Musical Double Feature

In 1960, French production company Talma Filmes asked renowned choreographer Roland Petit to make a motion picture that would introduce the wonder of ballet to the wider world. It would consist of four ballets choreographed by Petit, starring him and his wife/muse, Zizi Jeanmarie. Talma Filmes did not consider Jeanmarie a household name, and had two sequences feature well-known dancer-actresses — Moira Shearer (The Red Shoes, 1948) and Cyd Charisse (Singin' in the Rain, 1952.). "The Diamond Cruncher," in which Jeanmaire plays a pickpocket pursued by delivery man Dirk Sanders; "Cyrano de Bergerac," featuring Petit as the long-nosed poet and Shearer as Roxanne; "A Merry Mourning," starring Charisse as a widow who uses her husband's death as an excuse to dress provocatively; and "Carmen," with Petit as the soldier Don José and Jeanmarie as the doomed gypsy who falls in love with him. Even though he had never made a musical before, British filmmaker Terence Young was hired to direct. He is best known for his three James Bond films, Dr. No (1962), From Russia with Love (1963), and Thunderball (1965), all starring Sean Connery. Shot in the widescreen 70mm Technirama process, the movie premiered at the 1960 Venice Film Festival as Un, deux, trois, quatre! Two years later, U.S. art house distributor Magna Pictures picked up the film for American release. They added new sequences with Maurice Chevalier, who appears on-camera speaking English. The U.S. distributor emphasized Charisse's svelte figure and skimpy Yves St. Laurent-designed wardrobe, renaming the picture simply...Black Tights.

TROCADERO
A star-studded night at the famed Trocadero nightclub in Hollywood, with performances by Ida James with Bob Chester & His Orchestra! Hollywood gossip columnist Erskine Johnson is investigating the history of the Trocadero nightclub, the hottest spot on the Sunset Strip. A breezy musical from Republic Pictures, Trocadero is mostly a filmed document of a night at the famed Hollywood nightclub.