The Red Shoes (1948)

A young ballet dancer is torn between the man she loves and her pursuit to become a prima ballerina.

Directors:

Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger

Writers:

Hans Christian Andersen (fairy tale), Emeric Pressburger (original screenplay)

Stars:

Anton Walbrook, Marius Goring, Moira Shearer

Won 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anton Walbrook	...	Boris Lermontov
Marius Goring	...	Julian Craster
Moira Shearer	...	Victoria Page
Robert Helpmann	...	Ivan Boleslawsky
Albert Bassermann	...	Sergei Ratov (as Albert Basserman)
Léonide Massine	...	Grischa Ljubov (as Leonide Massine)
Esmond Knight	...	Livy
Austin Trevor	...	Professor Palmer
Irene Browne	...	Lady Neston
Hay Petrie	...	Boisson
Eric Berry	...	Dimitri
Derek Elphinstone	...	Lord Oldham
Ludmilla Tchérina	...	Irina Boronskaja (as Ludmilla Tcherina)
Marie Rambert	...	Madame Rambert (as Madame Rambert)
Michel Bazalgette	...	M. Rideaut

Storyline

Under the authoritarian rule of charismatic ballet impressario Boris Lermontov, his proteges realize the full promise of their talents, but at a price: utter devotion to their art and complete loyalty to Lermontov himself. Under his near-obsessive guidance, young ballerina Victoria Page is poised for superstardom, but earns Lermontov's scorn when she falls in love with Julian Craster, composer of "The Red Shoes," the ballet Lermontov is staging to showcase her talents. Vicky leaves the company and marries Craster, but still finds herself torn between Lermontov's demands and those of her heart.

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Plot Keywords:

ballet | ballerina | dancer | dance | composer | 

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Taglines:

A Dancing, Singing, Swinging Love Tale

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Genres:

Drama | Music | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Emeric Pressburger originally wrote the script in 1937 when producer Alexander Korda was casting around for a project for his wife, Merle Oberon. The intention was that a professional dancer would fill in for Oberon in the dancing scenes. Nothing ever came of it, mainly due to the intervention of the war, and Michael Powell and Pressburger were able to buy the rights for the screenplay back from Korda for £12,000 in 1947. To do this, however, they had to pretend that it was purely for sentimental reasons and not because they wanted to make it into a film. Having worked for Korda before, they both knew that he was a shrewd businessman and that, if he detected they really wanted the property, he would have raised the price.

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Goofs

As Julian Craster walks to the theater, he is seen through an archway as a horse-drawn cart passes. Stepping into the street, he slips on what appears to be a piece of fruit, but doesn't fall, recovers, and continues walking.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[holding doors closed]
Doorman: They're going mad, sir. It's the students.
[From outside]
Julian Craster: Down with tyrants!
Manager, Covent Garden: All right, let them in.

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Crazy Credits

The end of the film finishes with 'Finis' instead of 'The End'.

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Connections

Referenced in The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

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Soundtracks

Bougainvillia
(Dance Music) (uncredited)
Music by Brian Easdale
Performed by Ted Heath's Kenny Baker Swing Group

User Reviews

A Very Creative Movie About Creative Artists At Work

The resourceful approach that characterizes so many of the Michael Powell/ Emeric Pressburger collaborations makes "The Red Shoes" one of the most creative and interesting of any of the "back stage" movies that show the lives and dreams of creative artists at work. The characters are quite interesting in themselves, and the story brings out some worthwhile aspects of each of their natures while giving a realistic and often fascinating look at their world.

By no means do you have to be a ballet fan to appreciate and enjoy the story or the settings. While fully convincing in themselves, they are also set up so that the most important aspects and conflicts of the plot could easily be applied to those working in other creative fields as well.

Moira Shearer, Anton Walbrook, and Marius Goring make a nicely balanced and intriguing trio of main characters. The opening scenes work very well in bringing them together while being enjoyable to watch in themselves. From there, the creative tensions are built up steadily as the story itself becomes even more interesting. The script makes use of the best conventions of its genre, while never allowing itself to become formulaic.

There is also a good deal of creativity in many of the individual sequences. The opening scene at the opera is particularly clever in playing off of a viewer's initial expectations. The most spectacular sequence is the "red shoes" ballet segment itself, a very imaginative and enjoyable mini-movie that also parallels some of the main story's most interesting ideas. All in all, "The Red Shoes" well deserves its reputation as a distinctive classic.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English French Russian

Release Date:

6 September 1948 (UK)

Also Known As:

The Red Shoes

Filming Locations:

D&P Studios, Denham Studios, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

GBP500,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$30,846

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Archers, Independent Producers

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (as Colour by) (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1