Reviews (26)

WOW!
Oscar Hammerstein took the fabulous classic work of Bizet "Carmen", and made it into a contemporary work and an instant classic now some fifty years ago. There are just not enough superlatives to adequately describe this movie. The first time I saw this was on the stage in LOndon years ago, and I had to seek out the video.

Dorothy Dandridge made her career in this one epic work. It is nothing short of transfixing. Seeing her use her charms to turn Harry Belafonte into her slave (what an incredibly lucky SOB!) and then torment him was like nothing I had ever seen before. It is interesting to note that even given the social morays of the time, D.D was so much more erotic in the simple act of putting on her stockings than we see today in a hour of almost total nudity on the screen! I am not sure that there has ever been anyone who burned up the screen any more before or since. Also featured were a young Pearl Bailey and Dianne Carroll.

My only question? Both D.D and H.B were fabulous singers in their own right. I have never understood why their singing parts were dubbed. Nonetheless, the contemporary adaptation of this classic music is wonderful.

Marilyn Horne's voice and Dorothy Dandridge's acting--Wow!
I've seen the stage version of this amazing show, and though I usually prefer the immediacy of live shows, the movie is still tops in my book. Dorothy Dandridge *is* Carmen, and though her voice is dubbed, who can complain when it's dubbed by Marilyn Horne? Every time I see this movie, I find myself wishing again that Dorothy had lived longer, or at least made more movies in her short life. Can you imagine what she'd accomplish in today's film industry?

The Easy Way To Get Into Opera
1954's Carmen Jones is a classic film of great value. Otto Preminger directed the film in the new CinemaScope, Dorothy Dandridge was a black actress in the pre-Civil Rights Movement period to be playing a serious role and it's an easy transition into the Georges Bizet French opera from which it was based. The movie used Bizet's music but they translated the lyrics into English. Dorothy Dandrige stars as Carmen Jones and Harry Belafonte as Joe, or Carmen and Don Jose respectively. The film was successful, since it was Rodgers and Hammerstein's concept. The film is like a realistic musical without too much sugar or sunshine. The story of Carmen, itself drawn from the French short novel by Prosper Merimee, is a dark story of passion and obscession that results in a crime of passion, the death of Carmen as she is stabbed by the jealous Joe. Carmen, a free spirit, gets into all sorts of trouble, oozes sensuality and sex appeal, and wins all the men with her Habanera song. When she seduces Joe in a World War II military camp, he abandons his homely and well-mannered girlfriend Cindy Lou (Micaela in the opera) he lives with Carmen as lovers. But the affair declines for Carmen who takes an interest in the attractive boxer Oscar Miller (a play on the name Escamillo from the opera who was a bullfighter). Joe gets decisively jealous and begs Carmen to forget about the boxer and continue their romance. The last scene is particularily impressive, and is full of taut, dramatic tension. The rest of the movie is of course all musical numbers and dramatic scenes, such as Carmen Jones discovering her doom through reading the cards and reading her death card. The whole thing is a miracle to watch, because it seems to work effectively as both musical and opera. It's highly enjoyable and I recommend anyone interested in the opera Carmen to watch it.

GREAT MOVIE
This movie is awesome. I love the singing, dancing, and acting. Another great Carmen is Carmen:A Hip Hopera. That is as great and lovely as this one but only updated. JUST PLEASE,PLEASE, PLEASE BUY THIS DVD IT IS ONE OF THE GREATEST CLASSIC MOVIES YOU WILL SEE.

Talk about your works of art!!!
When one thinks of the great screen couples, one of the two was slightly more appealing physically than the other. Nelson Eddy with his chiseled looks flattered the screen better than his frequent co-star Jeannette McDonald. Robert Taylor, Tony Curtis, and Paul Newman outshone their respective real-life and film spouses Barbara Stanwyck, Janet Leigh, and Joanne Woodward. His female co-star always overshadowed Humphrey Bogart, especially when that co-star was wife Lauren Bacall. Elizabeth Taylor was definitely more appealing to the eye than husband and seven-time co-star Richard Burton.

And it seems that the actress had to have something special to be in front of the camera with Cary Grant. It might not be just a coincidence that beauties such as Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelly, and Audrey Hepburn shared screen time with Mr. Grant.

Even the late-lamented movie duo of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman had the camera favoring the "top gun".

Only did Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn match each other in the "serviceable" looks department.

The point of the aforementioned is that "Carmen Jones" has the distinction of featuring two performers that not only matched each other in the acting arena but also were as aesthetically compatible as any great work of art. Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte are just too pretty to behold in this Technicolor marvel. The camera just seems to capture every flawless angle of their picturesque features.

