Honeymoon [Luna de miel] *** (1959, Anthony Steel, Ludmilla Tchérina, Antonio, Léonide Massine, José Nieto) – Classic Movie Review 7959

Director Michael Powell, separated from his regular film-making partner Emeric Pressburger, went to Spain in 1959 to make the last of his ballet films, Honeymoon [Luna de Miel], a listless romance about an ex-ballerina Anna (Ludmilla Tchérina), honeymooning with her new husband, Australian farmer Kit Kelly (Anthony Steel), and being drawn into performing again by the handsomely persuasive famous dancer (Antonio) they meet on the road. Soon Antonio tries to persuade Anna to join his ballet company.

Even Powell cannot fully bring his usual themes to life or make very much of the thin story in his screenplay written with Luis Escobar. But, still, rescue comes with beautifully shot dance scenes from the ballets Los Amantes de Teruel [The Lovers of Teruel] (choreographed by Léonide Massine) and El Amor Brujo (choreographed by Antonio), and Georges Périnal’s stunning Technicolor cinematography on Spanish locations, including the Alhambra palace in Granada. Léonide Massine is The Spectre in the ballet El Amor Brujo and Pastora Ruiz is a Sorceress.

Honeymoon [Luna de Miel] ends up in the interesting category, borderline fascinating category, though it is a pale shadow of Powell and Pressburger’s triumphant 1948 The Red Shoes, also with Tchérina and Massine.

Also in the cast are Rosita Segovia, Carmen Rojas, María Gámez, Diego Hurtado, Rufino Inglés and José Nieto. Powell voices the guide describing the Lovers of Teruel.

The music is by Mikis Theodorakis, whose repeated theme song of ‘The Honeymoon Song’ was covered by The Beatles in 1963 in their Pop Go The Beatles series for BBC Radio, with Paul McCartney on vocals. It is performed in the film by Marino Marini and his quartet. The orchestra is conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham.

It runs 109 minutes but the cut version runs 90 minutes, with 105 minutes in the Charles Doble restoration from its original elements, premiered at the San Sebastián Film Festival in 2002. 

The UK cut for TV version was the only one available for many years. The extended dance sequences were hacked, leaving the film as a mere travelogue and sparking its bad reputation.

Studio work was done at Shepperton Studios, Surrey, England.

Patio de los leones, Granada – Alhambra.

There were many problems during production, mainly through lack of finance. Powell’s car was stolen, the thieves were chased, they crashed the car and were killed.

Powell recalled that Luis Escobar wrote the lead roles for Moira Shearer and Paul Scofield, who turned it down before Ludmilla Tchérina and Anthony Steel starred. Powell says in his memoirs: ‘Good God… not Anthony Steel, the archetypal British shit. He was already grooming himself for the part of the English baronet, Sir Stephen in The Story of O and he brought Anita Ekberg with him too.’

Honeymoon [Luna de miel] won the Technical Grand Prize at the 1959 Cannes Film Festival.

Tchérina liked the ballet Los Amantes de Teruel and incorporated it into her  stage performances.

Honeymoon [Luna de Miel] is directed by Michael Powell, runs 109 minutes, is made by Cesáreo González Producciones Cinematográficas, Suevia Films and Everdene, is released by British Lion, is written by Michael Powell and Luis Escobar, is shot in Technicolor by Georges Périnal (director of photography), Claude Renoir (uncredited) and Gerry Turpin (additional photography), is produced by Cesáreo González and Michael Powell, is scored by Mikis Theodorakis, is designed by Durán Camps, and is choreographed by Antonio and Leonide Massine.

The cast are Anthony Steel as Kit Kelly, Ludmilla Tchérina as Anna, Antonio as Antonio, Léonide Massine as “Der Geist”, Rosita Segovia as Rosita Candelas, Carmen Rojas as Lucia, María Gámez as Pepe Nieto, Diego Hurtado as Pepe Nieto, Juan Carmona as Pepe Nieto and María Carla Alcalá as Soloist.

Michail ‘Mikis’ Theodorakis (29 July 1925 – 2 September 2021).

RIP Michail ‘Mikis’ Theodorakis (29 July 1925 – 2 September 2021). He scored for Powell and Pressburger’s Ill Met by Moonlight (1957), Zorba the Greek (1964), Z (1969), and Serpico (1973). 

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7959

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