Ten years before, Pressburger had written a script of The Red Shoes for Alexander Korda, as a vehicle for Merle Oberon. The movie was never produced. Having bought the script back from Korda, The Archers were ready to get to work. When Powell read Pressburger's script, both agreed some changes needed to be made. First, the old script was more of a romantic drama than Powell envisioned, and there were only brief excerpts of well-known ballet scenes; no ballet sequences.

Powell asked Pressburger, why not create an original ballet of The Red Shoes, and get a real dancer to dance the part? He also planned for the ballet to run an uninterrupted 20 minutes. A very bold move. But Pressburger agreed.

Powell began to assemble his core creative team, many of whom he had worked with before. The composer Brian Easdale, who had won an Oscar for Black Narcissus, would write the score (later on, Sir Thomas Beecham would conduct it with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra); Reggie Mills, their long-time editor was on board as well (Mills would be nominated for an Oscar for The Red Shoes). The great cinematographer Jack Cardiff was to join The Archers once again. "For his inventions, imagination and sheer audacity, there has never been another color cameraman like Jack Cardiff," wrote Powell. Cardiff had won an Oscar for Black Narcissus, and later he would be nominated for The Red Shoes; Cardiff would go on to be nominated by the Academy once again, and he would also be the cinematographer on The African Queen, other memorable movies, and would direct as well. Painter, art director and costume designer Hein Heckroth (Heckroth had done the costumes for Black Narcissus), and set designer Arthur Lawson were hired. Heckroth and Lawson would both win Oscars for their work on The Red Shoes.

Hein Heckroth shows sketches prepared for The Red Shoes.

One of the strongest behind-the-scenes creative collaborations in the history of cinema was coming together.

For the The Red Shoes ballet sequence, Powell contacted Robert Helpmann, the principal dancer at Sadler's Wells, and Margot Fonteyn's partner. Powell knew Helpmann quite well; they lived on the same street in London. Helpmann was interested in making the transition from ballet to acting. He was to be the choreographer of the 20-minute Red Shoes ballet sequence, as well as the lead male dancer. Helpmann also agreed to dance the part of Dr. Coppelius, and partner Moira in Swan Lake for some of the other dance sequences.

Robert Helpmann with Moira in Coppelia.

One of the great names in the history of ballet, as a dancer and choreographer, Leonide Massine was to play the role of the choreographer of the fictional Ballet Lermontov, as well as dance the role of the Shoemaker in the Red Shoes ballet.

Massine as the Shoemaker.

Massine had been the principal dancer in Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, replacing Nijinsky when Nijinsky married. Massine would also dance the role of the Shopman for Powell and Pressburger, a part he had created in an earlier stage version of La Boutique Fantasque.

With two such extremely talented and renowned members of the ballet world set to work on The Red Shoes, the romancing of Moira Shearer became a bit easier. It took some time; there was quite a bit of negotiation with her agent, and a certain amount of career conflict (Her life in the ballet? Or a possible career in the movies?), but Moira was finally signed to play Victoria Page, the leading lady of the film, and the ballet's female lead. Anton Walbrook, who had appeared in many of the Archers' Productions, was to play Boris Lermontov, the ballet company’s impresario. Marius Goring, another well-known Powell and Pressburger actor, would be playing the role of Julian Craster, the young composer who falls in love with Moira's character Vicky.

Marius Goring at left, Anton Walbrook in costume at right.

Other great talents were hand-picked for the secondary roles, and all of them could appreciate the characters they would play: Ludmilla Tcherina, another dancer, would play Lermontov's prima ballerina, whose engagement and marriage give Vicky Page (Moira), her big break.  Esmond Knight, who appeared in many Archers films in a variety of roles; also actors Albert Basserman, and Eric Berry.

Powell began to think about the clothing for Moira's character. Victoria Page was a young woman of breeding and social stature. She didn't need mere clothes, she needed a WARDROBE. That's when Jacques Fath came into the picture. Jacques came up from Paris to meet Moira, and discuss costumes with Powell. They assembled in the garden of Powell's home, and immediately Fath found himself thrilled and inspired by Moira's looks. He began to sketch furiously. He understood immediately what Powell wanted; what was needed.

Left to right: Walbrook, Fath, Powell standing, Shearer, Pressburger. Fath and Shearer review Fath's sketches for Red Shoes costumes.

Conferring in a bamboo arbor at the Fath salon, left to right, Walbrook, Heckroth, Powell, unidentified woman, Shearer, Fath.

Powell loved his spaniels, and featured them in several of his movies. Here, a relaxed moment. From left, Powell, Shearer, Fath, Pressburger.

While Fath was in Paris designing Moira's evening gowns, suits, and day and casual wear, Hein Heckroth was designing the ballet costumes for the dance sequences. Heckroth made over 2000 sketches for The Red Shoes overall, many of them for the ballet costumes.

Heckroth storyboard for The Red Shoes.

The team’s creative vibe was powerful.

Financed by Arthur Rank, The Archers were extremely fortunate to be given full control over their moviemaking process. They had a free hand in every aspect, the story they chose to make, the technicians they hired, the actors they contracted.

Jack Cardiff told me, "Powell was a unique and brave director; it was a dream to work with him. The Red Shoes was an exciting project, delightful to photograph, and it was a sheer artistic endeavor, great fun to work on. Hein Heckroth and I worked very closely together; we were good friends. It was a very happy picture."

Christian Routh (grandson of Hein Heckroth), told me, "Before The Red Shoes, Hein worked as a set designer and costume designer, although he was actually a painter [in fact, Heckroth was considered one of the best painters to come out of the Bauhaus --Gina.]. He hadn't done the entire production design of a movie before, which I think was good for The Red Shoes, because he came in with no preconception of what could or couldn’t be done. They tried all sorts of things. Ideas were not walled in by cinematic procedures."

The magic had begun.