• Home
    • About Hollywood Yesterday
      • Privacy
    • Old Hollywood Book Reviews
      • Audrey Hepburn in Words and Pictures
      • Ball of Fire (Lucille Ball)
      • I Know Where I’m Going (Katharine Hepburn)
      • In Such Good Company (Carol Burnett)
      • Joan Crawford A Talent for Living
      • Unsinkable (Debbie Reynolds)
    • Contact Joi (“Joy”)
    • Quotes from Old Hollywood’s Stars
  • Actresses
    • Agnes Moorehead
    • Angie Dickinson
    • Ann Miller
    • Audrey Hepburn
      • Audrey Hepburn Quotes
      • Breakfast at Tiffany’s
      • My Fair Lady
    • Ava Gardner
      • Ava Gardner Quotes
    • Barbara Stanwyck
      • Barbara Stanwyck Quotes
    • Betty Grable
    • Carole Lombard
    • Debbie Reynolds
    • Doris Day
    • Dorothy Dandridge
    • Elizabeth Taylor
      • Elizabeth Taylor Quotes
    • Fay Wray
    • Georgia Hale
    • Ginger Rogers
    • Glenda Farrell
    • Gloria Grahame
    • Grace Kelly
    • Greta Garbo
    • Hattie McDaniel
      • Hattie McDaniel Facts
      • Hattie McDaniel Quotes
    • Helen Hayes
    • Ingrid Bergman
    • Jayne Mansfield
    • Judy Garland
    • Katharine Hepburn
      • Katharine Hepburn Quotes
      • Katharine Hepburn: What’s Not to Love?
    • Lana Turner
    • Lauren Bacall
      • Lauren Bacall Facts & Trivia
      • Lauren Bacall Quotes
    • Lucille Ball
      • I Love Lucy
      • Lucille Ball Quotes
    • Marilyn Monroe
    • Maureen O’Hara
    • Marion Davies
    • Mary Pickford
    • Mildred Davis
    • Mitzi Gaynor
    • Olivia de Havilland
    • Rita Hayworth
    • Shirley Temple
    • Vera-Ellen
    • Veronica Lake
    • Vivien Leigh
  • Actors
    • Abbott and Costello
    • Barry Fitzgerald
    • Bob Hope
    • Boris Karloff
    • Buster Keaton
    • Cary Grant
    • Charlie Chaplin
    • Clark Gable
    • Dean Martin
    • Desi Arnaz
    • Dick Powell
    • Edward G. Robinson
    • Elvis Presley
    • Frank Sinatra
    • Fred Astaire
    • Gene Kelly
    • George Sanders
    • Glenn Ford
    • Harold Lloyd
    • Humphrey Bogart
    • James Dean
    • Jerry Lewis
    • James Stewart
    • John Wayne
    • Laurel and Hardy
    • Ray Milland
  • Movie Reviews
    • Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
    • Critic’s Choice
    • El Dorado
    • Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941)
    • Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein
    • Gilda
    • Grand Hotel
    • Lured
    • Rio Bravo
    • Sanctuary (1961)
    • Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
    • The Bat
    • The Haunted Castle (Silent)
    • The Major and the Minor
    • The Naked Spur
    • The Prince and The Showgirl
    • The Stooge
    • The Little Princess
    • The Quiet Man
    • The Violent Men
    • The White Sister
    • Top Hat
    • We’re in the Money

Hollywood Yesterday

Golden Age of Hollywood

You are here: Home / Musicals / Carmen Jones / Carmen Jones: The Magic of Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte

Carmen Jones: The Magic of Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte

July 20, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte Carmen Jones Lobby Card

Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte: Carmen Jones Lobby Card

Do you happen to have a favorite movie (literally, one of your all-time favorites) that hardly anyone you talk to has ever seen? You want to talk about its stars, quotes, and scenes with someone but…. it seems only you, within your circle of family and friends… has even seen it?!

Carmen Jones is one of mine that fits this description as perfectly as Dorothy Dandridge fit a dress (A Woman’s Secret and The World, the Flesh, and the Devil are two more).

Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte are two of my absolute favorites. One of my greatest “old Hollywood” regrets is that these charismatic and talented stars weren’t in more. I can’t tell you how much I’d LOVE to have shelves filled with their dvds. There’s just something about the acting styles and charisma of these two that lights up the room for me.

