Black Tights & The Bolshoi Ballet

Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Dancers who should not be forgotten
Gallic charm to spare in this balletomane's dream!
Not really what dreams are made of!
I expected more from Kino Video

Black Tights
Starring: Zizi Jeanmaire , Cyd Charisse , Roland Petit , Moira Shearer , and Maurice Chevalier
Director: Terence Young
Manufacturer: Kino Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Ballet & Dance | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: 6305820767
Release Date: 2000-04-25

Customer Reviews:

Dancers who should not be forgotten.......2007-02-25

I am a lifelong fan of Cyd Charisse and consider her the very best female dancer hollywood has ever produced - she never disappoints and her feature is the best of the DVD. Moira Shearer, whom I also like but know less of, is also wonderful in her way, vulnerable and graceful. I found Roland Petit's Cyrano (ballet, not his performance) a bit convoluted - a lot of material to get into a feauterette. Zizi Jeanmarie is the epitome of the French dancer and the ballet itself the epitome of what we foreigners think Paris was back in the early 20th centura.

Gallic charm to spare in this balletomane's dream!.......2005-06-19

BLACK TIGHTS is a delightful film which showcases 4 ballets choreographed by Roland Petit and featuring his well-known ballet troupe. His wife Zizi Jeanmaire is the central figure in both "La Croqueuse de Diamants" and "Carmen". Moira Shearer stars in "Cyrano de Bergerac" and Cyd Charisse cavorts in "Deuil en 24 Heures". Maurice Chevalier appears to introduce each segment.

For fans of Zizi Jeanmaire, the movie is a must just for "Carmen" alone. This was the ballet created especially for her by Roland Petit. It launched her international career and she danced the role from London to Broadway. This film perfectly recreates the original production, highlighted by her beguiling footwork in "Seguidille". Petit recreates the role of Don Jose. "La Croqueuse de Diamants" is the story of a young woman who lives in a den of thieves and loves to eat diamonds (as Chevalier says, "charming, but expensive"). Jeanmaire's special charms radiate off the screen.

In "Cyrano de Bergerac", Moira Shearer of THE RED SHOES fame plays Roxanne with Roland Petit in the title role. The story of unrequited love plays out it's tragic course and Shearer emotes beautifully as the conflicted Roxanne. Petit gives arguably one of his greatest performances as Cyrano.

"Deuil en 24 Heures" features Cyd Charisse as a young coquette who flirts with younger men, enraging her more-mature husband who gets killed in a duel. The young woman then decides to kick up her heels at Maxim's.

Each of the 30-minute segments is a complete joy. You have no less than 3 of the most beautiful ballet dancers to appear onscreen, coupled with Roland Petit's innovative and economic choreography. A film that balletomanes won't be able to resist!

Not really what dreams are made of!.......2000-07-19

"Black Tights" belongs to an exciting part of my childhood which helped create a great love for ballet, opera and film art. So naturally, a DVD presentation of this rare - and at least for me - almost mythical film was something to look forward to! But unfortunately, this KINO presentation leaves much to be desired. I guess that this film is now a public domain title, which means that a negative or at least a perfect print might not be available anywhere. But the print used for DVD-transfer by KINO is often badly worn, especially at the reel change points appearing about every tenth minute - proof that a 70mm print was the base for the transfer. Considering this, the sound quality is surprisingly bad and the aspect ratio is not correct. (It should measure 2,2:1 if properly made.)Thankfully, the colors have not faded too badly (some reels display quite a gorgeous palette), but contrasts are weak, and scratches and dirt sometimes overwhelm the image to a point where you almost feel like throwing the disc in the nearest garbage can! But...it's still a rare and nostalgic film with lots of camp value and some very charismatic dancing stars, so it stays in the collection, if reluctantly. It will be interesting to see what the upcoming version from VCI will look like. I have no high hopes this time though! There surely must exist a better kept print somewhere in the world! Shame on KINO! They should have included a warning sticker on the package: For die-hard fans and fools only!

I expected more from Kino Video.......2000-06-26

I was really looking forward to the DVD version of this film. Too bad Kino didn't take the time to clean the picture and fix the audio. I guess I shouldn't complain. Ballet is so rare on DVD, I will grab any I can find. But a film with Cyd Charisse, Moira Shearer, Zizi Jeanmarie and Roland Petit deserves a better presentation.

Average customer rating:

The Big Show/Black Tights
Starring: Big Show , and Black Tights
Manufacturer: Digital 1 Stop
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000BBOUX6
Release Date: 2005-08-30

Average customer rating:

Black Tights & The Bolshoi Ballet

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Ballet & Dance | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000063K1H

Average customer rating:

Dancers who should not be forgotten
Gallic charm to spare in this balletomane's dream!
Not really what dreams are made of!
I expected more from Kino Video

Black Tights
Starring: Zizi Jeanmaire , Cyd Charisse , Roland Petit , Moira Shearer , and Maurice Chevalier
Director: Terence Young , Leonid Lavrovsky , and Aleksandr Shelenkov
Manufacturer: Sling Shot
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Ballet & Dance | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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