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You are here: Home / Archives for Carmen Jones

Harry Belafonte and Dorothy Dandridge in Carmen Jones

November 17, 2021 By Joi

Harry Belafonte and Dorothy Dandridge in Carmen Jones

Harry Belafonte and Dorothy Dandridge

There are certain movies that, quite frankly, I never shut up about… The Quiet Man, Anatomy of a Murder, Rio Bravo, Carmen Jones, Spencer’s Mountain, Jezebel, Casablanca, Key Largo.. there are others but this group includes the ones I probably give the most traction.

Unfortunately, I’ve found that the one most people I talk to haven’t seen is Carmen Jones. Frustrating because it’s one of the best!

The performances by Harry Belafonte, Dorothy Dandridge, Pearl Bailey, and Olga James (I love this lady so much!) are particularly memorable and will take your breath completely away. Please see this wonderful film as soon as possible if you haven’t yet.

You can buy Carmen Jones on dvd (Amazon link) or watch it on Prime Video.

 

Filed Under: Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, Perfect Movies Tagged With: Carmen Jones, Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte

Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte: Carmen Jones

September 12, 2021 By Joi

Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte, Carmen Jones

Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte

 

One of my favorite movies (with THREE) of my favorite performances is Carmen Jones (1954, directed by Otto Preminger). The excellent performances are by Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, and Olga James (in a small but VERY compelling role). The entire movie is an absolute work of art.

A friend on Twitter once asked me what I thought of this movie and I told them it was as flawless and wonderful as Dorothy Dandridge, herself. The friend said they were going straight home from work and watching it if that was the case!

I have smart friends.

Dandridge and Belafonte (two ridiculously talented and beautiful stars!) give such compelling performances in this film, as does Olga James, who should have been in a LOT more films. If you’ve never seen this incredibly bold and deliciously unique film, I hope you’ll find it and watch it very soon. There truly has never been a movie quite like this one and I’m certain there never will be. I couldn’t love it any more.

You can buy Carmen Jones on dvd (Amazon link) or watch it on Prime Video.

Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte, Carmen Jones

Filed Under: Carmen Jones, Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, Perfect Movies Tagged With: Carmen Jones, Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte

Carmen Jones: The Magic of Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte

July 20, 2020 By Joi

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

Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte Light Up the Screen in Carmen Jones

January 20, 2020 By Joi

Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte, Carmen Jones

 

Do Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte make a beautiful couple or what?! They had so much chemistry in their films – as much chemistry as any film couple I’ve ever seen.

If you’ve never watched Carmen Jones, I hope you’ll make a point of doing that ASAP. These stars are outstanding in this fantastic film. Dorothy Dandridge was nominated for an Oscar for her performance but she didn’t win.

She should have. That’s a hill I will die on. She was robbed.

Harry Belafonte should also have gotten an Oscar. They were both mesmerizing in this film. Olga James and Pearl Bailey are also excellent. I wish Olga had been onscreen more. She was adorable and so very, very talented.

Please see the movie soon!

Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte, Carmen Jones

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

Dorothy Dandridge: A Beautiful Star Who Out-Shined the Ugliness Around Her

March 26, 2018 By Joi

Dorothy Dandridge Carmen Jones Poster

Dorothy Dandridge Carmen Jones Poster

I began Hollywood Yesterday in 2005 (13 years ago!) as a means of keeping the wonderful, glamorous stars of The Golden Age of Hollywood or “Old Hollywood” alive and shining bright. I’ve always loved old movies – even as a child, I preferred watching Shirley Temple and Abbott and Costello reruns to the newer movies and I’d rather have spent an afternoon watching Westerns with my dad than doing just about anything.

Over the years, my personal list of favorites has grown – but, make no mistake about it, my earliest favorites (Audrey, Barbara, James Stewart, Dean & Lewis, Abbott & Costello, Rita) are still among my absolute favorites.

The frustrating thing is, I can’t whittle my list down!

I see so many people say their favorite actress is Ginger Rogers or Ava Gardner and their favorite actor is Cary Grant or James Dean…. then when they ask my favorite actor/actress, I feel like telling them, “Well, sit down, this will take a hot minute!”

The thing is, when you love old movies and watch them with the vigor I do, you meet new favorites along the way. I only recently became really acquainted with Joan Crawford, for example. See, here’s the thing.. .to really appreciate a star, you have to have seen them in several roles and several movies. After my second Joan Crawford movie, she charged firmly into place among my favorites.

