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Kitty Darling (Helen Morgan), a burlesque entertainer, fears the impact her lifestyle will have on her daughter April (Joan Peers), so she sends the girl to a convent for proper rearing. Years later, an adult April returns to her mother's life, and the two must forge a new relationship. Complications in the process arise when Kitty finds balancing motherhood and her fading career difficult, and April must fend off advances from her mother's lover at the same time she explores her first love. This musical drama fits nicely into the backstage musical and melodrama category, which explores the ups and downs of entertainers' lives when they're not performing, but the deft direction of Rouben Mamoulian helps the film exceed its place in the genre. Made just as American cinema begins to move from silent films to talkies, Mamoulian manages to transform a soapy story into a sophisticated and moving portrait of the life of an aging performer who trades on her beauty. This heartrending musical possesses even more significance given its pre-code status - a film made prior to the institution of the self-censorship of sex, violence and other controversial content that began formally in 1934 and lasted until the late 1960s.
Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005.
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Tchaikovsky's ballet in two acts performed by the London Festival Ballet under the direction of Natalia Makarova, a former ballet star. Under Makarova's guidance, the story is stripped down to the core love story. This simplicity and purity of narrative combined with the stars' dazzling movements and an innovative set design make this production of Swan Lake an entirely original experience.DVD Features:Region 0Full Frame - 1.33Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005.
For personal use only.
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Compay Segundo gained an international fan base with Ry Cooder's 1999 project THE BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB, but he has been making music and delighting fans in his homeland of Cuba since his early years as a bandleader in the 1920s and 30s. He spent over a decade playing in the successful duo Los Compadres with Lorenzo Hierrezuelo, where he acquired his nickname; Compay is slang for compadre and segundo is a reference to his second voice bass harmony. A seminal and influential musician, he is credited for the invention of the seven-stringed armonico, and his century-spanning lifetime was rife with performances alongside some of the most acclaimed voices in Cuban music, including Sindo Garay, Miguel Matamaros, and Beny More, among countless others. He is also a delightful frontman, as witnessed in Cooder's documentary and in the live performances collected here; the set list includes: La Negra Tomasa, Huellas del Pasado, Sarandonga, Las Flores de la Vida, and Beso Discreto.DVD Features:Region 1Keep CaseFull Frame - 1.33
Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005.
For personal use only.
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Nikolaus Harnoncourt staged FIDELIO, Beethoven`s great (and only) opera, at the Zurich Opera House in 2004. Jonas Kauffman, Alfred Muff, and haunting Finnish soprano Camilla Nylund are the standouts among an impressive cast. This minimalist production also has the advantage of being backed by the tremendous Zurich Opera House Orchestra.
Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005.
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CHULAS FRONTERAS is Les Blanks 1976 documentary concerning the Mexican-American border culture. Featuring Lydia Mendoza, Flaco Jimenez, Narciso Martinez, Los Alegres de Teran, and more, the film combines musical performances with the true stories of the hardworking men and women of these communities. 1979's DEL MERO CORAZON continues Blank's exploration of the music of this community.DVD Features:Region 1Keep CaseFull ScreenAudio: Dolby Digital - EnglishAdditional Release Material: 30 Minutes of Unreleased FootageInteractive Features: Interactive Menus Scene Selection
Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005.
For personal use only.
All rights reserved.