Dr. Coppelius
(aka DR. COPPELIUS!!,
With: Walter Slezak (Dr. Coppelius), Claudia Corday (Swanhilda/Coppelia), Caj Selling (Franz), Eileen Elliot (Brigitta), Luis Prendes (the Mayor), Carmen Rojas (Spanish Doll), Veronica Kusmin (Roman Doll), Milorad Miskovitch (Hungarian Dance Champion)
***
Surely the jewel in the crown of Childhood Productions, this handsome, elaborate and "heavy" allegorical musical fantasy from Spain about super-doctor Coppelius
and his efforts to breath life into robots ala Frankenstein is a whole lot of fun.
No dialogue at all (no voice over either), just music and ballet dancing. The scenes inside Dr. Coppelius' workshop are cool, with loads of strange visuals and lighting (a dancing skeleton, glowing eyeballs in the walls, living dolls etc).
There's also a risque shot of Coppelius standing directly behind a bent over Swannhilde/Coppelia, in which she smiles knowingly as he attempts to straighten her! I would not be surprised if this was one of the cuts made to the U.S. print.
Some shots are severely compromised by the cropping to fullscreen in the U.K. video release, and there is obvious panning and scanning at times.
There appear to be three different edits of the film. The original Spanish running time was 97 minutes. By the time Childhood Productions had finished with it, it had been whittled down to 88 minutes for its 1968 U.S. release. In 1976 it was re-released with newly-shot animated sequences (done in the U.S.) under the title THE MYSTERIOUS HOUSE OF DR C., directed by Samuel Bronston.
--- Nigel Burrell
***
By Howard Thompson
Once in a blue moon there comes a movie-feature ballet that scores straight down the line in taste, imagination and diversion. That is what happened yesterday at the Kips Bay Theater with a delectable and eye-filling 97 minute version of "Coppelia", this time re-titled "Dr. Coppelius".
Especially for ballet-omanes, but also for moviegoers who like their pictures to move, this most reasonable adaptation of the popular old dance classic comes across winningly without creaking the boards or awesomely paralyzing the camera.
The story, that of an eccentric scientist who creates a beautiful, mechanical doll that captivates an entire village, is still a frail and obvious contrivance. And the 70mm., wide-screen camera, which occasionally has to pull in close, can do nothing but magnify its transparency.
Also, the general acting, as keyed by Walter Slezak's hefty capering as the scientist, can best de described as roguish.
But the picture, along with the camera, does flow along, the sets are ornate and aptly expansive, the color is perfectly beautiful and the Delibes music, stunningly transcribed on the sound track, never sounded better.
The film was produced at the Samuel Bronston Studios in Madrid by Frank J. Hale, an American entrepreneur and features the ballet company and orchestra of the Gran Teatro del Liceo of Barcelona.
The credits also list Dame Alicia Markova as artistic consultant. We don't know where Dame Alicia's imprint stops and that of the others begins, but the off-camera supervision clicks as teamwork, including Ted Kneeland as writer-director and Jo Anna Kneeland, the choreographer.
The dancing, of course, is expert. In the double role as Coppellia-Swanhilda, Claudia Corday is as pretty and delectable as a candy doll spinning past the camera like a top and nicely minimal when required to. Excellent also are Eileen Elliott as Brigitta, Caj Selling as Franz. The others seem equally sure-footed, if not always histrionically at ease.
And Mr. Slezak? He moves around in friendly style, although once or twice he seems anxious to catch the next swan out. Or were those ducks bobbing around on that village pond?
We can thank Childhood Productions, which has imported some extremely messy packages aimed at the small fry, for latching on to a corking good entertainment and serving it for Christmas.
***
Video/DVD availability:VHS (Channel 5, oop), DVD (unavailable)
Links of related interest:
EL FANTASTICO MUNDO DEL DOCTOR COPPELIUIS,
THE MYSTERIOUS HOUSE OF DR. C)
(1966, U.S./Spain) color 97 minutes
Coppelia, S.A. / Coppelia Co. Ltd. / Frank J. Hale Productions / Izaro Films
(1968) Childhood Productions 88 minutes (December release)
(1976) Samuel Bronston Productions 89 minutes
Story: E.T.A. Hoffmann
Story: Clement Delibes & Charles Nuitter (from their ballet "Coppelia")
Screenplay: Ted Kneeland, Victor M. Tarruella
Music: Raymond Guy Wilson, Leo Delibes
Cinematography: Cecilio Paniagua
Produced by Frank J. Hale (Samuel Bronston)
Directed by Ted Kneeland
NEW YORK TIMES REVIEW: December 22, 1968
The Screen: Delectable Dance Classic
Coppelius' Performed by Barcelona Ballet
Slezak Plays Scientist in Tasteful Film
a ballet history timeline