Storyline

While most of Ken Russell's documentaries for the BBC's Monitor arts strand focused on a single creative figure, he would also occasionally make more wide-ranging surveys of the state of a particular art. The Light Fantastic (BBC, tx. 18/12/1960) was written and presented by Ron Hitchins, a Cockney barrow boy who has long been interested in a great many dance forms, and who has recently taken up Spanish dancing. Hitchins participates in some of the dance sequences, but his main contribution is an enthusiastic commentary that helps personalise what could have been simply a disparate collection of dance footage. He's not shy about expressing likes and dislikes, being none too keen on ballroom dancing (too choreographed), rock'n'roll (too monotonous) and Morris dancing (just doesn't like it), though anything genuinely spontaneous gets a thumbs up, even if it's a room full of people dressed in black swaying to the sound of a gong.

Key Information

Director Ken Russell
Studio BBC
Rating 6.0/10
Language EN

Cast & Crew

Ron Hitchins

Self - Presenter

Anneke Wills

Anneke Wills

Girl in Flamenco Club

Frequently Asked Questions

The Light Fantastic was released on December 18, 1960.

The runtime of The Light Fantastic is 23m.

The Light Fantastic is a Documentary movie.

The Light Fantastic has a rating of 6.0 out of 10 on TMDB.

The Light Fantastic is available to watch. Check streaming platforms and theaters near you.

The Light Fantastic was directed by Ken Russell.

The main cast of The Light Fantastic includes Ron Hitchins, Anneke Wills.

The Light Fantastic is originally in English.