The Hunchback of Norte Dame - A 1923 Silent Film - Starring Lon Chaney and Patsy Miller- Run Time One Hour 57 minutes

On YouTube 

https://youtu.be/mSUWMX5-K3U

This is part of my Participation in Paris in July 2023 Hosted by Words and Peace

https://wordsandpeace.com/2023/06/30/paris-in-july-2023/

Set in 15th-century Paris, Jehan (Brandon Hurst), the evil brother of the archdeacon, lusts after a Gypsy named Esmeralda (Patsy Ruth Miller) and commands the hunchback Quasimodo (Lon Chaney) to capture her. Military captain Phoebus (Norman Kerry) also loves Esmeralda and rescues her, but the Gypsy is not unsympathetic to Quasimodo's condition, and an unlikely bond forms between them. After vengeful Jehan frames Esmeralda for the attempted murder of Phoebus, Quasimodo's feelings are put to the test.

Quasimodo is initially repulsed by Esmeralda's beauty, but he soon comes to care for her. When Esmeralda is framed for the attempted murder of Phoebus, a captain of the guard, Quasimodo risks his own life to save her. In the end, Quasimodo is rewarded for his kindness and courage, and he finds acceptance and love among the people of Paris.

The 1923 film The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a classic of silent cinema. Lon Chaney's performance as Quasimodo is one of the most memorable in film history, and the film's sets and costumes are lavish and impressive. The film is a powerful and moving adaptation of Victor Hugo's novel, and it remains a popular and critically acclaimed film today.

The scenes in the streets of Paris among the extreme poor are very striking.  The make up for Lon Chaney took two hours to apply . The film strongly portrays the extreme contrast of the lives of the common people to those at court,  Patsy Ruth Miller's dancing is very sensuous,

The  movie was a big success for Universal Studios. They reconstructed Norte Dame Cathedral on their lot in great detail.  There are explanations of the action to help the audience follow.

In July of 2011 I posted on the novel for Paris in July 2011:

Victor Hugo (1802-1885-France-you can read more about him here) created in The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, characters known by millions world wide who have never heard of his novel.   

Quasimodo has rung the bells of Norte-Dame Cathedral millions of times in Saturday morning cartoons and old movies on TV.    The Gypsy girl he loves, Esmeralda, is a stock Disney character now.  His work has influenced countless novelists from Charles Dickens and Fyodor Dostoevsky on down.     He is buried in the Pantheon in Paris in a crypt shared by Emile Zola and Alexander Dumas.    Two million people lined the streets of Paris for his funeral possession.    He is among the towering giants of world literature.

Esmerelda

The Hunch Back of Notre-Dame probably violates many rules taught in creative writing classes around the world today.    Hugo loves to  stop the flow of the narrative and talk about something that he thinks his readers should know about.     He is very much given to the use of the "Dear reader" device to move the plot along.     His characters seem a little one dimensional (with one or two exceptions) and he does more or less force the reader into sentimental emotional attitudes by telling us what to feel.    All that being said, it is a great novel loved by millions, including me now.    

I offer my great thanks to Emma of Words and Peace for hosting Paris in July 2023. I was provided with the motivation to discover 24 films set in Paris.

I guess this will be my final movie post. I plan to do an overall post.

Mel Ulm 

 

An American in Paris - A 1951 Film Directed by Vincente Minnelli - Starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron

 

This is part of   my Participation in Paris in July 2023 - Hosted  by Words and Peace 

https://wordsandpeace.com/2023/06/30/paris-in-july-2023/

The film tells the story of Jerry Mulligan, Gene Kelly, an American ex-GI who stays in post-war Paris to become a painter, and falls for the charms of Lise Bouvier. However, his paintings come to the attention of Milo Roberts, a rich American heiress, who is interested in more than just art.

The film is interspersed with dance numbers choreographed by Gene Kelly and set to Gershwin's music. The most famous of these numbers is "The American in Paris", a 17-minute ballet that takes place in the streets of Paris. The ballet is considered one of the greatest dance sequences ever filmed.

An American in Paris was an enormous success, garnering eight Academy Award nominations and winning six (including Best Picture), as well as earning other industry honors. It is considered one of the greatest musicals ever made, and is often ranked alongside Singin' in the Rain and The Wizard of Oz.

An American in Paris is a great movie. The minor characters are perfect, it ie so much fun to see the old cars.

