Book Vs. Movie:
The Red Shoes
The Hans Christian Anderson Fairy Tale vs. the 1948 Classic Film


The Margos (and a special guest star!) put on their dancing shoes with the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale “The Red Shoes” along with the 1948 adaptation that is considered a ballet/film classic with some of the most beautiful sequences along with a meditation on “art versus life.”

Published in 1845, The Red Shoes appears in “New Fairy Tales” and tells the story of Karen, a vain and selfish girl who has a particular pair of red shoes that causes her to dance with frenzy. Apparently, the author used his own sister’s name for the horrible lead and his father being a proud shoe cobbler who demanded to be treated with respect from even his wealthiest clients.

The movie is a technicolor masterpiece filled with renowned dancers and is the coloration between Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (following the successful 1947 film Black Narcissus.) It’s considered one of the best British films ever and won the Academy Award for Best Original Score and Best Art Direction.

What are the main differences between the short story and the film? Which version did the Margos like better? Have a listen!

Our special guest is Dale Bridges, author of The Mean Reds, available from Stephen J. Austin University Press.

You can follow his artwork at https://www.dalebridgesart.com/ and on Instagram @Bridges.writer

In this ep, the Margos discuss:

• The original fairy tale
• The history of the movie
• The cast of the 1948 film: Anton Walbrook (Boris Lermontov,) Marius Goring (Julian Craster,) Moira Shearer (Victoria Page,) Robert Helpmann (Ivan Boleslawsky,) Leonide Massine (Grischa Ljubov,) Albert Bassermann (Sergei Ratov,) Ludmilla Tchernia (Irinia Boronskaya,) and Esmond Knight as Livingstone “Livy” Montague.

Clips used:

• Victoria Page meets Boris Lermontov
• The Red Shoes 1948 trailer
• The crowd enters the theatre
• Lermontov picks his dancers
• Grischa Ljubov meets Victoria Page
• The last dance scene
• Music by Brian Easdale

Book Vs. Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts.
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