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

Writers:

Lester Pine, Tina Pine

Stars:

Diahann Carroll, James Earl Jones, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Diahann Carroll	...	Claudine
James Earl Jones	...	Roop
Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs	...	Charles (as Lawrence Hilton-Jacques)
Tamu Blackwell	...	Charlene (as Tamu)
David Kruger	...	Paul
Yvette Curtis	...	Patrice
Eric Jones	...	Francis
Socorro Stephens	...	Lurlene
Adam Wade	...	Owen
C. Harrison Avery	...	Minister (as Harrison Avery)
Mordecai Lawner	...	Process Server
Elisa Loti	...	Miss Kabak
Roxie Roker	...	Mrs. Winston
Jay Van Leer	...	Bar Woman
Judy Mills	...	Bus Woman #1

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

welfare | new york city | black american | african american | reflection | 

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Taglines:

A heart and soul comedy. Can you dig it?

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 August 1976 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

Claudine Corpo e Alma

Filming Locations:

Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Third World Cinema, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Prior to her death Diana Sands insisted that her very good friend Diahann Carroll be cast in the role of Claudine.

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Goofs

When Claudine and her girlfriends are riding the bus at the beginning of the movie, the bus passes the New Marble Hill movie theatre twice.

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Connections

Referenced in Good Times: The Gang: Part 1 (1974)

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Soundtracks

"Hold On"
Written by Curtis Mayfield
Performed by Gladys Knight & The Pips (as Gladys Knight and The Pips)

User Reviews

'Claudine' is warm and inviting

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.