FAQ

Ballet Shoes is a 1936 novel by English author Noel Streatfeild. It was adapted for the screen by English playwright Heidi Thomas.

Author Noel Streatfeild wrote a number of children's books to which she gave various titles named after shoes, the first being Ballet Shoes (1936). This was followed by Tennis Shoes (1937), Skating Shoes (aka White Boots), Dancing Shoes (aka Wintle's Wonders) (1957), and Ballet Shoes for Anna (1972). One possibility as to why Streatfeild chose to name her books after shoes is that, since she wrote mostly about children working (often in show business) and they all needed shoes to do these jobs, the idea of naming the books after the shoes inspired her. Another possibility is that she felt it was a good way to group her books together so that they were recognisable.

Those who have both seen the movie and read the book report that, like most movies adapted from books, many things were changed and/or omitted completely. One of the biggest complaints is that Winifred (Heather Nicol), a sympathetic character in the book, became a bad-tempered and jealous sort in the movie. Another complaint was changing the nature of the relationship between Sylvia Brown (Emilia Fox) and Mr Simpson (Marc Warren) into a romance. On the other hand, the movie maintains all three Fossil sisters and their hopes for their future: Pauline (Emma Watson) to become an actress, Petrova (Yasmin Paige) a pilot, and Posy (Lucy Boynton) a ballerina. A smaller change is when Pauline loses the part of Alice due to her diva behaviour. In the book it's said that Winifred (who is Pauline's understudy) replaces her for one night; the film implies that Winifred replaces her for the rest of the performances.

In the book, the story starts out with Pauline being 11 or 12 years old; Petrova, 10; and Posy, 7 or 8. Emma Watson was about 17 when the movie was filmed, Yasmin Paige was 16, and Lucy Boynton was 13. However, the story spans about four years. Thus, by the end of the movie, the girls are close to their actual ages.

No. There is one scene showing Emma in a bathtub with another girl. However, we only see both girls from the neck up. The water level covers the rest of their bodies.

A Pretty Girl Is Just Like A Melody, music and lyrics: Irving Berlin; premiered 1946 (Interestingly, nearly fifteen years after the year the audition supposedly takes place.) Lyrics: I have an ear for music / And I have an eye for a maid / I like a pretty girlie / With each pretty tune that's played. / They go together / Like sunny weather goes with the month of May / I've studied girls and music / So I'm qualified to say

Chorus:

A pretty girl is like a melody / That haunts you night and day / Just like the strain of a haunting refrain / She'll start up-on a marathon / And run around your brain. / You can't escape she's in your memory / By morning night and noon / She will leave you and then come back again / A pretty girl is just like a pretty tune.

The "wrap" refers to a cotton overall or wrap that actors must wear over their stage costumes when offstage so that the costumes don't get stained or damaged. Pauline was making a fuss about wearing it, an indication that she was becoming a starry-eyed Diva. That is how she ended up losing the part of Alice to the understudy, as punishment for getting "too big for her boots".

According to Emma Watson's official website, scenes with her half-sisters, twins Nina Watson and Lucy Watson playing 2-year-old Pauline, were filmed for the movie, but those scenes were cut for the broadcast version. Those viewers who have seen the DVD report that one of the deleted scenes shows a close up for a quick second of one of the twin's faces.

The novel is very ambiguous on whether or not Dr Jakes (Gemma Jones) and Dr Smith (Harriet Walter) were lovers. If so, they discretely rented two rooms instead of sleeping together at the boarding house, so there is no clue there. In short, it's up to each viewer to decide for themselves the nature of the relationship between the two lady doctors. Whatever the nature of their relationship, it is not important to the story.

Pauline is given the opportunity to go to Hollywood for five years, and Posy is offered lessons from a renowned Russian ballet instructor. They worry that they don't have enough money again. Then, Uncle Gum (Richard Griffiths) comes back. Petrova gets flying lessons, and Sylvia and Mr Simpson get married.