My  thanks to Emma of Words and Peace for hosting Paris in July 2023

Mel Ulm 

The Arch of Triumph- A 1948 Film - directed by Lewis Milestone and starring Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer, and Charles Laughton. Set in Paris just before World War Two Starts

This is part of my Participation in Paris in July 2023 - Hosted by Words and Peace.

 https://wordsandpeace.com/2023/06/30/paris-in-july-2023/

The film is on YouTube 

It is based on the 1945 novel Arch of Triumph by Erich Maria Remarque, which he wrote during his nine-year exile in the United States.

To be the best things about the movie are the Preformance by Ingrid Bergman and the cinematography 

 

The film is set in Paris in the winter of 1938, one year before the beginning of the second World War. It tells the story of Ravic (Boyer), an Austrian political refugee and doctor who practices medicine illegally under a false name. He saves Joan Madou (Bergman) from committing suicide after the sudden death of her lover. They become involved, but he is deported and she becomes the mistress of Alex (Laughton), a very wealthy man. Ravic eventually returns, still seeking revenge against the Nazi officer, von Haake (Laughton), who tortured Ravic's beloved to death. Von Haake is in Paris, in civilian dress, for some unknown, sinister purpose.

The film was a critical and commercial failure upon its release. It was criticized for its meandering plot and for its failure to capture the spirit of Remarque's novel. However, the film has since been re-evaluated by critics, who now praise its cinematography and its performances by Bergman, Boyer, and Laughton.

 The cinematography is by James Wong Howe, who won an Academy Award for his work on the film. The film's use of chiaroscuro lighting creates a dark and oppressive atmosphere that reflects the mood of the times.

• The performances by the three leads are all excellent. Bergman gives a heartbreaking performance as Joan, a woman who is struggling to cope with the loss of her lover and the harsh realities of life as a refugee. Boyer is also excellent as Ravic, a complex and troubled character who is driven by revenge and a desire to find redemption. Laughton is suitably villainous as von Haake, a sadistic Nazi officer who is determined to get away with his crimes.

 The film's score by Franz Waxman is also notable. The score is both haunting and beautiful, and it perfectly complements the film's visuals and story.

Overall, Arch of Triumph is a flawed but well-made film that is worth watching for its cinematography, performances, and score. It depicts a time and place where no-one can be fully trusted. In one shocking scene a 21 year old girl dies after a self endured abortion in spite of efforts by Charles Boyer to save her

The Bergman character flips from being a lost soul in need of help to a seemingly Sinister woman who causes death wherever she goes.

To me this is a Noir classic.

I will next post on Paris Blues starring Sidney Portier and Paul Newman 

I am very grateful to Emma for hosting Paris in July 2023

Mel Ulm 

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A Scandal in Paris - A 1946 Film Directed by Douglas Sirk - based on the Life of Eugène François Vidocq - director of France's first criminal investigative agency, the Sûreté nationale,

 

This is part of  my Participation in Paris in July 2023  Hosted by Words and Peace

https://wordsandpeace.com/2023/06/30/paris-in-july-2023/

"Eugène François Vidocq
24 July 1775 – 11 May 1857) was a French criminal turned criminalist, whose life story inspired several writers, including Victor Hugo, Edgar Allan Poe and Honoré de Balzac. The former criminal became the founder and first director of France's first criminal investigative agency, the Sûreté nationale, as well as the head of the first known private detective agency. Vidocq is considered to be the father of modern criminology and of the French national police force. He is also regarded as the first private detective." Bard

Scandal in Paris is on YouTube. It has a run time of one hour and forty  minutes.  It was shot in Paris.

A Scandal in Paris (1946) is a biographical film directed by Douglas Sirk and starring George Sanders, Signe Hasso, and Carole Landis. It loosely depicts the life of Eugène François Vidocq, a French criminal who reformed and became a famous French Prefect of Police during the Napoleonic era.

The film begins with Vidocq (Sanders) as a petty criminal and lothario. He escapes from prison with his cellmate, Emile Vernet (Akim Tamiroff), and they travel to Marseilles where they meet the attractive young singer Loretta (Landis). Vidocq then meets a marquise and plots to steal her stash of jewels.

With the help of the minister of police's daughter, Therese (Hasso), Vidocq finds himself unexpectedly replacing the police chief. He uses his knowledge of the criminal underworld to help solve crimes, but he is also tempted to return to his old ways.

In the end, Vidocq chooses to reform and become a force for good in Paris. He creates a new kind of police force, one that uses criminals to catch criminals. He also helps to bring about the downfall of the corrupt minister of police.

A Scandal in Paris is a stylish and entertaining film that tells a fascinating story. It is also a thoughtful exploration of the nature of good and evil. Sanders gives a superb performance as Vidocq, and the supporting cast is also excellent.

