Carmen Jones (1954) Blu-ray

Otto Preminger's (Laura, Anatomy of a Murder) celebrated 1954 film proved to be a milestone in musical cinema.

Dorothy Dandridge, whose vibrant performance resulted in the first Oscar nomination for an African-American actress in a leading role, stars as the beautiful temptress Carmen Jones. In one of the sexiest performances ever seen on the big screen she seduces the handsome GI Joe (Harry Belafonte) away from his sweetheart (Olga James), but after she tires of him and takes up with a heavyweight prize-fighter (Joe Adams), she only succeeds in triggering Joe's tragic revenge.

With an all-black cast this Oscar nominated version of Bizet's opera Carmen features an iconic soundtrack from Oscar Hammerstein, including songs such as 'Beat Out Dat Rhythm on a Drum' and was voluptuously shot in Cinemascope Technicolor.

Special features

• Presented in High Definition
• Karen Alexander on Carmen Jones (2016): a newly filmed appreciation by curator and critic Karen Alexander
• Audio commentary by Adrian Martin
• The Guardian Lecture: Harry Belafonte interviewed at the National Film Theatre (1996, 45 mins)
• Stills and Collections Gallery
• Original theatrical trailer
• Illustrated booklet with full film credits and new writing by Chris Fujiwara