This film was hailed as a milestone in musical cinema when released and when Dorothy Dandridge became the first African American actress to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her sultry performance as Carmen Jones. She is perfectly matched by the recently departed singer, actor and activist, Harry Belafonte. The film is based on the successful Broadway production written by Oscar Hammerstein II and adapted from the great Bizet opera CARMEN. Co-starring Pearl Bailey, Brock Peters and Diahann Carroll, the film was hailed upon its opening for "showcasing the talents of African American performers who were denied opportunities in Hollywood."
After the film, we will be joined for a discussion and a Q&A, in person, by film historian Foster Hirsch, author of numerous books on the cinema and theater. They include his acclaimed biography of Otto Preminger and a new work which will be published this fall by Knopf: HOLLYWOOD and the MOVIES of the FIFTIES.