Opera "purists" may scoff at the liberties taken in Bizet's composition, but film buffs realize that "Jones" was a landmark film, featuring an awesome (and at that time, unprecedented) array of African-American talent. From the major performers (including Pearl Bailey, Olga James, and Diahann Carroll) to the familiar character actors handling minor but significant parts (Roy Glenn, Brock Peters, and Nick Stewart), the film is worthy of time capsule placement as an icon in American cinema.

"Carmen Jones" may not be among AFI's TOP 100 list, but it is among one of THIS reviewer's movie gems. ... Read more

Description

This intimate portrait charts both the personal tragedies and public triumphs of the screen goddess who delighted audiences in nightclubs, film and TV for more than 35 years. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An Original American Beauty
This is a wonderful dvd to add to your collection. It's basically a 1 hr documentary on the life and career of the 1st African American woman to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress. If you have an attention span comprable to a fish, don't buy it, but if you're genuinely interested in learning about an exeptional trailblazer (in her own right), this is the dvd to purchase. Respect is finally being rightfully given to this amazing woman, and she definitely deserved it.

Yeah Right!
This absoluely is borrrrring! Ive never been so bored!. The interactive DVD menu is by far the highlight!. Skip this! BElieve ME!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

When a Black Panther raid on the house of a dope dealer goes awry, aninnocent young man is killed and the leader of the raid team, a Panthernamed Charles Henderson (Obba Babatunde), is sentenced to life in prison.Bestselling author Paul Freeman (Modine) offers a creative-writing classin Henderson's prison, initially looking for a story for his next book;but when Henderson becomes his student, Freeman starts to investigateHenderson's case and becomes convinced that, after 20 years, Hendersondeserves to be released--but the next step is convincing the sister of theman whose death Henderson is responsible for. Redeemer is a bitobvious, but the script does tackle its subject from a variety ofperspectives, the direction is clean and straightforward, and theperformances have commitment and energy--Babatunde is particularlycompelling. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Description

Join us while we take a look at Dorothy Dandridge's musical performances. These reveal a special insight into the depth of her acting, singing and dancing talents to bettter understand Filmland's first Black female superstar. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

SONJA`S BEST
This is remembered primarely because of the excellent music of Glenn Miller. He was to do only another film, Orchestra Wife, before being killed in a planecrash.
However; by the early 40s, Sonja Henie had developed into a good comedienne and this is her best - as a dumb, simpleminded blonde. Her timing is impeccable as is her delivery of dialogue... As if that isn`t enough; the supporting cast includes great efforts by The Nicholas Brothers, Dorothy Dandrige(then married to 1 of the N. Brothers and with whom she gave birth 2 a multihandicapped daughter), Milton Berle, Lynn Bari(singing voice dubbed) and John Payne as Sonja`s loveinterest.

It`s 1 of the best musicals ever made, though Sonja`s skating in this 1 is not her best.

Want to see the mechanics of the Miller Band?
This review applies EQUALLY to Orchestra Wives and Sun Valley Serenade.

Remember the Elvis movies that were basically a thin plot excuse to have the "star" sing? Well these movies are the 1940's equivalent featuring the pre-war (and so definitive) Glenn Miller Band.

Forget about the plots which are almost identical and don't even stand up today. Boy meets Girl, Falls in love, Another girl is jilted or gets in the way, disharmony in the band, all is sorted out. Big set piece number to finish. (Both movies - honest!). In fact unless you are interested in period movie making and Hollywood fashions you can safely fast forward between the tunes. You can figure the plot as it whizzes by - though how Milton Berle (playing the band's "publicity agent" in Sun Valley Serenade) got his wise crack about the size of a girl's chest past the production code is beyond me! Must have been the war.

BUT - the real reason to own these tapes (when are we going to get the DVD versions?) is watching the mechanics of how the Miller Band produced the sound. Sure - it was shot to be showy - and it is - but it is WELL shot and you can see how the components of the sound were built - even if the "recording studios" are the size of movie studios...... Couple this with the restored soundtrack (some tracks are in early stereo!) and you have a reason to own these movies. If you can only afford one - Orchestra Wives - there are more hits on it!

