Claudine (1974)Claudine tries to provide for her six children in Harlem while on welfare. She has a romance with Roop, a cheerful garbageman she meets while working on the side as a maid. Director:John Berry |
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Claudine (1974)Claudine tries to provide for her six children in Harlem while on welfare. She has a romance with Roop, a cheerful garbageman she meets while working on the side as a maid. Director:John Berry |
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Diahann Carroll | ... | ||
| James Earl Jones | ... | ||
| Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs | ... |
Charles
(as Lawrence Hilton-Jacques)
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Tamu Blackwell | ... |
Charlene
(as Tamu)
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David Kruger | ... |
Paul
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Yvette Curtis | ... |
Patrice
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Eric Jones | ... |
Francis
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Socorro Stephens | ... |
Lurlene
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Adam Wade | ... |
Owen
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C. Harrison Avery | ... |
Minister
(as Harrison Avery)
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Mordecai Lawner | ... |
Process Server
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Elisa Loti | ... |
Miss Kabak
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| Roxie Roker | ... |
Mrs. Winston
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Jay Van Leer | ... |
Bar Woman
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| Judy Mills | ... |
Bus Woman #1
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Claudine tries to provide for her six children in Harlem while on welfare. She has a romance with Roop, a cheerful garbageman she meets while working on the side as a maid. Written by Will Gilbert
I first saw the 1974 film "Claudine" on Showtime in 1996. It's a warm film that is easily embracable, thanks to the humane way in which the characters -- and their misfortunes -- are dealt.
Diahann Carroll, in the title role, plays a single mother raising -- oh, four or five or six -- kids while working as a maid for a wealthy, affluent family.
James Earl Jones, as a garbage man, is smitten with Claudine. However, he has problems of his own, and the idea of committing to Claudine has him running scared.
The characters have pride and love, and, even though this isn't original, I found "Claudine" to be quite inviting. The performances (especially from Carroll, who won a well-deserved best-actress Oscar nomination for a role that had originally been cast with Diana Sands, who had to drop out due to a bout with cancer that would eventually kill her in September 1973) seem flawless, because the actors have a firm grasp and understanding of where "Claudine" is at, in terms of heart, mind, and soul.
And "Claudine" has plenty of those three to spare. It's well-worth checking out, if you haven't already done so.