And looked downright elegant doing so!

The same thing happened years ago with one of my favorite actors, Glenn Ford. I’d seen him in The Violent men and, although I really liked him, I wasn’t ready to call him a favorite. Then I saw him in Gilda… and there he went – flying into place.

Rita? Heck, she’s always been there.

I recently had a particularly gorgeous actress/singer land firmly among the promised land – Dorothy Dandridge. I had, of course, heard of Dorothy (who hasn’t?!) and most certainly knew that she was a ridiculously beautiful lady. I, somehow, had never seen her in a single film she was in. Not one.

Now that I have, she has found a home among others who have a special place in my heart.

{Continued Below….}

Dorothy Dandridge was born November 9, 1922 in Cleveland, Ohio. Her mother was an entertainer and her father was a minister. Her family moved to California, where they had hopes of more opportunities – perhaps even in film.

Sadly (hello, understatement), this was during a time in history when people of color didn’t receive the respect or kindness they deserved. As both an avid Old Movie fan and History Buff, I despise reading about racism or the struggles men and women went through and the nastiness they endured. However, it is a part of history, so it has to be faced… even if it’s with a tear-stained face.

What I try to concentrate on is the drive, determination, faith, and inner beauty that these men and women had that saw them through unspeakable ignorance. The fact that names like Dorothy Dandridge, Jackie Robinson, Butterfly McQueen, Harry Belafonte, Sidney Potier,  Harriet Tubman (and so many more!) are fondly remembered when the vast majority of people who were ugly to them are long forgotten makes me smile -and I’m not even sorry if that sounds ugly.

In 1954, Dorothy appeared in the movie and role she is most associated with – Carmen Jones. She was so fantastic in this role, that even in a society still trying to find its humanity, she earned an Academy Award nomination. Unfortunately she lost out to Grace Kelly for her role in The Country Girl. You’ll get arguments from people on both sides of the fence on this one, but as someone who has seen both movies, and as someone who very much likes BOTH actresses, I have to say that I believe the Award should have gone to Dorothy. Grace Kelly was wonderful in The Country Girl but Dorothy was on a whole other level in Carmen Jones.

Yes, it was phenomenal to have been nominated but she could have (and in my opinion should have) won.

Ironically, in spite of this nomination, she didn’t get another role until Tamango (an Italian film) in 1958. She went on to make six more motion pictures, including standouts Island in the Sun in 1957 and Porgy and Bess in 1959.

She was only 42 when she died in 1965, with her last years being anything but glamorous. Many Dorothy Dandridge biographers and fans believed the actress suffered from depression and perhaps even bipolar disorder. To have overcome this AND the racism she faced all while looking like a smiling angel from above makes her one extra special lady.

I’ve been reading a great deal about Dorothy the past few weeks, and have placed an order for two biographies to dive in even deeper. I’ll let you in on something that troubles me. She is almost always compared to Marilyn Monroe… or mentioned in some way or fashion alongside Marilyn. I understand, to a certain extent, trying to compare beauties when they resemble one another. In fact, I’ve often been intrigued by the similarities between Vivien Leigh and Hedy Lamarr and between Claudette Colbert and Helen Hayes – when they were around the same age.  I can even get trying to gauge an actress’ popularity by measuring it against another star’s.

However, Dorothy Dandridge CAN and SHOULD be remembered and celebrated all on her own.

I’m excited by the number of classic movie fans I see on Twitter and Pinterest – and I love the fact that so many are very young…. with many twenty-somethings loving the Golden Age of Hollywood. I hope to see all of us listing Dorothy Dandridge in her rightful place, among the other beautiful and talented stars of her time. I certainly plan to do my part to help make it happen.

After all, she fits perfectly among the list of other first-name basis ladies: Audrey, Rita, Barbara, Dorothy, Ava, Joan, Marilyn… just where she belongs – among the stars.


Filed Under: Carmen Jones, Dorothy Dandridge, Getting to Know..., Musicals Tagged With: Carmen Jones, Dorothy Dandridge

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Ann Sheridan

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 positively magical and I see no reason for the magic to ever die.

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

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Maureen O'Hara's Autobiography 'Tis Herself

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I Know Where I’m Going: Katharine Hepburn

 

Debbie Reynolds Unsinkable
Unsinkable: A Memoir by Debbie Reynolds

 

Ginger Rogers Autobiography - Ginger: My Story

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