IMDb > The Red Shoes (1948)
The Red Shoes
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The Red Shoes (1948) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 2)
The Red Shoes (1948) -- Open-ended Trailer from Eagle Lion
The Red Shoes (1948) -- Virgin.net Movies - Trailer (WMP)

Overview

User Rating:
8.2/10   7,191 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 26% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Hans Christian Andersen (fairy tale)
Emeric Pressburger (original screenplay)
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Red Shoes on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
6 September 1948 (UK) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Dance she did, and dance she must - between her two loves more
Plot:
Under the authoritarian rule of charismatic ballet impressario Boris Lermontov, his proteges realize the full promise of their talents... more | full synopsis
Awards:
Won 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 5 nominations more
User Comments:
(Top 10 pick) A superior film. more (87 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Marius Goring ... Julian Craster
Jean Short ... Terry
Gordon Littmann ... Ike
Julia Lang ... A Balletomane
Bill Shine ... Her Mate
Léonide Massine ... Ljubov (as Leonide Massine)
Anton Walbrook ... Boris Lermontov
Austin Trevor ... Professor Palmer
Esmond Knight ... Livy
Eric Berry ... Dimitri
Irene Browne ... Lady Neston
Moira Shearer ... Victoria Page
Ludmilla Tchérina ... Boronskaja (as Ludmilla Tcherina)
Jerry Verno ... Stage-Door Keeper
Robert Helpmann ... Ivan Boleslawsky
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Additional Details

Runtime:
133 min | Japan:136 min
Country:
Language:
Colour:
Colour (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Company:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Much to his surprise, Michael Powell had great difficulty persuading Moira Shearer to be in the film. She held out for a year before giving in to him. Shearer herself, however, did not particularly care for Powell. In later years, she described the making of the film as being a terrible ordeal: Powell was distant and aloof and never really gave her much direction; and having to dance for hours on end on concrete floors also physically took its toll on all the dancers, making their legs swell up. more
Goofs:
Continuity: The length of Julian's cigarette changes dramatically (gets longer and then gets much shorter than he could smoke it down to in the short time between shots) while he's playing the piano for Vicky in Lermontov's office. more
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.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in M (1951) more
Soundtrack:
Aria more

FAQ

Is a copy of Andersen's "The Red Shoes" online?
Were the actors playing Boronskaja, Ljubov, and Boleslawsky also professional dancers?
Was Lermontov in love with Vicky?
more
34 out of 36 people found the following comment useful.
(Top 10 pick) A superior film., 22 April 1999
10/10
Author: Hermit C-2 from Marietta, GA, USA

I first heard of "The Red Shoes" when I read the liner notes to an album by the jazz/fusion group Weather Report, called "Tale Spinnin'". Therein it said that saxophonist Wayne Shorter had seen the film a few dozen times. Intrigued, I watched it when I noticed it in the TV listings. What a discovery!

With its focus on the tangle of lives of a ballerina, a composer, and a dictatorial impresario who uses them both, the story may have elements of a soap opera, but it's a superior soap opera. What appealed to Shorter, I'm sure, is the film's depiction of the artists' creative process. It may have been done better elsewhere, but I haven't seen it. Besides that, it's beautifully directed, beautifully photographed and sumptuous to look at throughout. The surreal title ballet is performed in a segment that is stunning, and I'm not just using that word as a cliche.

Anton Walbrook stands out as Lermontov, leader of the ballet troupe. There are many real-life artists from the ballet world in the film, including Leonide Massine and Robert Helpmann. Massine is particularly effective.

Don't be put off by the notion that this is some effete art film; it's high quality AND accessible. Anyone who enjoys art (especially ballet), romance or just plain good moviemaking owes it to themselves to see it.

Was the above comment useful to you?
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