The film was a critical and commercial success, and it has been praised by critics for its wit, suspense, and social commentary. It is a classic of the film noir genre, and it is still considered to be one of Sirk's best films.

I will next post on The Arch of Triumph,1948, starring Ingrid Bergman.

I offer my thanks to Emma of Words and Peace for hosting Paris in July 2023

Mel Ulm

Assignment Paris - A 1952 Film Set in Paris and Budapest- Starring Dana Andrews, Marta Toren -An American journalist in Paris- A very exciting film

This is part of my Participation in Paris in July 2023 - Hosted by Words and Peace

 https://wordsandpeace.com/2023/06/30/paris-in-july-2023/

Assignment Paris is on YouTube 

Assignment: Paris is a suspenseful and exciting film that explores the dangers of Cold War espionage. The film is well-acted, with Dana Andrews and Märta Torén giving particularly strong performances. The film's cinematography is also impressive, capturing the beauty of Budapest and the atmosphere of Cold War tension.

it was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction. Assignment: Paris is a classic Cold War film noir that is still worth watching today.

I was   very drawn into the plot, I worried about those in danger and I hated the Hungarians.  We also get an inside look at an American Newspaper office in Paris.

In the older films you can see how people dressed, the cool old cars and o,k every body smoked.

I will next post on A Scandal in Paris.

 My great thanks to Emma for Hosting Paris in July 2023

Mel Ulm 

So This is Paris-A 1926 Silent film directed by Ernst Lubitsch - 107 Minutes

 This is part of my Participation in Paris in July 2023 - Hosted by Words and Peace 

Available on YouTube 

I have so far loved the films by Ernst Lubitsch 

Born: January 29, 1892, Berlin, Germany

Died: November 30, 1947, Los Angeles, California, United States

This is my first venture into silent films.  

So this is Paris was shot in Paris, and it captures the city's atmosphere and glamour of the 1920s.

The film tells the story of two couples who live in neighboring apartments in Paris. Dr. Giraud is married to Suzanne, but he is having an affair with Georgette Lalle, a dancer. Suzanne is also having an affair, with Maurice  a neighbour.

The two couples' affairs are kept secret from each other, but they eventually start to unravel. Suzanne finds out about Giraud's affair when she hears on the radio that he and Georgette have won a Charleston dance contest. Maurice finds out about Suzanne's affair when he sees her with her lover.

The film ends with the two couples confronting each other, and with each of them realizing that they have been betrayed.

I found the plot easy to follow. As was normal in silent films people’s emotions are strongly displayed.

I will post on more films  by Ernst Lubitsch in the next few months.

I have two more set in Paris films in que for Paris in July 2023.

I offer my thanks to Emma of Words and Peace for hosting Paris in July 2023

Mel Ulm

Seventh Heaven- A 1937 Film Directed by Harry King- Set in the Slums of Paris during WW One-Starring Simone Simon and James Stewart

This is part of my Participation in Paris in July 2023 - Hosted by Words and Peace 

Wordsandpeace.com 

Available on YouTube 

Running time 1 hour and 42 minutes 

I found Seventh Heaven a wonderful deeply moving work.  Set in the Slums of Paris during WW One, the lead character, played perfectly by Jimmy Stewart, works as a sewar cleaner, he is an atheist, openly mocking religious beliefs, he has no family. Because of his extremely low status job, everyone looks down on him.  His biggest hope is to be promoted to a street cleaner. 

It is an antiwar movie, as one would expect in 1937, Germans are cast in an evil light.

Chico, Jimmy Stewart, rescues Diane (Simon), a young woman being beaten by her sister. Chico and Diane fall in love and move into a small apartment on the seventh floor, which Diane describes as heaven. However, their happiness is short-lived when Chico is called away to fight in World War I. At first Chico just takes her in out of a sense of duty. We see Diane is afraid of the heights of the seven story apartment and is terrified of the many cats in the building. Soon she is feeding the cats and thinks nothing of the height.

Diane has a strong religious faith, praying for the safe return of Chico.

Diane is left alone to fend for herself, and she eventually gives birth to a son. She struggles to survive, but she is helped by Father Chevillon (Hersholt), a priest who befriends her.

At the ending the war is over, the men of the building are returning. The close of the film is emotionally complex, deeply moving.

I extend my thanks to Emma of Words and Peace for hosting Paris in July

I will next post on So This is Paris, a silent film by Ernst Lubitsch

Mel Ulm

The Three Musketeers- A 1948 Film -directed by George Sidney and stars Gene Kelly, Lana Turner, Van Heflin, and Vincent Price.

