The Loves of Carmen (1948)

The Loves of Carmen - lost footage?

The Loves of Carmen - Rita Hayworth & Glenn Ford
I remember seeing this film when I was quite young thinking I was going to see the movie version of Bizet's opera Carmen. I was disappointed at first but seeing the beautiful Rita Hayworth in the title role made quite an impression. I remember what I thought was more dancing done by Hayworth than was shown on this DVD. I also thought that the cigarette factory scene was longer as well as the fight among Hayworth and the other gypsies who worked in the factory. Glenn Ford seemed also to have longer scenes edited from what I remember. Then on the other hand, I might be confusing the film with the opera. Maybe it was all a child's fantasy memory of a classic film, but I do remember how beautifully Rita Hayworth danced in the screen version. The DVD somehow did not capture this. Maybe the fault was trying to make this classic film into a DVD. August 29, 2008

Glorious Technicolor film of the even more glorious Rita Hayworth!

"The Loves of Carmen" is a glorious Technicolor costume romp set in Spain. The film was promoted as based on the same novella that served as the source material for Georges Bizet's opera. There is a gypsy girl, Carmen (Rita Hayworth) who works in a cigarette factory; and a young dragoon, Don Jose (Glenn Ford), who inadvertently kills his Colonel in a duel over Carmen. This movie has its fair share of melodrama, but it is not the Bizet opera.

This version is not a musical but there is a beautiful film score by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, and lively dancing choreographed by Rita's father, Eduardo Cansino. Rita Hayworth was a trained dancer who came from a family of dancers going back generations. In one of the dance numbers, her partner is her Uncle Jose.

This was the first film from Rita Hayworth's own production company, Beckworth. She made it a family affair. In addition to hiring her father and uncle, her brother Vernon is one of the dragoons. The film also reunited her with her Gilda director, Charles Vidor, as well as co-star, Glenn Ford.

The DVD features a beautiful restored print in glorious Technicolor. The audio track is crisp and clean. The film can be viewed with English or Portuguese language tracks; subtitles are available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean and Thai. Special features include stills of vintage advertising, theatrical trailers, `talent files' -brief biography and filmography information on Charles Vidor, Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, and Victor Jory; a featurette, "Rita Hayworth: The Columbia Lady" which gives an overview of her life and career and is available on other DVDs of Hayworth films, such as "Gilda."

If you like full on Technicolor cinematography, gorgeous costumes, and melodramatic story lines, this is highly recommended.
July 7, 2008

Rita Hayworth burns up the screen

"She's bad all the way through. She lies as easily as other people drink water. She's a liar, a thief and a cheat. Has no more manners than my Great Aunt's cat. She's really awful. And I'd sell my soul to hear her say just once she loves me."

1948's The Loves of Carmen may dispense with Bizet, but this lavish `straight' adaptation of the classic tale of destructive love from the days when Technicolor was still glorious does reunite Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford with their Gilda director Charles Vidor to good effect. The passion may not burn as hot or as deep as in Prosper Merimee's novel or Bizet's opera but it's fairly grand entertainment with all the production values that only the studio system at its height could provide even if idealistic young Spanish officer Ford's brooding over his ruined life and amoral gypsy temptress Carmen's fickle affections does threaten to get on your nerves in the last third. Hayworth wasn't yet a good enough actress to make the most of the part, but she certainly scores in the allure department.

Columbia's DVD boasts a magnificent color transfer with the original theatrical trailer included. November 13, 2007

Wow

Wow is what I thought when I saw this movie. I love Rita and this is the first movie I got to see of hers. She definately did great in this movie, and she is so gorgeous. I loved this movie, it was interesting and I would recommend it to everyone! It's a must have Rita film to me! October 28, 2007

A Warning To Young Men

The movie adeptly shows how a young man, full of hope, grace, honor, skill and loyalty could be lead astray by a clever and attractive young girl, whose morals are profoundly alien to his own.

Glenn Ford's character doesn't see it coming, but he is gradually pulled into her world, simply by showing her kindness and attention; he's too tolerant. May 21, 2007

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