The Tales of Hoffmann (film)
| The Tales of Hoffmann | |
|---|---|
Theatrical poster
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| Directed by |
Michael Powell Emeric Pressburger |
| Produced by | Michael Powell Emeric Pressburger |
| Written by |
E. T. A. Hoffmann (stories) Jules Barbier (opera libretto) Michael Powell Emeric Pressburger Dennis Arundell |
| Starring |
Moira Shearer Robert Helpmann Léonide Massine |
| Music by | Jacques Offenbach |
| Cinematography | Christopher Challis |
| Edited by | Reginald Mills |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by |
British Lion Films (UK) Lopert Films (US) |
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Release date
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4 April 1951 (US trade) 17 May 1951 (UK trade) 26 November 1951 (UK release) 13 June 1952 (US release) April 2015 (4K restoration) |
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Running time
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128 minutes 136 minutes (2015 re-release) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Box office | £105,035 (UK rentals) $1.25 million (US rentals) |
The Tales of Hoffmann is a 1951 British Technicolor film adaptation of Jacques Offenbach's opera The Tales of Hoffmann, written, produced and directed by the team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger working under the umbrella of their production company, The Archers.
The opera film stars Robert Rounseville, Moira Shearer, Robert Helpmann and Léonide Massine, and features Pamela Brown, Ludmilla Tchérina and Ann Ayars. Only Rounseville and Ayars sang their own roles.
It uses a soundtrack recorded for the film conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham; principal singers apart from Rounseville and Ayars were Dorothy Bond, Margherita Grandi, Monica Sinclair and Bruce Dargavel; the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra plays. The film's production team includes cinematographer Christopher Challis and production and costume designer Hein Heckroth, who was nominated for two 1952 Academy Awards for his work.
Though the original French libretto is presented in English translation, the film is relatively faithful to the traditional adaptations of Offenbach's last opera, and incorporates his unfinished score with the thread of the plot. However, certain important changes were made in the process of adapting the story to film:
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