The Tales of Hoffmann (1951 film)

The Tales of Hoffmann
Theatrical poster
Directed byMichael Powell
Emeric Pressburger
Written byE. T. A. Hoffmann (stories)
Jules Barbier
(opera libretto)
Michael Powell
Emeric Pressburger
Dennis Arundell
Produced byMichael Powell
Emeric Pressburger
StarringMoira Shearer
Robert Helpmann
Léonide Massine
Robert Rounseville
Pamela Brown
Ludmilla Tchérina
Ann Ayars
CinematographyChristopher Challis
Edited byReginald Mills
Music byJacques Offenbach
Production
company
Distributed byBritish Lion Films
Release dates
  • 4 April 1951 (1951-04-04) (U.S. trade)
  • 17 May 1951 (1951-05-17) (UK trade)
  • 26 November 1951 (1951-11-26) (UK release)
Running time
128 minutes
136 minutes (2015 re-release)
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Box office£105,035 (UK rentals)[1]
$1.25 million (US rentals)[2]

The Tales of Hoffmann is a 1951 British Technicolor comic opera film written, produced and directed by the team of 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, Moira Shearer, Robert Helpmann and Léonide Massine and features Pamela Brown, Ludmilla Tchérina and Ann Ayars. Only Rounseville and Ayars sang their own roles.

The film's soundtrack consists of music conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham and played by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to Rounseville and Ayars, singers included Dorothy Bond, Margherita Grandi, Monica Sinclair and Bruce Dargavel. The film's production team included cinematographer Christopher Challis and production and costume designer Hein Heckroth, who was nominated for two 1952 Academy Awards for his work.

  1. ^ Vincent Porter, 'The Robert Clark Account', Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol 20 No 4, 2000 p495
  2. ^ 'Top Box-Office Hits of 1952', Variety, 7 January 1953