 This is part of my Participation in Paris in July 2023 - Hosted by Words and Peace

https://wordsandpeace.com/

Available on YouTube 

Based on the 1844 novel by Alexander Dunas, the movie is set in France circa 1640.  Louis

The XIii was king, Cardinal Richelieu was his prime minister.  As played to perfection by Vincent Price, the Cardinal is plotting to take the place of the young king.

The movie is nonstop action with some of the greatest sword fights ever filmed.

The film tells the story of D'Artagnan, played by Gene Kelly,a Gascon youth who travels to Paris to join the elite King's Musketeers. On his way, he encounters a mysterious lady at a roadside inn. When he picks a fight with one of her escorts, she becomes suspicious and has him knocked unconscious. His letter of introduction from his father to de Treville, the commander of the Musketeers, is burned. When he awakens, he continues on to the city.

In Paris, D'Artagnan meets the three Musketeers: Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. The four men become friends and allies, and they soon find themselves caught up in a web of intrigue and danger. The villainous Cardinal Richelieu is plotting to overthrow the King, and he has hired the beautiful Lady de Winter to help him. D'Artagnan and the Musketeers must use all of their skills and courage to thwart Richelieu's plans and save the King.

There is romance, lots of sword fights, beautiful women. The Technicolor is vivid, stunning. Just a really fun movie.

The Three Musketeers was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Costume Design, Best Art Direction, and Best Cinematography. 

I will next post on Seventh Heaven, set in the slums of Paris during World War One.

I am very grateful for Emma of Words and Peace for hosting Paris in July 2023

Mel Ulm

Monsieur Beaucaire is a 1946 American historical comedy film set in Paris in the Reign of Louis the 15-directed by George Marshall and starring Bob Hope, Joan Caulfield and Patric Knowles.

 Available on YouTube 

The setting is the royal courts of France and Spain around 1750.

This is part of my Participation in Paris in July 2023 - Hosted by Words and Peace 

https://wordsandpeace.com/2023/06/30/paris-in-july-2023/

Bob Hope portrays the title character, the barber of King Louis XV of France. It is loosely based on the novel of the same name by Booth Tarkington. It is a remake of the 1924 Rudolph Valentino silent film of the same name Monsieur Beaucaire.

The film follows Beaucaire, a barber who is mistaken for a nobleman and sent to Spain to marry Princess Maria. Beaucaire must use his wits to survive in the court of King Philip V and avoid being discovered as a fraud. Along the way, he falls in love with Mimi, a servant girl.

The fun of the novel is in the fast paced responses of Beaucaire to others at Court. There ars beautiful Court ladies and evil figures out to kill Beaucaire not knowing he is a fraud 

I see the movie as kind of making fun of  serious historical dramas while restoring the spirits of War weary Americans.  

Mel Ulm 

The French They Are a Funny Race - 1956 • A Set in Paris Movie Wtitten and Directed by Preston Sturges - Released in England as The Diary of Major Thompson

 The French They Are a Funny Race - 1956 • A Set in Paris Movie Wtitten and Directed by Preston Sturges - 

This is part of my Participation in Paris in July hosted by Words and Peace

https://wordsandpeace.com/2023/06/30/paris-in-july-2023/

The film is based on the 1954 novel Les Carnets du Major Thompson by Pierre Daninos, The stars ars Martine Carol and Jack Buchanan.

The film follows the misadventures of an English major, Marmaduke Thompson (Buchanan), who is stationed in Paris with his wife, Sybil (Carol). Thompson is constantly baffled by the French way of life, from their love of food and wine to their casual attitude towards work. He also finds himself at odds with his wife, who is more accepting of French culture. It is a gentle satire of French culture. 

I hope to watch lots more films  from Preston Sturges- a bigger than life super star of the American Film world.  I highly reccomend the documentary below to all 

 Interested in the history of cinema.

Mel Ulm

If I Were King- A 1938 Movis Directed by Frank Lloyd - Starring Ronald Coleman, Francis Dee and Basil Rathbone - Set in Paris in 1429 -141 minutes

 This is part of my Participation in Paris in July 2023 -Hosted by Words and Peace 

https://wordsandpeace.com/2023/06/30/paris-in-july-2023/

If I Were King is loosely based on the actions of François Villon in 1429, in Paris, during the siege of the city by the Duke of Burgundy.

François Villon is the best known French poet of the Late Middle Ages. He was involved in criminal behavior and had multiple encounters with law enforcement authorities. Villon wrote about some of these experiences in his poems. 

