🥀 Carmen Jones - TMC 4/8/2020 🥀

Mz iMac · ‎07-26-2014

8:00 EST

"In 1943, Oscar Hammerstein Jr. took Georges Bizet's opera Carmen, rewrote the lyrics, changed the characters from 19th century Spaniards to World War II-era African-Americans, switched the locale to a Southern military base, and the result was Carmen Jones. Dorothy Dandridge stars as Carmen Jones, tempestuous employee of a parachute factory. Harry Belafonte plays Joe (originally José), a young military officer engaged to marry virginal Cindy Lou (Olga James). When Carmen gets into a fight with another girl, she is placed under arrest and put in Joe's charge. Succumbing to her attractiveness, Joe accompanies Carmen to her old neighborhood, where, after killing a sergeant sent to retrieve him, he deserts the army. Carmen tries to be faithful, but fortune-telling Frankie (Pearl Bailey) warns her that she and her soldier are doomed. Enter Joe Adams in the role of boxer Husky Miller (a play on Carmen's bullfighter Escamillo), who sweeps Carmen off her feet, ultimately with tragic consequences. Alhough both Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte were singers, their opera voices were dubbed in by LeVern Hutcherson and Marilyn Horne."

Actually all the main characters singing voices were dubbed EXCEPT Pearl Baily's. I was shocked that the dubbing included Diahann Carroll.

I am not into musicals. Hate them as a matter of fact. That being said, CJ is the only musical I enjoyed from beginning to end. The music is more to my taste. I loved every song in this movie especially the ones Pearl sang.

Now this is something Bette Davis would have done. Getting your toes sucked while you smoke.

"Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."

Oznell · ‎11-08-2014

Oh, I didn't know Pearl Bailey was in "Carmen Jones", @Mz iMac . What an enduring talent she was. I'm also surprised at all the dubbing, esp. in light of the great voices they had at their disposal in the actors! Very interesting background info...

Alter Ego · ‎03-12-2010

Thanks for the heads up - May put it on.

I personally can’t hear The Toreador’s Song and NOT hear the words from Carmen Jones in my head. (Confession - last time Carmen was at the Lyric Opera, I went twice to see both casts. Really love this opera!)