Last night, I discovered on YouTube a 1941 short by director Jean Negulesco, a 20 minute adaptation of the ballet Gaite Parisienne, based on music by Offenbach, entitled The Gay Parisian. For balletomanes it's interesting to see many stars of the 1930s-early 40s Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, but as a ballet film it's a disaster. Negulesco keeps the camera moving all over thew set, he doesn't seem to care that much of the choreography involves the legs and feet, and for what purpose at Warner Brtothers did he decide to make it.
For me the most wonderful part was seeing all these ballet stars, like eye-popping Leonide Massine, who choreographed and starred inGaite Parisienne. Frederic Franklin, who was the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo's romantic dancing lead is a million times more handsome than any photograph I've ever seen of him. My friend Carmon DeLeone worked with him at the Cincinnati Ballet. If nothing else, it's worth seeing for the humor and the fantastic can-can sequence.
