BLACK TIGHTS (1962): In 1960, French production company Talma Filmes asked renowned choreographer Roland Petit to make a motion picture that would introduce the wonder of ballet to the wider world. It would consist of four ballets choreographed by Petit, starring him and his wife/muse, Zizi Jeanmarie. Despite her appearances in
Hans Christian Andersen (1952) and
Anything Goes (1956), Talma Filmes did not consider Jeanmarie a household name, and decreed that two of the sequences must feature well-known dancer-actresses. The two cast had both starred in legendary musicals -- Moira Shearer (
The Red Shoes, 1948) and Cyd Charisse (
Singin' in the Rain, 1952.) The four ballets chosen had been performed by Petit and his company many times on the stage: "The Diamond Cruncher," in which Jeanmaire plays a pickpocket pursued by delivery man Dirk Sanders; "Cyrano de Bergerac," featuring Petit as the long-nosed poet and Shearer as Roxanne; "A Merry Mourning," starring Charisse as a widow who uses her husband's death as an excuse to dress provocatively; and "Carmen," with Petit as the soldier Don Jose and Jeanmarie as the doomed gypsy who falls in love with him. Even though he had never made a musical before, British filmmaker Terence Young was hired to direct. He is best known for his three James Bond films,
Dr. No (1962),
From Russia with Love (1963), and
Thunderball (1965), all starring Sean Connery. Shot in the widescreen 70mm Technirama process, the movie premiered at the 1960 Venice Film Festival as
Un, deux, trois, quatre! Two years later, U.S. art house distributor Magna Pictures picked up the film for American release. They added new sequences with Maurice Chevalier, who appears on-camera speaking English, occasionally interrupting the dancing to explain what's going on. The U.S. distributor emphasized Charisse's svelte figure and skimpy Yves St. Laurent-designed wardrobe in their promotional campaign, renaming the picture simply...
Black Tights.
TROCADERO (1944): Hollywood gossip columnist Erskine Johnson is investigating the history of the Trocadero nightclub, the hottest spot on the Sunset Strip. While getting the story from the kids of "Troc" founder Tony Rocadero, he enjoys a star-studded revue of performers, including Ida James with Bob Chester & His Orchestra. A breezy musical from Republic Pictures, Trocadero is mostly a filmed document of a night at the famed Hollywood nightclub. The bridging sequences between acts star Rosemary Lane (of the Lane Sisters) and Johnny Downs (former child star and Our Gang member.) Unusually, the legendary Dave Fleischer appears as a patron at the Trocadero, accompanied by a new animated character, 'Snippy.' Fleischer had proposed a 'Snippy' series to Republic, similar to Out of the Inkwell, but his appearance in this film is as far as he got.