Carmen Jones is a fascinating film. It’s almost like director Otto Preminger took an old black and white film-noir, added color… then took a musical and added it to the mix. Then, for good measure grabbed a sexy mystery and threw it in the pot. The result is fascinating, in every sense of the word.

When I first watched Carmen Jones (years ago), I was really upset that Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte were dubbed by opera singers. I mean… come on… Belafonte can MORE THAN sing for himself and Dorothy Dandridge had a lovely singing voice. At the time, I thought this “dubbing” was the one drawback of the film.

However, when I watched it a second time (and then third, fourth, fifth…), I actually “got” what Otto Preminger was selling. The opera absolutely, positively adds to the entire ambiance of the film and helps it to stand out as an even more unique and mesmerizing work of art.

Many movies you can say, “THIS film is a lot like THAT one…” but not with Carmen Jones. Why? There is absolutely not another film like it and I’m certain there never will be. This cast and its director and writers struck pure gold. The film and its stars should have won as many awards as were available. Seriously, the Academy Awards that year should have been a Carmen Jones invitational.

(Continued below Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte)

Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte, Carmen Jones

Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte

Dorothy Dandridge was, at least, nominated as lead actress – but she wasn’t given the award. I refuse to say, “..she lost” because that’s not quite true. She wasn’t given her award – and, make no mistake about it, it was her award and should have been in her hands.

I often wonder what winning would have done for this beautiful actress.Her troubled life ended far too soon (she was only 42 when she died) and she was never given the type of (or number of) roles she deserved. I often wonder if she had been given this award if her life would have changed.

For that matter, I often wonder what a win would have meant for black actors and actresses – would they have earned the respect and chance they deserved sooner? Questions like that frustrate me because, trust me, the award should have been Dorothy’s. I’ve seen each of the films from which the actresses in the category with her were in – and Carmen Jones multiple times.

The Oscar was given to the wrong lady. Period.

What’s even more frustrating – more should have been nominated! Harry Belafonte gave an absolutely phenomenal performance. He took his character on one heck of a journey and did so flawlessly. He begins the film as such an innocent young man… then here comes beautiful Carmen and my guy didn’t stand a chance!

If you love great acting, great chemistry, film-noirs, musicals, wonderful stories, and movies with endings that leave you speechless (and thinking about them for days!), I am begging you to see Carmen Jones.

Watch Carmen Jones on Amazon Prime.

Buy Carmen Jones on DVD (Amazon link).

Buy Carmen Jones on Blu-Ray (Amazon link).

Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte Carmen Jones Lobby Card

Filed Under: Carmen Jones, Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, Picture of the Day Tagged With: Carmen Jones, Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome to Hollywood Yesterday!

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

My name is Joi (“Joy”) and I created Hollywood Yesterday as my personal tribute to Old Hollywood. It’s my effort to help keep the stars from Old Hollywood, Classic Television, and Old Radio Shows alive and shining forever. Old Hollywood was sheer magic and I see no reason for the magic to ever die! Read more about Hollywood Yesterday (and see my own favorites) here.

Old Hollywood Actresses

Lena Horne

See the Old Hollywood Actresses page for the index of Classic Hollywood Actresses and Classic TV Actresses.

Old Hollywood Actors

Ross Martin and Robert Conrad

See the Old Hollywood Actors page for the index of Old Hollywood and Classic TV actors.

  • Email
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Recent Posts

  • John Wayne and Evelyn Knapp: His Private Secretary
  • When the Daltons Rode with Kay Francis, Randolph Scott, Frank Albertson, and Andy Devine
  • Anna May Wong, Island of Lost Men lobby card
  • Laurel & Hardy, Iris Adrian, and Lona Andre in Our Relations (1936)
  • Maureen O’Hara McLintock! Lobby Cards
  • Diana Sands, Sidney Poitier, and Ruby Dee – A Raisin in the Sun (LOVE this Photo!)
  • Olympe Bradna: A Real “Knockout” Picture of the Day
  • James Garner and Sally Field Make Murphy’s Romance a PERFECT Movie
  • Ginger Rogers: Sitting Pretty (Was she ever?!) Publicity Pics
  • Frances Dee, A Man Betrayed (Mesmerizing Photos of a Mesmerizing Actress)

Old Hollywood Movie Reviews

The Quiet Man is one of the most beautiful, entertaining, colorful, and perfect movies ever made. Two of my favorite stars (Maureen O’Hara and John Wayne) in one of my favorite movies? It doesn’t get much better than that!

