By Richard Harland Smith
Dr. Coppelius
Brief Synopsis
A mysterious inventor passes off an animated doll as his daughter.
Cast & Crew
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Ted Kneeland
Director
Walter Slezak
Dr. Coppelius
Claudia Corday
Swanhilda/Coppelia
Caj Selling
Franz
Eileen Elliott
Brigitta
Carmen Rojas
Spanish doll
Photos & Videos
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4 Photos
Film Details
Also Known As
El fantastico mundo del Dr. Coppelius
MPAA Rating
Genre
Comedy
Release Date
Jan
1968
Premiere Information
New York opening: 25 Dec 1968
Production Company
Copelia, S. A.; Coppelia Co.
Distribution Company
Childhood Productions
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on the ballet Coppelia by Clément Philibert, Léo Delibes and Charles Louis Etienne Nuitter (Paris, 1870).
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 28m
Sound
Mono
Color
Color (Eastmancolor)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
2.20 : 1
Synopsis
In the 19th century, Dr. Coppelius creates a beautiful, lifelike mechanical doll that he lovingly names Coppelia. Seeing the doll on a balcony of the doctor's house, a flirtatious village youth, Franz, becomes so enamored of it that he neglects his sweetheart, Swanhilda. Later, the jealous Swanhilda and six of her friends sneak into Coppelius' home and discover Coppelia among several other mechanical dolls. Although her friends are frightened away when Coppelius returns, Swanhilda finds a hiding place and disguises herself as the doll while the doctor is sleeping. When he is awakened by the sudden appearance of Franz, Coppelius drugs the youth and attempts to transfer his spirit of life to Coppelia. Dressed as the doll, Swanhilda dances about and deludes the doctor into believing that he has made the doll come to life. When Franz is roused from his deep sleep, however, Swanhilda reveals her true identity and runs off with her beloved, leaving behind a broken Coppelia and a disillusioned Dr. Coppelius. On the wedding day of Swanhilda and Franz, the townspeople present the doctor with a completely restored Coppelia. Forsaking his life of fantasy, Coppelius returns the love of Brigitta, the tavern maid, who has always yearned to be his wife.
Director
Ted Kneeland
Director
Cast
Walter Slezak
Dr. Coppelius
Claudia Corday
Swanhilda/Coppelia
Caj Selling
Franz
Eileen Elliott
Brigitta
Carmen Rojas
Spanish doll
Veronica Kusmin
Roman doll
Milorad Miskovitch
Hungarian dance champion
Luis Prendes
The mayor
Marcia Bellak
Kathy Jo Brown
Clara Cravey
Kathleen Garrison
Christine Holter
Sharon Kapner
Swanhilda's friends
Helena Villarroya
Gran Teatro Del Liceo Ballet
International Cine Ballet
Aurelio Bogado
Xenia Petrowsky
Crew
Roberto Carpio
Costumes
Roberto Carpio
Set Decoration
Clément Philibert Léo Delibes
Music
Richard Dodd
Choreography & Assistant choreography
Gran Teatro Del Liceo Orquesta De Barcelona
Music perf
Frank J. Hale
Company
Frank J. Hale
Producer
Jo Anna Kneeland
Choreography
Ted Kneeland
Associate Producer
Ted Kneeland
Screenwriter
Florence Lustig
Dsgn Supervisor
José Mane
Sound
Alicia Markova
Artistic cons
Cecilio Paniagua
Director of Photography
Gil Parrondo
Art Director
Ramón Plana
Production Manager
Marian Ribas
Costumes
Adrián Sardó
Music Conductor
Juan Serra
Film Editor
Victor Torruella
Scen spanish vers
Victor Torruella
Executive Producer
James Udell
Associate Producer
Raymond Guy Wilson
Additional film Music
Photo Collections
4 Photos
Dr. Coppelius - Pressbook
Here is the original campaign book (pressbook) for The Mysterious House of Dr. "C" (1976). This pressbook is from the original version of the film, as Dr. Coppelius (1968). Pressbooks were sent to exhibitors and theater owners to aid them in publicizing the film's run in their theater.
Film Details
Also Known As
El fantastico mundo del Dr. Coppelius
MPAA Rating
Genre
Comedy
Release Date
Jan
1968
Premiere Information
New York opening: 25 Dec 1968
Production Company
Copelia, S. A.; Coppelia Co.
Distribution Company
Childhood Productions
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on the ballet Coppelia by Clément Philibert, Léo Delibes and Charles Louis Etienne Nuitter (Paris, 1870).
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 28m
Sound
Mono
Color
Color (Eastmancolor)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
2.20 : 1
Articles
Dr. Coppelius
An arty one-off filmed under the auspices of Madrid-based producer Samuel Bronston (El Cid, King of Kings, both 1961), Dr. Coppelius (1966) was a feature length ballet based on the works of Prussian fantasist E. T. A. Hoffmann. Hoffmann's "The Sandman" and "The Doll," had already served as the inspiration for Léo Delibes' 1870 ballet Coppélia and Jacques Offenbach's 1881 opera The Tales of Hoffmann, which was adapted for films by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger in 1951. Under the direction of American Ted Kneeland (whose wife, Jo Anna, handled the choreography), Dr. Coppelius starred Walter Slezak as a Geppetto-like inventor who creates a clockwork automaton (Claudia Corday) so beguiling to his neighbors that a jealous girl (Corday again) breaks into his workshop to take the doll's place in a bid to win the love of a local swain (Caj Selling). Shot in 70mm Superpanorama and distributed to mature audiences by former kiddie matinee specialists Childhood Productions, Dr. Coppelius garnered good reviews during the 1968 Christmas season but dire box office and legal troubles with its distributor drove the film underground. The Kneelands and Bronston recut the film in 1976, adding narration and animated sequences (one featuring the voice of British actor Terry-Thomas) and retitling the package The Mysterious House of Dr. C. Unfortunately for all involved, the 35mm alternate version sank as well, leaving both takes on the material in limbo for decades and only now available for reassessment.
By Richard Harland Smith
By Richard Harland Smith
Dr. Coppelius
An arty one-off filmed under the auspices of Madrid-based producer Samuel Bronston (El Cid, King of Kings, both 1961), Dr. Coppelius (1966) was a feature length ballet based on the works of Prussian fantasist E. T. A. Hoffmann. Hoffmann's "The Sandman" and "The Doll," had already served as the inspiration for Léo Delibes' 1870 ballet Coppélia and Jacques Offenbach's 1881 opera The Tales of Hoffmann, which was adapted for films by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger in 1951. Under the direction of American Ted Kneeland (whose wife, Jo Anna, handled the choreography), Dr. Coppelius starred Walter Slezak as a Geppetto-like inventor who creates a clockwork automaton (Claudia Corday) so beguiling to his neighbors that a jealous girl (Corday again) breaks into his workshop to take the doll's place in a bid to win the love of a local swain (Caj Selling). Shot in 70mm Superpanorama and distributed to mature audiences by former kiddie matinee specialists Childhood Productions, Dr. Coppelius garnered good reviews during the 1968 Christmas season but dire box office and legal troubles with its distributor drove the film underground. The Kneelands and Bronston recut the film in 1976, adding narration and animated sequences (one featuring the voice of British actor Terry-Thomas) and retitling the package The Mysterious House of Dr. C. Unfortunately for all involved, the 35mm alternate version sank as well, leaving both takes on the material in limbo for decades and only now available for reassessment.
By Richard Harland Smith
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Filmed in Madrid; opened there in December 1966 as El fantastico mundo del Dr. Coppelius. Shot in 70mm Superpanorama. Title is also rendered Dr. ?? Copelius!!
