for me. While true to the opera and maybe necessary because the music is challenging in places, it often sounded unnatural, which is a shame given Dandridge and Belafonte's singing ability. Still – a very good, entertaining movie.

ayreno This modern re-working of Bizet's Carmen is a must-see. Carmen Jones retains Bizet's music while setting the story in the late 20th century). Dandridge owns this film with her wildly entertaining--and empathetic--portrayal of Carmen.I wish the cast had been able to (all) sing their own parts. The highlight for me was Pearl Bailey's big number when she is first introduced, but all of the songs are really well written to accompany Bizet's opera. Overall, I liked it a lot. A "race" movie that transcends race, and reminds that all people hurt the same way and laugh the same way. This is a sparkling example of a what a movie musical can be and how it can better its viewers while remaining impeccably entertaining.

Jackson Booth-Millard From director Otto Preminger (Laura, Anatomy of a Murder), as is the tradition I might have heard the title somewhere before, but I recognised it from the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, so naturally I watched it. Basically it is an all black contemporary musical version of Georges Bizet's legendary opera Carmen, also based on the Broadway musical production. The story starts at an all black army camp where Cindy Lou (Olga James) has gone to see her fiancée Joe (Harry Belafonte), but their reunion is spoilt when Joe is ordered to take civilian parachute maker and man eater Carmen Jones (Oscar and BAFTA nominated Dorothy Dandridge) off the base. Carmen sets her sights on Joe, knowing his engagement and due to go into pilot training for the Korean War, and he does succumb to her charms, forgetting completely about Cindy Lou. Because Joe did not hand Carmen to the authorities he is put in prison, and while she waits she hangs around in Billy Pastor's jive café, where she meets besotted boxer Husky Miller (Joe Adams). She is initially uninterested, but her friends Frankie (Pearl Bailey) and Myrt (Diahann Carroll) convince her that she can't turn an invitation from Husky's manager to see him fight in Chicago. When Joe turns up quickly getting into a fight with Sergeant Brown (Brock Peters) for hitting on Carmen, she goes to Husky's training camp, where her friends try to convince her to forget about Joe and "go with the money" by staying with Husky. Later, Carmen gets her cards read by Frankie, and with the Nine of Spades representing death, she is convinced she will die soon, so she decides to dump Joe for the luxurious lifestyle with Husky. Cindy Lou comes back looking for Joe, but he is still in love with Carmen and rejects Cindy Lou with disdain. The night of Husky's big fight has come, and Joe turns up trying to convince Carmen to take him back, and when she rejects him the cards prediction turns out to be to true when he kills her. Also starring Roy Glenn as Rum Daniels and Nick Stewart as Dink Franklin. Dandridge is fantastic as one of the ultimate Femme Fatales of the cinema, the story is good modernised conventions of opera, the songs (especially Dat's Love, Beat Out Dat Rhythm on a Drum, Stan' Up and Fight, and Dat's Our Man - music is also the Overture) have been written around the great classical music, it is a very watchable musical melodrama. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Music for Herschel Burke Gilbert, and it was nominated the BAFTA for Best Film from any Source, and it won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy. It was number 52 on The 100 Greatest Musicals. Very good!