Carmen (1915)

In order to help her smuggler kinsmen, a sultry gypsy seduces and corrupts an officer of the Civil Guard turning him into a traitor and murderer.

Director:

Cecil B. DeMille

Writers:

Prosper Mérimée (novel), William C. de Mille (photoplay)

Stars:

Geraldine Farrar, Wallace Reid, Pedro de Cordoba

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Geraldine Farrar	...	Carmen
Wallace Reid	...	Don José
Pedro de Cordoba	...	Escamillo
Horace B. Carpenter	...	Pastia
William Elmer	...	Morales
Jeanie Macpherson	...	Gypsy girl
Anita King	...	Gypsy girl
Milton Brown	...	Garcia
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tex Driscoll

Storyline

A group of gypsy smugglers are frustrated in their attempts to bring their contraband into the city by Don Jose, an incorruptible officer in the Civil Guard. In order to help her kinsmen, the sultry Carmen seduces him, persuading him to abandon his post and look the other way. When his infatuation leads him to kill a fellow guardsman in order to prevent her arrest, he becomes a wanted fugitive. The capricious, fickle Carmen resents his possessiveness and leaves him for a famous toreador in Seville. Obsessed and frustrated, a distraught Don Jose follows her to the bullring with tragic consequences.

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Plot Keywords:

character name as title | carmen character | don jose character | one word title | gypsy | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 October 1915 (USA)

Also Known As:

Кармен

Filming Locations:

Lasky Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$23,430 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

59 min 75 min (Ontario)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Don Jose: I have paid the full price to make you mine.
Carmen: Carmen belongs to no man. She is free.

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Connections

Version of The Metropolitan Opera Presents: Carmen (1997)

User Reviews

American Beauty

True blue Yankee soprano Geraldine Farrar was the first internationally adored entertainer, she reached more people as a film actress than she did singing at the Met, or indeed through her records. Over her career she made 14 films, recorded about 200 sides, and gave 671 performances in 29 operas. She recognised her voice wasn't up to the likes of Melba for instance, but she wanted primarily to be an actress – and when she put her mind to anything she got it, hence her personal motto through life: Farrar Fará (Farrar Will Do It). With endless confidence and a dynamism unusual in opera divas she made this Carmen for DeMille in 1915.

Story of fiery gypsy woman winning the heart of a soldier (cherub faced Wallace Reid) and using him ruthlessly to her and her people's own ends. Farrar wanted the part badly! The version I've just seen was a brilliant restoration production of a print from George Eastman House by VAI, complete with modern orchestral arrangements and perfect tints based on the original production notes and a Pre and Postlude chockful of background information (even with 3 original recordings from Farrar herself). The acting and production were good, sometimes surprisingly so for such an early film. Farrar piled on the drama for the camera, she portrayed a different emotion every 5 seconds to offset the lack of words – or lyrics! Her dress at the bullfight was something to look at, lovingly captured by DeMille and his film crew.

Maybe Joan The Woman was a better picture overall but Carmen is a wonderful little film, a curio as presented now but very easy to watch and at 75 minutes long with all the extras left me wanting more. Bravo!