Black Tights (1961)

Four short ballets choreographed by Roland Petit: THE DIAMOND CRUNCHER featuring Zizi Jeanmaire as a pickpocket with a penchant for swallowing diamonds. CYRANO DE BERGERAC played by Roland Petit is based on the Edmond Rostand play featuring Moira Shearer as Roxanne. A MERRY MOURNING features Cyd Charisse as woman enjoying her widowhood. CARMEN features Zizi Jeanmaire as the heroine based on Bizet's opera. Directed by Terence Young (WAIT UNTIL DARK). For lovers of dance, the film is a real treat ranging from tragedy (CYRANO, CARMEN) to the playful (CRUNCHER, MOURNING). If you're not into ballet, you may find the film tedious at times. My two favorites were the whimsical MERRY MOURNING and the saucy CARMEN. Alas, the transfer I saw was in poor shape (it's fallen into public domain hell) and while watchable, it needs a full restoration to return it to its original pristine Technirama and Technicolor glory to do Henri Alekan's (WINGS OF DESIRE) cinematography justice. With Maurice Chevalier, Dirk Sanders and Georges Reich.