Born: April 1, 1431

Died: after 1463 

I recently completed an online course in the history of the cinema presented by The University of Pennsylvania.  The instructor explains that in the 1930s films about "lovable rougues." were popular. (A prime example is the role of Earl Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood.) If I Were King perfectly exemplifies this sort of movie.

Villon has contacts at Court through his poetry. The people of Paris have severe food shortages while those at court have huge reserves for their use. Of course a beautiful young lady at Court falls in love with Villon.

We also see Villon among the people.  Perhaps the film, released in the midst of a decade long economic depression in the United States, might have had political implications.  

My Next set in Paris Film will probably be The French, They Are a Funny People directed by Preston Surges.

Mel Ulm

Charade- A 1963 Film Starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant - Directed by Stanley Dolan - Set in Paris

 

Charade is Available on YouTube 

This is part of my Participation in Paris in July 2023- Hosted  by Words and Peace 

https://wordsandpeace.com/

This is my second post on a set in Paris Film Starring Audrey Hepburn. My first was The gorgeous Funny Face.

Charade follows Regina Lampert (Hepburn), a young woman who discovers upon her return to Paris that her husband has been murdered. She soon learns that he was involved in a theft of a quarter of a million dollars during World War II, and that three of his former associates are now after the money. Regina teams up with Peter Joshua (Grant), a mysterious stranger who may or may not be involved in the theft, to try to find the money and stay alive.

Charade is kind of a combination of a romance, a murder mystery, with some scary elements set against iconic Parisisn scenes. There are numerous surprises,  for sure I did not see the gratifying ending coming.

My next Audrey Hepburn in Paris  movie will be Sabrina.

Mel Ulm

Funny Face- A 1957 Film - Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire in Paris - A Beautiful Movie directed by Stanley Dolen

 

This is part of my Participation in Paris in July 2023- Hosted by Words and Peace 

https://wordsandpeace.com/2023/06/30/paris-in-july-2023/

The music is by George Gerswin, the customes by Edith Head

The movie is on YouTube 

The film tells the story of Jo Stockton (Hepburn), a shy bookstore employee who is discovered by fashion photographer Dick Avery (Astaire). Avery believes that Jo has the potential to be a successful model, and he convinces her to go to Paris with him to shoot a fashion campaign. In Paris, Jo blossoms into a confident and stylish woman, and she falls in love with Avery. However, their relationship is tested when Jo's intellectual side clashes with Avery's commercialism.

The opening in the office of a famous fashion magazine, it brought to my mind The Devil Wears Prada,  it begins with a delightful musical number when the magazine editor, who sees her job as telling the women of America what to wear decides the next issue will feature all pink outfits. The movie explodes in color, dance, marvelous clothing.

For the next issue she decides to feature women into arts and books, intellectuals. Of course no professional model can fit that role.  Being in New York City, the whole crew, including Fred Astaire as the photographer winds up in a Greenwich City bookstore being managed by Jo Stockton.  Chaos results and Jo is horrified by what she sees as the shallow values embodied by viewing women only for their looks. Jo is a follower of a French philosopher who expounds "Emphaticalism", a satire of the pretensions of French Existentialism.

A don't want to reveal to much of the plot other than to say Jo ends up as a lead model for the magazine's big fashion show issue in Paris. There are lots of iconic Paris scenes. Audrey even does an Apace dance and cracks an expensive vase over the head of the famous philosopher.  

This was Hepburn's first musical. She and Astaire make great dance partners.

I have loved Audrey Hepburn since I saw her way back when My Fair Lady premiered

I have found two other Audrey Hepburn movies with Parisian connections, Charade and Sabrina and hope to watch them both this month

Mel Ulm

Design for Living - A Film Directed by Ernst Lubitsch -1933 - Starring Fredric March, Gary Cooper and Mariam Hopkins- Set in Paris

 

Design for Living - A Film Directed by Ernst Lubitsch -1933 - Starring Fredric March, Gary Cooper and Mariam Hopkins- Set in Paris - based loosely on a 1932 play by Noel Coward - script by Ben Hecht - 128 Minutes

This post is part of my Participation in Paris in July 2023 - Hosted by Words and Peace 

https://wordsandpeace.com/2023/06/30/paris-in-july-2023/

The film is on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/Vh09SO9h91Q

 The quality of the video is grainy and the top portion of the actors heads are cut off. I know much better copies are available based on the the trailer and commentaries. The copyright holder NBC has blocked it for viewers in America but a VPN will help.

