CARMEN JONES at The Million Dollar Theatre

A bold reimagining of Bizet’s opera, CARMEN JONES (1954) broke new ground by bringing Black voices to the forefront of Hollywood cinema. Directed by Otto Preminger with a screenplay by Oscar Hammerstein II, the film follows the passionate and beautiful Carmen—played by Dorothy Dandridge in a historic, Oscar-nominated performance—as she entangles a soldier, played by Harry Belafonte, in a tragic romance. Featuring Pearl Bailey and a vibrant all-Black cast, the film’s Technicolor brilliance and cultural impact continue to resonate as a landmark achievement in American film history.

Before the film, you’re in for a special treat as Betty Boop opens the show as MINNIE THE MOOCHER in this fun 1932 Talkartoon film. Cab Calloway appears in live-action performing Prohibition Blues, Calloway’s earliest known film appearance