Carmen Jones

Oscar Hammerstein's all-black version of Bizet's opera Carmen stars the sultry Dorothy Dandridge as Carmen and Harry Belafonte as the soldier she loves. The tale of the cigarette-maker Carmen and the Spanish cavalry soldier Don Jose is translated into a modern-day story of a parachute factory worker and a stalwart G.I. named Joe who is about to go to flying school. Conflict arises when a prize-ring champ captures the heart of Carmen after she has seduced Joe and caused him to go AWOL. Carmen remains a flamboyant flirt and ends up being strangled by the soldier when she takes up with the boxer. The story is rich in nostalgic folklore of the old south. Directed by Otto Preminger.