If you know of a better quality video on line please post the link in a comment.

I have no formal training in the cinema. I just enrolled in a promising history course at the University of Pennsylvania. I am researching online classes at major California universities, Harvard, Yale, and Oxford.  

Design for Life was made a year before Hollywood imposed a morals code on films in 1934.

It centers on the relationship of two American men, one a playwright the other an artist and a woman, played wonderfully by Mariam Hopkins, one of Ernst Lubitsch favourite actresses. She is a commercial artist.

The two men are sleeping in a train compartment traveling through France. Gilda enters the compartment and decides to sketch them. In the delightful open sequence the men think Gilda, an American, is French as she does them. They talk in French until they realise the situation.

Both of the men are infatuated with Gilda and she with them. They realize they are all struggling to get by in Paris and decide to live together.

Gilda: "Boys, it's the only thing we can do. Let's forget sex."

What Gilda tells the men when they set up their arrangements, telling them it is a "gentleman's agreement". Their apartment is shabby, Gilda pushes the men to work. She has been working for a wealthy man for five years who has unsuccessfully pursued a romance with her.

When Gilda starts having sex with both men she uttered a pure Lubitsch line.

"It's true we had a gentleman's agreement, but unfortunately, I am no gentleman." 

Gary Cooper is kind of caste against type. In Design for Living he is fast talking and has a bad temper.

I don't want to reveal more of the plot. (Bard has a summary.)

The next film by Ernst Lubitsch I will post on is A Royal Scandal.

The next set in Paris movie will be Funny Face starring Audrey Hepburn.

Mel Ulm

The Tales of Hoffmmann- A 1951 Film directed and written by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger

 

After watching The Red Shoes by the Archers, William Powell and Emeric Pressburger I was very eager to experience their 1951 work, Tales of Hoffmann 

You can watch Tales of Hoffmann on the link below

https://www.plex.tv/

"The Tales of Hoffmann is a 1951 British Technicolor comic opera film written, produced and directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger working under the umbrella of their production company The Archers. It is an adaptation of Jacques Offenbach's 1881 opera The Tales of Hoffmann, itself based on three short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann.

The film stars Robert Rounseville as Hoffmann, Moira Shearer as Olympia, Ludmilla Tchérina as Antonia, and Robert Helpmann as Lindorf/Coppélius/Dapertutto. It also features Pamela Brown, Ann Ayars, and Léonide Massine. Only Rounseville and Ayars sang their own roles.

The film is a visual feast, with stunning sets and costumes designed by Hein Heckroth. The opera's music is beautifully performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham.

The film tells the story of Hoffmann, a poet who falls in love with three women: Olympia, a mechanical doll; Antonia, a singer who is dying of consumption; and Giulietta, a courtesan. Hoffmann's love for these women is doomed, as they are all under the spell of the evil sorcerer Dapertutto.

The Tales of Hoffmann is a complex and multilayered film, with elements of fantasy, romance, and tragedy. It is a visually stunning and musically beautiful film that is a must-see for fans of opera and classic cinema.

The film was a critical and commercial success, winning the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and two Academy Awards for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color and Best Costume Design, Color. It is considered one of the greatest films ever made, and is ranked #12 on the AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies list.

Here are some of the things that make The Tales of Hoffmann a great film:

• The stunning visuals: The film is a feast for the eyes, with gorgeous sets and costumes designed by Hein Heckroth.

• The beautiful music: The opera's music is beautifully performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham.

• The complex and multilayered story: The film is a complex and multilayered story, with elements of fantasy, romance, and tragedy.

• The performances: The performances by the cast are all top-notch, especially Robert Rounseville as Hoffmann and Moira Shearer." From Bard

I have watched Tales of Hoffmann several times.  In times when my spirits are low the sheer beauty of the film helps me.

Soon I will post on The Black Narrcisus, followed by as many other William and Powell films as I can find online.

Madame Pimpernel- also titled as Paris Undercover is a 1945 Film Set in Paris during the German Occupation

Production

company

Constance Bennett Productions

Distributed byUnited Artists

Release date

• October 19, 1945

The film stars Constance Bennett and Gracie Fields as an American and an Englishwoman trapped in Paris when Nazi Germany invades in 1940, who rescue British airmen shot down in France and help them escape across the English Channel. This was also Bennett's only producing credit.

