Silk Stockings (film)
7 /10 1 Votes
Director Rouben Mamoulian Initial DVD release April 22, 2003 Duration Country United States | 6.9/10 IMDb Genre Comedy, Musical, Romance Budget 1.853 million USD Language English | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Writer Abe Burrows , Silk Stockings , George S. Kaufman , Leueen MacGrath , Abe Burrows Release date July 18, 1957 (1957-07-18) Based on Ninotchka
by Melchior Lengyel Cast Fred Astaire (Steve Canfield), Cyd Charisse (Ninotchka Yoschenko), Janis Paige (Peggy Dayton), Peter Lorre (Brankov, Commisar), George Tobias (Vassili Markovitch, Commisar of Art), Jules Munshin (Bibinski, Commisar)Similar movies Birdman , Pitch Perfect 2 , Frozen , Aladdin , The Jungle Book , Cinderella Tagline BIG BOUNCY BEAUTIFUL! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
When movie producer Steve Canfield (Fred Astaire) attempts to convince respected Russian music composer Peter Illyich Boroff (Wim Sonneveld) to score his next movie, his methods prove a little too effective. Accustomed to rigid communist ideals, Boroff is immediately charmed by the excess of Parisian nightlife and refuses to return to Russia. Unwilling to lose its national treasure, Moscow dispatches frigid bureaucrat Ninotchka Yoschenko (Cyd Charisse) to retrieve the wayward composer.
Contents
Silk Stockings is a 1957 Metrocolor Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer CinemaScope musical film adaptation of the 1955 stage musical of the same name, which itself was an adaptation of the film Ninotchka (1939). Silk Stockings was directed by Rouben Mamoulian and stars Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse. The supporting cast includes Janis Paige, Peter Lorre, Jules Munshin, and George Tobias repeating his Broadway role.
It received Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Film and Best Actress (Charisse) in the Comedy/Musical category.
The score was embellished with the song "The Ritz Roll and Rock," a parody of the then-emerging rock and roll genre. The number ends with Astaire symbolically smashing his top hat, considered one of his trademarks, signaling his retirement from movie musicals, which he announced following the films release.
A musical remake of Ninotchka: After three bumbling Soviet agents fail in their mission to retrieve a straying Soviet composer from Paris, the beautiful, ultra-serious Ninotchka is sent to complete their mission and to retrieve them. She starts out condemning the decadent West, but gradually falls under its spell, with the help of Steve Canfield, an American movie producer.
Plot summary
A brash American film producer, Steve Canfield (Fred Astaire), wants Russian composer Peter Illyich Boroff (Wim Sonneveld) to write music for his next picture, which is being made in Paris. But when the composer expresses his wish to stay in Paris, three comically bumbling operatives, Comrades Brankov (Peter Lorre), Bibinski (Jules Munshin) and Ivanov (Joseph Buloff), are sent from Moscow to take Boroff back.
Cyd charisse is wearing silk stockings
Canfield manages to corrupt them with decadent western luxuries (champagne, nightclubs etc.) and talks them into allowing Boroff to stay. He also arranges for his leading lady, Peggy Dayton (Janis Paige), to ‘convince’ Boroff to cooperate.
Fearful of his own precarious position, a commissar at the Ministry in Moscow summons a dedicated and humourless workaholic operative, Nina ‘Ninotchka’ Yoschenko (Cyd Charisse), to bring all four men back home. Canfield succeeds in romancing her, despite her determination not to fall prey to the decadent attractions of Paris. He even proposes marriage. She and Boroff are horrified when they realise what changes have been made to Boroff’s music. They decide to return to Moscow.
Canfield does not give up, arranging for the pliable Brankov, Bibinski and Ivanov to be sent back to Paris, knowing that they will be seduced again by the citys charms. Ninotchka is sent after them, giving Canfield time to convince her to give in to her love for him.
Cast
Production
MGM bought the film rights to the musical for $300,000. Dance rehearsals started 18 September 1956 and filming ended 31 January 1957.
Similar Movies
Cyd Charisse appears in Silk Stockings and Its Always Fair Weather. Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse appear in Silk Stockings and The Band Wagon. Fred Astaire and Jules Munshin appear in Silk Stockings and Easter Parade. Cyd Charisse appears in Silk Stockings and Ziegfeld Follies. Fred Astaire appears in Silk Stockings and Funny Face.
Reception
According to MGM records the film earned $1,740,000 in the US and Canada and $1,060,000 elsewhere resulting in a loss of $1,399,000.
References
Silk Stockings (film) WikipediaSilk Stockings (film) IMDbSilk Stockings (film) themoviedb.org