Film noir set in the world of ballet. Ben Hecht wrote, produced, and directed this gem. And it offers three superb performances by star characters actors Michael Chekhov, Judith Anderson, and Lionel Stander.
Plot has a male dancer (Ivan Kirov) suspected of killing his first wife, but an impresario and a dance teacher (Chekov, Anderson) need him to mount a new production. Things get complicated when a star pupil (Viola Essen) marries him and he starts to go nuts again.
While the new ballet is a hit, the pressure makes Kirov noticeably agitated and he is finally compelled to violence again.
While the world-weary Anderson and Chekhov remember their golden days, a writer (Stander) hovers in the background, offering choice comments about the goings on.
This is the only theatrical film Essen and Kirov made but they are very good as the dance stars. Anderson, Chekhov, and Stander give excellent and memorable performances. There are also good bits by character actors like Billy Gray, Bert Hanlon, Lew Hearn, and Geroge Shdanoff.
Very stylized but its fits the very stylized world of ballet.
Plot has a male dancer (Ivan Kirov) suspected of killing his first wife, but an impresario and a dance teacher (Chekov, Anderson) need him to mount a new production. Things get complicated when a star pupil (Viola Essen) marries him and he starts to go nuts again.
While the new ballet is a hit, the pressure makes Kirov noticeably agitated and he is finally compelled to violence again.
While the world-weary Anderson and Chekhov remember their golden days, a writer (Stander) hovers in the background, offering choice comments about the goings on.
This is the only theatrical film Essen and Kirov made but they are very good as the dance stars. Anderson, Chekhov, and Stander give excellent and memorable performances. There are also good bits by character actors like Billy Gray, Bert Hanlon, Lew Hearn, and Geroge Shdanoff.
Very stylized but its fits the very stylized world of ballet.