A fine slice of wartime Americana
This light romantic comedy is one of only two feature films to include Glenn Miller and his big band (the other being the superior "Orchestra Wives")... Miller himself is stiff as a board onscreen, and his acting parts are entirely unmemorable, although the musical performances are stellar. The orchestra's highly choreographed stage routines translate well onto film, and the visual razzle-dazzle of Miller's well-honed showmanship gives this film its real sizzle. Tex Beneke shines on a hep vocal update of "Chattanooga Choo-Choo," a number which closes with some singing and hoofing by the ever-acrobatic Nicholas Brothers, as well as actress Dorothy Dandridge, who sort of appears out of nowhere, just to take a brief solo. The plot is simple enough: actor John Payne stars as Ted Scott, a featured performer in Miller's (supposedly) struggling band, gets caught between two gals, Lynn Bari's tempremental big band diva, and Sonja Henie, as a perky war refugee from Norway. (War refugee? Norway?? Oh, never mind...) As ever, Henie's appeal may be lost on some; personally, I find her incredibly vapid, and her giant, phony smile is somewhat disturbing. That being said, this is actually one of her better performances, and Payne is a very likable leading man. The film is padded out with extensive skiing sequences and plenty of Henie-delic skating scenes, so the fast-forward button may come in handy. Milton Berle also has a big role as the band's fast-talking, nebbishy business manager -- a surprisingly nonabrasive early performance in the late, great comedian's decades-long career. All in all, a nice bit of pre-war American fluff. A must-see for Glenn Miller fans.

Watch the most sensational musical number in movies!
I can't believe this movie isn't on DVD. Shame! I'm glad I bought this years ago on Laserdisk (a double with Orchestra Wives, another winner). I've watched it a dozen times at least.

True, the plot is pretty clichéd & old. The most recent time I saw that snowed-in-together-in-a-ski-cabin scene was on the Simpsons. But the MUSIC - WOW!! Glenn Miller & his orchestra at their most brilliant (thankfully, since it was to be their last appearance).

The Chattanooga Choo-Choo number is unbelievable. It's breathtaking. I'm paralyzed every time I see it. You watch each section of the band play & bounce off each other with fanastic joy & precision & verve & the number just goes on & on. Tex Beneke puts his sax aside & strolls over to join the Modernaires in their perfect 4-part harmony (which set the bar for vocal groups for decades) & their part is filmed like a Busby Berkeley musical. Then when you think it just can't go on being this good, it gets even better with Bayard & Harold Nicholas, the most exciting dancers who ever lived, leaping into the frame with the incredibly scrumptious & gorgeous & talented teen-aged Dorothy Dandridge in what has to be one of the screen's greatest show-stoppers - & it's still The Chattanooga Choo-Choo!

That number by itself makes the movie worth having (& with the laserdisk, I've watched it many times in a row) but there are other fine numbers as well, & it is a funny movie thanks in great part to a young Milton Berle.

So how about a DVD?

Glenn Miller and His Orchestra Revisited
If you want to see Glen Miller leading his orchestra and hear the original music plus see the orchestra perform...this is it.
It brought tears to my eyes to see the orchestra that I had been
reading about.I feel the loss and tragedy of Glenn's death at such an early age and at the height of his career. The men and women that performed are on their way to their own deaths or have
already died due to the 1941 time frame of this movie. This is a valuable video because it's an important piece of history. I believe Glenn wanted us to see the orchestra in an accurate way. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

Porgy and Bess fan
I remember seeing Porgy and Bess starring Sydney Poitier as a young teen. I have been searching the internet for months trying to obtain a copy of this movie. I love the soundtrack and would love to own this classic on DVD or VHS. Please release it soon. This is a must have for anyone who is a fan of Sydney Poitier as well!!!

a long lost love from years gone by
I can remember watching this classic with my mother and sisters. I also remember our neighbor giving us the soundtrack album that played for hours at a time. I've been searching for this treasure and all I get is dissapointment, but I'm happy to be able to at least find others who are feeling the same as myself. The DVD release of this film would be the best gift to myself in life. I actually crave to see this particular version (1959)of porgy and bess. I've never seen or heard a bwtter one. Ihope the request for such a classic will soon become a reality. I can't wait.

ABSOLUTELY ONE OF THE BEST MUSICALS EVER WRITTEN /PERFORMED
I searched for this on video and now I search for it on DVD. The music, the story, the acting are absolutely unsurpassed. I saw the movie when it first came out and I purchased the soundtrack. My recording has long since been lost, although I do own it on CD performed by others. This story is a part of America's history! It is beyond me how anyone could possibly object to it's release. It is absolutely beautiful. I hope and pray that I will live long enough to obtain a copy of this masterpiece.

Where is Porgy & Bess?
Since I was four years old, I have been in love with this Otto Preminger film; however, I have been waiting patiently for its release. Please, please give us the pleasure of seeing and owning this beautful film starring Sidney Portier & Dorothy Dandridge.

Porky and Bess
One of most phenominal musicals ever written and performed. Sincerely wish to see Sammy Davis, Jr. and cast out on DVD in the near future. My husband has been hunting for this musical on VHS and now on DVD....please hurry an reproduce it for our pleasure. ... Read more