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The Tales of Hoffmann ()

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A melancholy poet reflects on three women he loved and lost in the past: a mechanical performing doll, a Venetian courtesan, and the consumptive daughter of a celebrated composer.
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Writers:
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Awards:
  • Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination.
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133 photos | 2 videos

Complete, Cast awaiting verification

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Stella / Olympia
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Giulietta
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Antonia
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Nicklaus
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Spalanzani / Schlemil / Franz
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Lindorf / Coppelius / Dapertutto / Dr Miracle
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Kleinsach / Cochenille
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Crespel
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Hoffmann
Lionel Harris ...
Pitichinaccio
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Andrés
Meinhart Maur ...
Luther
Edmond Audran ...
Partner to Stella in Dragonfly Ballet
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
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Self - Conductor (uncredited)
Alan Carter ...
Casher (Act 1) (uncredited)
Elizabeth Christie ...
Corps de Ballet (uncredited)
John Ford ...
Nathanaël (uncredited)
Richard Golding ...
Hermann - Prologue and Epilogue (uncredited)
Lillemor Knudsen ...
Dancer (uncredited)
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Student (uncredited)
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Man in Background (uncredited)

Directed by

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Michael Powell
Emeric Pressburger

Written by

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Dennis Arundell ... (English libretto)
 
Jules Barbier ... (from the French text by)
 
Michael Powell ... (written by) and
Emeric Pressburger ... (written by)
 
E.T.A. Hoffmann ... (stories) (uncredited)
 
Michel Carré ... (French text) (uncredited)

Produced by

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George R. Busby ... assistant producer (as George Busby)
Michael Powell ... producer
Emeric Pressburger ... producer

Cinematography by

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Christopher Challis ... (photographed by)

Editing by

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Reginald Mills

Editorial Department

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Noreen Ackland ... assembly editor
Joan Bridge ... color consultant: Technicolor

Production Design by

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Hein Heckroth

Art Direction by

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Arthur Lawson

Costume Design by

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Ivy Baker
Hein Heckroth

Makeup Department

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Connie Reeve ... makeup artist (as Constance Reeve)
Joe Shear ... hair stylist (as Joseph Shear)
Eileen Bates ... assistant hairdresser (uncredited)
Wally Schneiderman ... assistant make-up (uncredited)

Production Management

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Charles Orme ... unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Sydney Streeter ... assistant director

Art Department

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Ivor Beddoes ... assistant designer
E. Lindegaard ... scenic artist
Terence Morgan II ... assistant designer
Bernard Sarron ... set dresser
Peter Mullins ... scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department

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John Cox ... sound
Ted Drake ... sound

Camera and Electrical Department

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Freddie Francis ... camera operator (as Fred Francis)
Bill Wall ... chief electrician (as W. Wall)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Ivy Baker ... wardrobe
Josephine Boss ... costumes: For Miss Shearer and Miss Ayers executed by
Brenda Dabbs ... puppet costumes (uncredited)
June Kirby ... puppet costumes (uncredited)

Music Department

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Joan Alexander ... Antonia's Mother: singing voice
Thomas Beecham ... conductor (as Sir Thomas Beecham Bart.)
Dorothy Bond ... Olympia: singing voice
Owen Brannigan ... Hermann/ Schlemil / Crespel (singing voice)
Grahame Clifford ... Spalanzani/Franz: singing voice
Bruce Dargavel ... Coppelius/ Dapertutto/ Dr. Miracle: singing voice
Murray Dickie ... Cochenille/ Nathaniel: singing voice
Margherita Grandi ... Giuletta: singing voice
Frederic Lewis ... assistant musical director (as Frederick Lewis)
Fisher Morgan ... Luther: singing voice
Jacques Offenbach ... music by
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra ... orchestra
The Sadler's Wells Chorus ... chorus
Monica Sinclair ... Nicklaus: singing voice
Rene Soames ... Pitichinnacio: singing voice
Kenneth V. Jones ... music coach (uncredited)

Script and Continuity Department

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Pamela Davies ... continuity

Additional Crew

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Frederick Ashton ... choreographer
Alan Carter ... assistant choreographer
Joan Harris ... assistant choreographer
Mollie Terraine ... dialogue coach (as Molly Terraine)
John Wright ... marionettes (as John Wright's Marionettes)

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

This a film version of the opera "The Tales of Hoffmann", however it is NOT just a film of a staged performance. Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (and the rest of "The Archers") work their usual magic here. The opera dramatises the three great romances in the life of the poet-hero presented in a series of flashbacks. Hoffmann's tales depict the struggle between human love and the artist's dedication to his work. Hoffmann loses each of the women he loves but gains instead poetic inspiration -- the ability to transform painful experiences into art. Written by Steve Crook

Plot Keywords
Taglines You Will Never See Anything Finer On The Screen! See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Jacques Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann (United Kingdom)
  • Les contes d'Hoffmann (France)
  • Los cuentos de Hoffman (Spain)
  • Hoffmann's vertellingen (Netherlands)
  • Hoffmanns eventyr (Norway)
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Runtime
  • 133 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Did You Know?

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Trivia George A. Romero, writer/director of Night of the Living Dead (1968) and Dawn of the Dead (1978) has cited this as his all-time favorite movie, saying that it was the one that originally inspired him to get into filmmaking. See more »
Goofs Giulietta's necklace is turned from jewels to wax by Dapertutto, however, in a longer shot, it is briefly shown as jewels again, before a close-up, where it is wax again until Dapertutto changes it back to jewels. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in Michael Powell (1992). See more »
Soundtracks The Tales of Hoffmann, A Fantastic Opera See more »
Crazy Credits In the end credits, main actors appear taking curtain calls next to the singers who dubbed them. See more »
Quotes Chorus of Students: Some drink, drink, drink, drink, drink: do you hear us about? You lazy lout! We want some beer; we want some wine! Pour out the wine, and drink and drink till morning. Pour out the wine for drinking is divine. It is divine. We want some beer; we want some wine. We want some beer; we want some wine.
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