CLAUDINE (1974) was first film produced by Third World Cinema Corp. – an organization launched in 1971 to provide minorities with substantial, less stereotypical roles in theatrical films. It was founded by producer Hannah Weinstein and actors Diana Sands, Ossie Davis, James Earl Jones and Rita Moreno – the latter two recipients of the AFI Honorary Degree – with Jones and Sands originally cast to lead the company’s inaugural release, a tender-hearted story charting the trials and triumphs of a Harlem romance. When Sands collapsed on set and was diagnosed with terminal cancer – and given only one month to live due to the severity of her disease – Diahann Carroll assumed the role that she was to have played. Carroll went on to earn an Academy Award® nomination in the category of Best Actress for her performance.
Visit the AFI Catalog to learn more about CLAUDINE.