American Kitty de Mornay quarrels with her French husband Andre over her lack of concern over the imminent fall of Paris to the Germans. She is so ignorant of the danger she is in, she flees with her English friend Emmeline "Emmy" Quayle too late. They end up at the country inn of Pappa Renard. After serving them a meal, he reveals that a shot-down English flyer, Flight Lieutenant William Gray, is hiding out there. Since Renard is unwilling to continue sheltering Gray, the women decide to take him back to Paris with them. When their car has a flat, German Captain Kurt von Weber happens by and has one of his men change the tire. Since he is going to Paris too, von Weber personally drives them back, past all the German patrols and checkpoints. When he leaves, he gives Kitty his card, revealing that he is assigned to the military department of the Gestapo. They sneak Gray past Madame Martin, Emmy's concierge, and into her apartment.

A week later, Gray decides he has to leave, as anyone caught sheltering an enemy soldier will be executed. Before he can, the Germans surround and search the building. The timely arrival of von Weber, with a bouquet of flowers, ensures that the search is cut short. Kitty suggests going out to a nightclub to get the German out of the apartment. At the club, they encounter Andre. While dancing, Kitty apprises Andre of her situation and asks for his help in getting Gray out.

Following Andre's instructions, they contact Tissier, a baker. By bad luck, a German patrol happens by, and Emmy is taken in for questioning. After seeing Gray off, Kitty goes back to see what she can do for her friend. To her surprise, she find Emmy at Tessier's place.

Kitty is persuaded to help others escape with them. Emmy reluctantly decides to get involved too, just to keep Kitty out of trouble. They contact Father Dominique. Expecting to sneak one man into unoccupied France, they are surprised to find the priest hiding about a dozen in his crypt. The women take two with them, but when they reach Tissier's bakery, they learn that he has been shot. When they discover that the local cemetery is across the border, Kitty decides to use a funeral to get the men. The undertaker, however, informs them that the Germans are on guard against such attempts. However, he expects the aged Marquise de Montigny to pass away soon; when she does, the undertaker is glad to be able to give the worthy, yet poverty-stricken woman a lavish funeral procession, with the soldiers disguised as mourners. At the last moment, Kitty and Emmy decide to go back to continue smuggling.

By 1942, the occupying Germans are frustrated that so many Allied soldiers are eluding them. Von Weber comes up with a plan to destroy the smuggling network. He arranges for a fake Allied pilot to be "shot down". The man is brought to Emmy's antique shop hidden inside a chest. She is warned, but he becomes suspicious and pulls a gun and calls the Gestapo. She is able to strike him on the head (fatally) with a candlestick when he is distracted. However, too much is overheard over the phone, and the Germans, led by von Weber, come for them; Andre is there as well, back from England on a mission for the Free French. Emmy is captured, but the others evade the first sweep, hiding in the basement. When they overhear that von Weber will not stop searching, utterly convinced Kitty is still in the building, she knocks Andre out and gives herself up to save him.

They survive to be liberated by the Allies, though Emmy is so unhinged by her ordeal that she at first does not even recognize her friend.

The ending is very exciting and gratifying. The Germans are all cruel, bullies, glorious over taking Paris 

Madame Pimpernel is an excellent retake on the Pimpernel saga,

I will take post on Pimpernel Smith, staring Leslie Howard.

Mel Ulm 

The Elusive Pimpernel- 1950- A Film Directed, Produced and Written by William Powell and Emeric Pressburger- Set in Paris and London Following The French Revolution

 

This is in participation in Paris in July, 2023- hosted by Words and Peace 

The Elusive Pimpernel- 1950- A Film Directed, Produced and Written by William Powell and Emeric Pressburger- Set in Paris in London Following The French Revolution 

On YouTube 

The Elusive Pimpernel is loosely based on a 1909 novel, The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emma Orczy, about an English aristocrat who saved French nobility from the guillotine during the reign of terror following the Revolution. An exciting and enjoyable movie.

(Baroness Emma Orczy - September 23, 1865 Tarnadors, Hungary- November 12, 1947 Henley-on-Thames, England)

The Elusive Pimpernel is very different in several ways from The Red Shoes, also by William Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Both make powerful use of color, focus on close camera work and marvelous conversations. David Nivens plays the Scarlet Pimpernel and Margaret Leighton his wife..

During the French Revolution, the Scarlet Pimpernel, who is really Sir Percy Blakeney in disguise, risks his life to rescue French aristocrats from the guillotine and take them across the English Channel to safety. As cover, Sir Percy poses as a fop at Court, and curries favour with the Prince of Wales by providing advice about fashion, but secretly he leads The League, a group of noblemen with similar views.

