The Gay Parisian (1941)

Director:

Jean Negulesco

Release Date:

10 January 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Short | Musical | Romance

Plot:

In a Paris nightclub setting, the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo performs to the music of Jacques Offenbach.

Plot Keywords:

Dance | Ballet | Voice Over Narration | Ice Cream | Flower Girl

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo	...	Dancers
Léonide Massine	...	The Peruvian (as Leonide Massine)
Milada Mladova	...	The Glove Seller
Frederic Franklin	...	The Baron
Nathalie Krassovska	...	The Flower Girl
Andre Eglevsky	...	Tortoni - The Dancing Master
Igor Youskevitch	...	Officer
Lubov Roudenko	...	Can-Can Dancer
Casimir Kokitch	...	Dancer
James Starbuck	...	Dancer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Cyd Charisse	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Marc Platt	...	Dancer (uncredited)
George Zoritch	...	Dancer (uncredited)

Directed by
Jean Negulesco

Produced by
Gordon Hollingshead	....	associate producer

Cinematography by
Ernest Haller		(as Ernie Haller)

Film Editing by
Everett Dodd

Art Direction by
Charles Novi

Sound Department
Charles David Forrest	....	sound

Music Department
Efrem Kurtz	....	musical director

Other crew
Sol Hurok	....	by arrangement with (as S. Hurok)
Natalie Kalmus	....	technicolor color director
Léonide Massine	....	choreographer (as Leonide Massine)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. (as The Vitaphone Corporation)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. (1941) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1954) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

20 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved | USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Company:

Warner Bros.

Trivia:

In 1931, Colonel Wassily de Basil (a Russian entrepreneur from Paris) and Rene Blum (ballet director of the Monte Carlo Opera) founded the "Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo" giving its first performance in Monte Carlo, in 1932. Diaghlieve alumni Leonide Massine and George Balanchine worked as choreographers with the company, and Tamara Tormanova was principal dancer. Artistic differences led to a split between Blum and de Basil. Rene Blum retained the name "Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo" and de Basil created a new company. In 1938, de Basil called his new ballet company "The Convent Garden Russian Ballet". Then renamed it "The Original Ballet Russe" in 1939. The "Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo" appeared in Berlin (for a week of repertoire) a week after the closing1936 Berlin Olympics, returning to London afterwards. "Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo" toured extensively in the United States, Australia and South America. Returning and ending the 1939-40 tour in New York City, the ballet company was virtually stranded preferring to remain on neutral ground, not to return to London which was under the "Blitz". Warner Brothers studio chief Jack L. Warner contracted Rene Blum and Leonide Massine to film two ballets, releasing the two segments as (20 minute) shorts. The ballet company transferred to Hollywood, filming the two repertoire ballet segments at the Burbank studios. Studio sets were built, and all new costumes were constructed in the Warner Brothers Costume-Wardrobe Department. Madam Barbara Karinska had toured with the company as the ballet company's wardrobe mistress. She remained in New York, not a part of the movie project. Although Tamara Tormanova had been featured in the company's repertoire in "the glove role", she did not perform the role in this "Gay Parisien" film short. Tormanova performed in the Warner's second short "Spanish Fiesta". Both shorts were filmed in 1941, with the studio releasing "Gay Parisien" first in January, 1942, and the second short "Spanish Fiesta" in March, 1942.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Ballets russes (2005)

Soundtrack:

Can-Can

jean negulesco 's The Gay Parisienne (1941)

In filming Massine's Gaite Parisienne with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo,director Jean Negulesco chose the shots and edited the film beautifully. Dance is very hard to film effectively. Also, Massine adapted his famous dance wonderfully for film and what a treat to see him dance The Peruvian, his own creation! The famous dancers of the early 1940's makes a breathtaking cast list: Frederic Franklin, Krassovska,Eglevsky--everyone dancing and looking marvelous. They just threw off the choreography with no effort whatsoever. Thanks to Turner Classic Films for bringing these Negulesco shorts to light. All of them well acted, nicely designed and written. The costumes perfect. Not that garish mess of costuming a few years ago for American Ballet Theater. What a thrill to know Gaite Parisienne has been caught forever on film and so well. The addition of the sound of Massine's footsteps in his allegro pas and other slight sound additions an important element of making the ballet seem alive and not just a silent dance filmed to recorded music. And what about those musicians coming in while playing the beginning of the Barcarolle? Shela Xoregos