Friday, June 13, 2025 - 6:00 pm
June 13 - Carmen Jones (1954), 105 minutes, directed by Otto Preminger, starring Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, and Pearl Bailey.
Pardon the cliché, but you’ve never seen anything like Carmen Jones. This reimagining of Bizet’s opera Carmen began as an updated 1943 Oscar Hammerstein II Broadway musical featuring an all black cast. Miraculously, it survived the transfer to Hollywood with its artistic integrity intact. With her fiery spirit and strong screen presence, Dorothy Dandrige perfectly embodies the title role, and became the first black nominee in the Best Actress category. She is matched by the great Harry Belafonte as Joe, a soldier who becomes entangled in Carmen’s seductive web.
June CinemaLit - Trailblazing Actresses of Black Hollywood
June has us exploring the accomplishments of trailblazing African American women in Hollywood. Opportunities were horribly limited for black actresses to shine, but sometimes with a confluence of the right performer for the right role, talent couldn’t be denied. As the Academy Awards, for all their inconsistencies, are a barometer of acclaim and accomplishment, we are screening four films that earned their stars acting nominations. Join us for Pinky (1949) with Ethel Waters, Carmen Jones (1954) with Dorothy Dandridge, Imitation of Life (1959) with Juanita Moore, and Claudine (1974) with Diahann Carroll.
Matthew Kennedy, CinemaLit’s curator, has written biographies of Marie Dressler, Joan Blondell, and Edmund Goulding. His book Roadshow! The Fall of Film Musicals in the 1960s, was the basis of a film series on Turner Classic Movies. His most recent book, On Elizabeth Taylor: An Opinionated Guide, examines the screen legend's entire career.
“I don't have a favorite film,” Matthew says. "I find that my relationships to films, actors, genres, and directors change as I change over the years. Some don't hold up. Some look more profound, as though I've caught up with their artistry. I feel that way about Garbo, Cary Grant, director John Cassavetes, and others."
“Classic films have historical context, something only time can provide,” Matt observes. “They become these great cultural artifacts, so revealing of tastes, attitudes, and assumptions.”
Cafe opens at 5:30 pm with wine, beer, sparkling water, juice, and fresh-popped popcorn for sale.
Tickets can be purchased online below, or onsite in Office 406 during the following box office hours:
Monday: 10 am to 6 pm
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 1 pm to 6 pm
Thursday: 12 pm to 4 pm
Friday: 1 pm to 4 pm
Saturday: Closed
Please note: Photos and/or video may be taken during this event.
CinemaLit Films
