My Tragic Valentine - Carmen Jones

20th Century Fox, 1954
Starring Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, Pearl Bailey, and Olga James
Directed by Otto Preminger
Music by Georges Bizet; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Here's another adaptation of a Broadway musical with an all-black cast from the 1940's. This time, we're moving to the world of opera for one of the more unique movie musicals out there. Oscar Hammerstein turned Carmen, the tale of a gypsy cigarette factory worker who seduces a Spanish soldier, into the tale of a parachute factory worker who seduces an African-American soldier. Let's head to that parachute factory in North Carolina to see if this tragic romance is a knockout in the first round, or if should be booted out of the ring.

The Story: Corporal Joe (Belafonte) is assigned by his superior Sergeant Brown (Brock Peters) to take parachute factory worker Carmen Jones (Dandridge) to the police after she's arrested for fighting with a co-worker. That's the last thing Joe wants to do. He was supposed to have leave with his girl Cindy Lou (James). Carmen keeps trying to flirt, and Joe keeps saying no, until their car ends up in the water, and she manages to get him to her grandma's house. They do make love, but Carmen can't handle being attached to one man and takes off.

After spending time in the stockade, Joe is released and goes looking for Carmen again. He finds her at a nightclub in Louisiana, avoiding the advances of prize fighter Husky Miller (Joe Adams). Joe tells Carmen that he's due for flight school. Angry, she leaves with Sergeant Brown. Joe's not having any of that and beats him. Trying to avoid being arrested for hurting an officer, he and Carmen take off for Chicago. Carmen tries to get a loan from Husky, but ends up playing cards with him and her friends Frankie (Bailey) and Myrt (Diahnn Carroll). Joe's determined to get his girl back by any means necessary...including threatening her and her lover. Carmen's not interested, but Joe won't take no for an answer.

The Song and Dance: Two powerhouse performances in the lead roles anchor this melodramatic love story. Dandridge became the first African-American to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, and its easy to see why here. Her sexuality burns on the screen like a smoldering flame, capable of engulfing everything in her path. Belafonte's equally raw sexuality is more of a surprise, especially if you're like me and you know him better as a laid-back folk singer. The color cinematography (made in the widescreen Cinemascope process) and brilliant costumes showcase the sweltering South and gritty Chicago of World War II in all their rainbow glory.

Favorite Number: Despite the awkward lyrics, Pearl Bailey lays into "Beat Dat Rhythm On the Drum" with relish, while Dandridge slinks through "Dat's Love" (aka the famous "Habanera" aria). Dandridge joins Bailey, Carroll, and Roy Glenn for "Whizzin' Away Down De Track," while Adams leads the chorus in the other famous aria from Carmen, "Stand Up and Fight" (The Toredor Song).

Trivia: This was successfully revived off-Broadway last year, with Anika Noni Rose of Dreamgirls and The Princess and the Frog as Carmen.

What I Don't Like: While it feels a little less stereotyped than Cabin In the Sky, it's still a bit dated. Hammerstein's lyrics occasionally try too hard to sound African-American, especially in "Rhythm on the Drum." The casual dialogue often sounds odd with the classical songs. Everyone was dubbed - even those like Carroll, Dandridge, and Belafonte who were fine singers in their own right. (At least they not only hired black opera singers to dub them, but mentioned them in the credits - and Dandridge's dubber, Marilyn Horne, went on to become an opera star in her own right.)

The Big Finale: If you love opera, dark romances, Preminger's other work, or anyone in the cast, this unusual operatic tale is worth checking out.

Home Media: As one of the more interesting 20th Century Fox musicals featuring several popular singers, this is easy to find in most formats, usually for under 10 dollars.

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