More old movie reviews.

Paulette Goddard and Charlie Chaplin, Modern Times

Thank you so much for visiting Hollywood Yesterday! You honor me with your presence and I hope you’ll return very soon and very often.

Stay positive. Stay happy. Stay you.

Meet: Mildred Davis

Mildred Davis

The beauty above is Silent Film star Mildred Davis. She was a frequent co-star (and longtime wife) of legendary actor Harold Lloyd. She’s one of my favorite silent film actresses and one I can’t understand not being a household name!

Ava Gardner Posters

Ava Gardner Show Boat Publicity Photo

Ava Gardner Posters

Rita Hayworth Posters

Rita Hayworth, Gilda Promo Shot

Rita Hayworth Posters

Old Hollywood Movies

Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire Top Hat Cheek to Cheek

There’s nothing quite like watching a movie from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Whether it’s a Musical, Western, Comedy, Romance, Film Noir, or Drama – if it’s on, I’m not too far away… with popcorn and raspberry tea in hand and a couple of cats nearby.

Below are a few Old Hollywood movie reviews I’ve done on the blog. There are, as you’d imagine, a lot more to come. – Joi (“Joy”)

We’re in the Money (Joan Blondell, Glenda Farrell)

The Naked Spur (James Stewart, Janet Leigh)

The Prince and the Showgirl (Marilyn Monroe, Laurence Olivier)

The White Sister (Helen Hayes, Clark Gable)

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Howard Keel, Jane Powell, Russ Tamblyn, Julie Newmar)

Rio Bravo (John Wayne, Dean Martin, Angie Dickinson, Ricky Nelson, Walter Brennan)

El Dorado (John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, James Caan, Charlene Holt, Michele Carey)

Rio Grande (John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara)

Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein (What is it With Me and These Movies??)

The Stooge (Jerry Lewis’ favorite Lewis and Martin Movie… for good reason.)

Critic’s Choice (Hilarious movie starring Bob Hope and Lucille Ball)

To Please a Lady (Clark Gable and Barbara Stanwyck team up in a fast track movie)

Grand Hotel (Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore)

Hearts Divided (Marion Davies, Dick Powell)

The Quiet Man (John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Barry Fitzgerald)

More Old Hollywood Movie Reviews

Classic Hollywood Books & Biographies (Reviews)

Maureen O'Hara's Autobiography 'Tis Herself

‘Tis Herself by Maureen O’Hara
I Know Where I'm Going (Katharine Hepburn Biography) and Princess

I Know Where I’m Going: Katharine Hepburn, A Personal Biography

Debbie Reynolds Unsinkable
Unsinkable: A Memoir by Debbie Reynolds

Ginger Rogers Autobiography - Ginger: My Story

Ginger by Ginger Rogers
Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball

Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball
More coming soon!

Dorothy Dandridge

Dorothy Dandridge Carmen Jones Poster

Getting to Know the Gorgeous and Talented Dorothy Dandridge

My Lucy Obsession

Lucille Ball

Find out just how much I (truly) Love Lucy in the Lucille Ball category. I’m warning you, I call it an obsession for a very good reason…

Barbara Stanwyck Quotes

Another personal absolute favorite of mine is Barbara Stanwyck. Not only was she beautiful and outrageously talented, she was exceptionally bright, charismatic, and colorful. This growing collection of Barbara Stanwyck Quotes will give you an idea of just how colorful she was!

Legalities…

Aside from pictures of books I review, I do not claim to have taken any of the pictures on this website, nor do I own the pictures – the ones of the stars or the affiliate (product) pictures.  Other, far more talented photographers than me have the credit for the beautiful photos you see. If you would like credit for a photograph or would like one removed, please e-mail me.

Movie posters and promotional photos are used in the belief that they qualify for the Fair Use law. Fair use is a doctrine in the law of the United States that permits limited use of copyrighted material without having to first acquire permission from the copyright holder. Fair use is one of the limitations to copyright intended to balance the interests of copyright holders with the public interest in the wider distribution and use of creative works by allowing as a defense to copyright infringement claims certain limited uses that might otherwise be considered infringement.

When you click through an affiliate (product, book, dvds..) link, I earn a small portion of the money you spend IF you purchase anything. This does not cost you any extra money, of course. This is how I am able to work from home and support my cats! – Joi

Copyright © 2021 | Audrey Hepburn Posters | Ava Gardner Posters