Carmen

This film was shown to a select crowd in Hollywood in August 1915. Geraldine Farrar, who made her motion picture debut in the film (although Maria Rosa was shot earlier), appeared in the New York Metropolitan Opera's presentation of Georges Bizet's opera Carmen and requested that the public premiere of the film be held in her hometown of Boston. The film had its premiere at the Boston Symphony Hall on October 1, 1915 to a capacity crowd. This was the first time that a motion picture had been exhibited at the hall. A telephone connection was established between the hall and the Lasky studio in Hollywood, where Lasky and director DeMille listened to audience reaction as they screened the film simultaneously with the Boston screening.
       For the bullfight scene, an arena was built in Los Angeles under the supervision of the Los Angeles municipal building and amusement bureaus. Matadors from Mexico were used in these scenes, which were photographed by ten cameramen, according to a news item. Many celebrities, including a number of Paramount stars, appeared in the stands. The shooting was done with the cooperation of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. According to a news item, pianist Melville Ellis was hired to play music during rehearsals and shooting of all scenes. The piano was transported to all locations on a truck.
       The film was re-released on September 29, 1918. According to modern sources, Cecil B. DeMille edited the film, in addition to directing and producing it. DeMille, in his autobiography, states that because the copyright owners of the opera Carmen wanted too much money for the rights to base his film on it, he had his brother use the novel by Mérimée as his source.
       Many films have been taken from or inspired by the story and opera of Carmen, including two 1913 three reel versions, one with Marion Leonard made by the Monopol Film Co., the other with Marguerite Snow, made by the Thanhouser Corp.; a 1915 Fox Film Corp. production, directed by Raoul Walsh (see below); Charlie Chaplin's Burlesque on "Carmen," produced in 1915 by Essanay Film Mfg. Co. (see below); Gypsy Blood, directed in 1918 in Germany by Ernst Lubitsch and starring Pola Negri; Loves of Carmen, produced by Fox Film Corp. in 1927, directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Dolores del Rio (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1921-30; F2.3270); The Loves of Carmen, produced by Columbia in 1948, directed by Charles Vidor and starring Rita Hayworth; Carmen Jones, produced by Fox in 1954, directed by Otto Preminger and starring Dorothy Dandridge; a 1983 film produced in Spain entitled Carmen, directed by Carlos Saura; a 1983 France/Switzerland production entitled Prenom Carmen, directed by Jean-Luc Godard; and Bizet's Carmen, a 1984 France/Italy production, directed by Francesco Rosi.