The Loves of Carmen (1948)

A beautiful but amoral gypsy girl entices a young dragoon to betray his honor and get cashiered from the service, and for her sake he soon turns to a life of crime.

Director:

Charles Vidor

Writers:

Helen Deutsch (screenplay), Prosper Mérimée (based upon the story of "Carmen" by)

Stars:

Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, Ron Randell

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Rita Hayworth	...	Carmen
Glenn Ford	...	Don José
Ron Randell	...	Andrés
Victor Jory	...	García
Luther Adler	...	Dancaire
Arnold Moss	...	Colonel
Joseph Buloff	...	Remendado
Margaret Wycherly	...	Old Crone
Bernard Nedell	...	Pablo
John Baragrey	...	Lucas

Storyline

Following the plot of the opera, "Carmen," this story follows the wild gypsy's adventures as a siren and bandit. Carmen lures an innocent soldier to his ruin, getting him expelled from the army. He then turns to banditry, killing Carmen's husband and others. All this makes for an unhappy ending with the innocent repenting his sins and dying for them.

---

Plot Keywords:

gypsy | bandit | dragoon | depravity | sexuality | 

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 August 1948 (USA)

Also Known As:

Liebesnächte in Sevilla

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, The Beckworth Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Rita Hayworth's father, Eduardo Cansino, worked as a choreographer on the film.

---

Goofs

When Carmen is holding a hot chicken leg and talking to Don Jose, the chicken leg inverts between shots.

---

Quotes

Don José Lizarabengoa: But why was I walking? Because I was punished for letting you escape, that's why.
Carmen García: All that for me. Just imagine. I owe you a great deal, it seems. How much longer must you stand here?
Don José Lizarabengoa: Of what importance is that to you?
[Carmen starts to walk away, clicking her castanets, Jose stops her]
Don José Lizarabengoa: Another hour, just one more and I can leave here. I'm confined to the barracks, but I'll get away, I swear it.
Carmen García: Come to think of it, I'm beginning to be bored with this party. I think I shall run away from it and ...
[...]

---

Connections

Version of Carmen (1945)

---

Soundtracks

"The Love of a Gypsy (Amor di Gitano)"
Written by Morris Stoloff and Fred Karger
Sung by Rita Hayworth (uncredited) (dubbed by Anita Ellis (uncredited))

User Reviews

Bizet Without Bizet

It may be Composer-Screenwriter-Author Helen Deutsh was too captivated by studying the work of "Carmen" librettists Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halevy.

Back in 1873 this leading team penned a text for Georges Bizet's opera, "Carmen" that would support an ultimately legendary work. But times have changed.

Without Bizet's intoxicating score, this tale (from an 1845 novella by Prosper Merimee) now plays like something freshly removed from mothballs: stiled dialogue, cardboard characters and benign dramaturgy make for quite tepid viewing.

True, it's a great role for Rita, but she must utter quite cliched lines, while posturing with "Carmen mannerisms" with no real heart or soul. Mr. Ford also looks most uncomfortable as the naive novice soldier, and behaves as though he's stuck with some stagnant contractual obligation at Columbia Pictures.

Only when Ms. Hayworth is given an opportunity to dance does she truly come to life. Here she can really show off her vitality and the fruits of her long-term choreographic labours.

So, we have here Bizet's opera without Bizet's music.

The production design and costuming are most colorful as everyone struggles valiantly to breathe life into the proceedings.

Deutsch probably should have glanced at the libretto and novella, then gone on to write an original script--which should was capable of doing, based on her record of a half dozen successful musical and dramatic screenplays she penned over the years.

The recently released DVD on Columbia Classics should bring pleasure to film buffs in general and fans of Hayworth (and Ford) in particular.