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In the early 1970s, while producers were creating heroes (and antiheroes) out of black characters with violent pictures, 1974's "Claudine" emerged as a softer understanding of struggle and survival. Written by Tina and Lester Pine, the tale features a mother of six kids trying to find a way to support her family, deal with employment, and care for her own mental health as she embarks on a new relationship.

In Harlem, Claudine (Diahann Carroll) is exasperated, living to raise her six children while secretly working as a housecleaner to help support her welfare benefits. She finds some comfort in Rupert (James Earl Jones), a garbage collector extremely attracted to her, actively trying to land a date. While the pair connects during the never-ending bustle of their domestic lives, Claudine is pushed to the brink of sanity as she navigates the welfare system, Rupert's problems, and the unruly lives of her children, with Charles (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs) growing to resent his parent as he begins to challenge social issues on his own.

Director: John Berry
Cast: Diahann Carroll, James Earl Jones, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs
Country: USA
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

BD50, DVD9 | 1080p AVC, NTSC | 01:32:35 | 42.7 Gb + 7.41 Gb + 3% rec
Language: English
Subtitles: English

Extras:

• Commentary features actors Diahann Carroll, James Earl Jones, and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, filmmaker George Tillman Jr., and Dan Pine, son of screenwriters Tina and Lester Pine.

• Interview (30:50, HD) is an appreciation piece with Robert Townsend, who shares his love for "Claudine" over a video conference call with film programmer Ashley Clark.

• Audio Interview (21:57, HD) is a 1974 recording of Diahann Carroll making an appearance at the American Film Institute for their "Master Seminar" series.

• "Uncovering John Berry" (19:54, HD) is an appreciation piece from critic Imogen Sara Smith, who details the subject's experiences as a young man in New York, working his way to the stage, soon joining the Mercury Theater and Orson Welles.