Beautiful Moira Shearer Dancing in The Red Shoes (1948)

The Red Shoes is a 1948 British film about a ballet dancer, written, directed and produced by the team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, known collectively as The Archers.

The film employs the story within a story device, being about a young ballerina who joins an established ballet company and becomes the lead dancer in a new ballet called The Red Shoes, itself based on the fairy tale “The Red Shoes” by Hans Christian Andersen.

The film stars Moira Shearer, Anton Walbrook and Marius Goring and features Robert Helpmann, Léonide Massineand Ludmilla Tchérina, renowned dancers from the ballet world, as well as Esmond Knight and Albert Bassermann.

It has original music by Brian Easdale and cinematography by Jack Cardiff. Filmmakers such as Brian De Palma and Martin Scorsese have named it one of their all-time favourite films.

Robert Helpmann and Moira Shearer in The red shoes, 1948 via

Moira Shearer and Leonide Massine in The red shoes, 1948 via

Moira Shearer and Leonide Massine in The red shoes, 1948 via

Moira Shearer and Leonide Massine in The red shoes, 1948 via

Moira Shearer in The red shoes, 1948 via

Moira Shearer in The red shoes, 1948 via

Moira Shearer in The red shoes, 1948 via