Chauvelin, the French ambassador to England, wants to find out who the Pimpernel is, so he can be brought to French justice. He blackmails Blakeney's French wife Marguerite into helping him by threatening to have her brother Armand (an associate of the Pimpernel) arrested and tortured. She intercepts a letter intended for the Pimpernel and gives it to Chauvelin, unaware that she has betrayed her husband. When she discovers the truth, she sets out to warn him of his great peril.

The scenes of the French mobs sacking palaces and cheering on executions are masterful. The common French people are ugly and debased. The doomed aristocrats are beautiful, courageous and dignified. A scene where a mob invaded Versiles was perfect. The directors know how to show people running (Victoria Page running down the stairs at the close of The Red Shoes came to my mind.)

The opening of the movie is hilarious. The ending is gratifying. The movie, right after World War Two might have been a shot at France. The portrayal of "the old guard" in the steam bath scene is not real flattering either. There is romance, beautiful women (and some really ugly ones in the mob scenes in Paris). The French Revolution leaders like Jean-Paul Marat are treacherous, they also full of hate.

I will next post upon Madame Pimpernel, 1940, set in Paris during World War Two. It was released in America as Paris Undercover.

The Red Shoes- 1948- A Movie Produced, Directed and Written by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger - with a Paris Setting

 The Red Shoes- 1948- A Movie Produced, Directed and Written by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger - with a Paris Setting

Part of my Participation in Paris in July 2023 

https://wordsandpeace.com/2023/06/30/paris-in-july-2023/

Martin Scorese on The Red Shoes 

https://youtu.be/qVeoOTahOvI

To me The Red Shoes is cinema as High Art. It may be seen for free on YouTube. I have watched it ten times since I was first made aware of it by Martin Scorese. To me, I have no formal training in the cinema, it is a flawless masterpiece.

The film follows Victoria Page (Moira Shearer), a ballerina who joins the world-renowned Ballet Lermontov, owned and operated by Boris Lermontov (Anton Walbrook), who tests her dedication to the ballet by making her choose between her career and her marriage and romance with composer Julian Craster (Marius Goring). It is based on a Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale.

From the movie:

"Boris Lermontov  -The Ballet of the Red Shoes is from a fairytale by Hans Andersen. It is the story of a young girl who is devoured with an ambition to attend a dance in a pair of red shoes. She gets the shoes and goes to the dance. For a time, all goes well and she is very happy. At the end of the evening, she is tired and wants to go home, but the red shoes are not tired. In fact, the red shoes are never tired. They dance her out into the street, they dance her over the mountains and valleys, through fields and forests, through night and day. Time rushes by, love rushes by, life rushes by, but the red shoes go on.

Julian Craster: What happens in the end?

Boris Lermontov: Oh, in the end she dies"

The majority of the cast were professional dancers. Filming of The Red Shoes took place in mid-1946, primarily in France and England.

Upon release, The Red Shoes received critical acclaim, especially in the United States, where it received a total of five Academy Award nominations, including a win for Best Original Score and Best Art Direction. It also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score and was named one of the Top 10 Films of the year.

Retrospectively, The Red Shoes is regarded as one of the best films of Powell and Pressburger's partnership and one of the greatest films of all time. It was voted the 9th greatest British film of all time by the British Film Institute in 1999. 

Having recently read Jennifer Homans brilliant biography of George Balanchine and her history of Ballet my appreciation of The Red Shoes was amplified. Boris Lermontov, like Balanchine did not like his dancers to have boyfriends and was adamantly opposed to ballerinas marrying.

"Boris Lermontov: You cannot have it both ways. A dancer who relies upon the doubtful comforts of human love can never be a great dancer. Never." 

 His Manor was imperious, The

 Lermontov Ballet was the apex of the art. Victoria Page, from an aristocratic wealthy family, sought not monetary rewards but to reach her highest level of artistic achievement and Lermontov could bring her there.

We follow the company from Paris to Monte Carlo. The settings of street scenes in Paris and the seashore in Monte Carlo are wonderful. Scenes in hotels and Lermontov's home show a Baroque era splendour. The support characters are perfectly realized. The music is preformed by The Royal Philomonic Orchestra. The people are beautiful, I laughed in agreement when Victoria Page's aunt described Lermontov as "An Attractive Brute". Trains play a very important role. Scorese praises the use of color. There is a 15 minute ballet sequence.

I suggest you watch the movie then watch the Scorese presentation then watch the movie again. The sheer beauty of this film is amazing.  

I will soon post on another film by Powell and Pressburger, the 1949 Elusive Pimpernel, set in France and England after the French Revolution.  

Mel Ulm