Claudine **** (1974, Diahann Carroll, James Earl Jones, Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs) – Classic Movie Review 8963

Diahann Carroll was Oscar nominated as Best Actress in a Leading Role and Golden Globe nominated Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical for director John Berry’s enjoyable, captivatingly acted hit comedy romantic drama Claudine (1974).

Diahann Carroll stars as Claudine, a Harlem single mother of six on welfare who works as a maid, and James Earl Jones plays garbage collector Roop, intimidated by the idea of dating her. Getting in the way of romance is the couple’s poverty, the restrictions of the welfare system and the hostility of Claudine’s children, especially her eldest son Charles (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs),

The writers of the flavourful screenplay are Lester Pine and Tina Pine.

Also in the cast are Tamu Blackwell, David Kruger, Yvette Curtis, Eric Jones, and Socorro Stephens as the other members of the Price family, and Adam Wade, Elisa Loti and Roxie Roker.

Curtis Mayfield writes and produces the score and soundtrack, with vocals by Gladys Knight and the Pips. Their theme song was a #5 hit on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart in 1974.

Claudine is produced by Third World Films and released by 20th Century Fox on 22 April 1974, grossing about $6 million on a budget of $1,100,000.

It was shot on Edgecombe Avenue and 140th street in Harlem in the Sugarhill area.

Diana Sands was to play Claudine but she was dying with cancer and insisted Carroll take over her role.

Diahann Carroll (1935–2019).

RIP Diahann Carroll, who died on 4 October 2019, aged 84. The elegant, trailblazing African-American actress, singer and recording artist was born Carol Diann Johnson on 17 July 1935, in the Bronx, New York. She made her name in early studio films with black casts, including Carmen Jones (1954), and Porgy and Bess (1959). She became the first black woman to win a Tony Award in 1962 for best actress for the Broadway musical No Strings.

In 1959, Carroll began a nine-year affair with married actor Sidney Poitier. She dated and was engaged to TV host and producer David Frost from 1970 until 1973. Carroll’s fourth marriage was to singer Vic Damone in 1987.

She also starred in Goodbye Again, Paris Blues, Hurry Sundown, The Split and The Five Heartbeats.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8963

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