During the Korean War, a Southern tobacco road business turns to making parachutes and employing the black population, including a beautiful woman named Carmen Jones (Dorothy Dandridge). Nearby a segregated army camp, a handsome young soldier Joe (Harry Belafonte) catches Carmen’s eye despite the fact that he is engaged to Cindy Lou (Olga James). Ignoring the warning of her friends Frankie (Pearl Bailey) and Myrt (Diahann Carroll), Carmen sets her mind to have Joe. Through some shenanigans, Carmen manages to seduce Joe and turns down offers to run off with Husky (Joe Adams). She takes Joe to Chicago despite protests from Sergeant Brown (Brock Peters).