{"product_id":"musical-double-feature-black-tights-1961-trocadero-1944","title":"Musical Double Feature: Black Tights (1961) \/ Trocadero (1944)","description":"\u003cb\u003eBLACK TIGHTS (1962):\u003c\/b\u003e 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 \u003ci\u003eHans Christian Andersen\u003c\/i\u003e (1952) and \u003ci\u003eAnything Goes\u003c\/i\u003e (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 (\u003ci\u003eThe Red Shoes\u003c\/i\u003e, 1948) and Cyd Charisse (\u003ci\u003eSingin' in the Rain\u003c\/i\u003e, 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, \u003ci\u003eDr. No\u003c\/i\u003e (1962), \u003ci\u003eFrom Russia with Love\u003c\/i\u003e (1963), and \u003ci\u003eThunderball\u003c\/i\u003e (1965), all starring Sean Connery. Shot in the widescreen 70mm Technirama process, the movie premiered at the 1960 Venice Film Festival as \u003ci\u003eUn, deux, trois, quatre!\u003c\/i\u003e 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...\u003ci\u003eBlack Tights\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTROCADERO (1944):\u003c\/b\u003e 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 \u0026amp; His Orchestra. A breezy musical from Republic Pictures, \u003ci\u003eTrocadero\u003c\/i\u003e 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 \u003ci\u003eOur Gang\u003c\/i\u003e 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 \u003ci\u003eOut of the Inkwell\u003c\/i\u003e, but his appearance in this film is as far as he got.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Alpha Video","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":45802772037782,"sku":"089218814791","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0703\/9621\/5446\/files\/089218814791.jpg?v=1762203325","url":"https:\/\/moviezyng.com\/products\/musical-double-feature-black-tights-1961-trocadero-1944","provider":"Movie Zyng","version":"1.0","type":"link"}