Tonight, Diahann Carroll takes over as programmer on Turner Classic Movies, to feature the movie that scored her an Academy Award nomination in 1974 for Best Actress. Claudine is a non-blaxploitation romantic domestic comedy about a single mother of six children in the Bronx falling in love with a garbage man (James Earl Jones).

Claudine is a woman who has been married and divorced twice, and was trying to raise six children on her own while working as a housekeeper under the table. When she meets James Earl Jones, they have to navigate the usual complications of an adult relationship while also dealing with issues related to poverty: money issues, living arrangements, employment, etc.

Directed by John Berry, who just came off the Hollywood Blacklist, Claudine was a film of empowerment for the black community, meant to build a community while addressing known issues. This theme on paper extended to behind the camera, as it was the first film produced by Hannah Weinstein (no known relation to The Weinstein Brothers) under her production company Third World Cinema. Third World Cinema was intended to make positive films starring African-Americans for African-Americans with the intend of building community and teaching craft. Alas, according to IMDB, this and the 1980 Richard Prior/Pam Grier film Greased Lightning were the only finished products released under the banner.

Claudine airs at 8:00pm on Turner Classic Movies.