The Tales of Beatrix Potter

This article is about the film. For the ballet, see The Tales of Beatrix Potter (ballet).

The Tales of Beatrix Potter
DVD cover
Directed byReginald Mills
Screenplay byRichard Goodwin
Christine Edzard
Based onstories by Beatrix Potter
Produced byRichard Goodwin
executive
John Braborne
StarringRoyal Ballet dancers:
Frederick Ashton
Alexander Grant
Michael Coleman
Wayne Sleep
Lesley Collier
CinematographyAustin Dempster
Edited byJohn Rushton
Music byJohn Lanchbery
Production
companies
GW Films,
EMI Elstree
Distributed byMGM-EMI Film Distributors Ltd.
Release date
  • 30 June 1971 (1971-06-30)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budgetless than $600,000[1] or £256,000[2] [3]

The Tales of Beatrix Potter (US title: Peter Rabbit and Tales of Beatrix Potter) is a 1971 ballet film based on the children's stories of English author and illustrator Beatrix Potter. The film was directed by Reginald Mills, choreographed by Sir Frederick Ashton (who danced the role of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle), and featured dancers from The Royal Ballet.[4] The musical score was arranged by John Lanchbery from various sources, such as the operas of Michael Balfe and of Sir Arthur Sullivan, and performed by the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House conducted by Lanchbery. It was produced by Richard Goodwin with John Brabourne as executive producer.[5] The stories were adapted by Goodwin and his wife designer Christine Edzard.

The Tales of Beatrix Potter is the only feature film directed by Mills, who is best remembered as a film editor. Mills edited The Red Shoes (1948) and other films directed and produced by Powell and Pressburger that incorporated ballet.

  1. ^ Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, Jemima Puddle-Duck and Royal Ballet: Puddle-Duck and the Royal Ballet Bernheimer, Martin. Los Angeles Times 13 June 1971: s40.
  2. ^ Moody, Paul (2018). EMI Films and the Limits of British Cinema. Palgrave MacMillan. p. 42, 162.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference aut was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Yeatman, Linda (15 March 1971). "Tale of Beatrix Potter's Ballet". The Times. p. 9. Issue 58122.
  5. ^ "Tales of Beatrix Potter (1971)". BFI. Archived from the original on 17 March 2019.