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IMDbPro

A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate

  • 19231923
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 22m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
5.5K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
45,680
4,079
Edna Purviance in A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923)
DramaRomance
A kept woman runs into her former fiancé and finds herself torn between love and comfort.A kept woman runs into her former fiancé and finds herself torn between love and comfort.A kept woman runs into her former fiancé and finds herself torn between love and comfort.
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
5.5K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
45,680
4,079
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Charles Chaplin
    • Writer
      • Charles Chaplin
    • Stars
      • Edna Purviance
      • Clarence Geldert
      • Carl Miller
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Charles Chaplin
    • Writer
      • Charles Chaplin
    • Stars
      • Edna Purviance
      • Clarence Geldert
      • Carl Miller
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 44User reviews
    • 25Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Photos16

    Carl Miller and Edna Purviance in A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923)
    Carl Miller and Edna Purviance in A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923)
    Betty Morrissey and Malvina Polo in A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923)
    "Woman of Paris, A" Adolphe Menjou 1923 United Artists **I.V.
    Edna Purviance in A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923)
    Carl Miller and Edna Purviance in A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923)
    Bess Flowers in A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923)
    Charles Chaplin and Edna Purviance in A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923)
    Charles Chaplin, Adolphe Menjou, and Edna Purviance in A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923)
    A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923)
    Adolphe Menjou and Edna Purviance in A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923)
    Charles Chaplin and Edna Purviance in A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Edna Purviance
    Edna Purviance
    • Marie St. Clair
    Clarence Geldert
    Clarence Geldert
    • Marie's Step-Father
    Carl Miller
    Carl Miller
    • Jean Millet
    Lydia Knott
    Lydia Knott
    • Jean's Mother
    Charles K. French
    Charles K. French
    • Jean's Father
    • (as Charles French)
    Adolphe Menjou
    Adolphe Menjou
    • Pierre Revel
    Betty Morrissey
    • Fifi
    Malvina Polo
    • Paulette
    Nellie Bly Baker
    • Masseuse
    • (uncredited)
    Henry Bergman
    • Head Waiter
    • (uncredited)
    Charles Chaplin
    Charles Chaplin
    • Station Porter
    • (uncredited)
    Frank Coghlan Jr.
    Frank Coghlan Jr.
    • Boy
    • (uncredited)
    Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast
    Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast
    • Man in Nightclub
    • (uncredited)
    Stella De Lanti
    • Revel's Fiancée
    • (unconfirmed)
    • (uncredited)
    Jean de Limur
    • Man in Nightclub
    • (uncredited)
    Charles Farrell
    Charles Farrell
    • Man in Nightclub
    • (uncredited)
    Bess Flowers
    Bess Flowers
    • Mannequin
    • (uncredited)
    Karl Gutman
    • Orchestra Conductor
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Charles Chaplin
    • Writer
      • Charles Chaplin
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The reissue of this film, with a musical score and new cut by Charles Chaplin, was the last work of his entire film career. By then, the 87-year-old Chaplin was visibly frail but still walking. His score was aided by arranger Eric James, and he took a small theme from Monsieur Verdoux (1947), but most of the score was Chaplin's. The film was reissued posthumously in 1977 with the new score to overwhelming critical and public praise. At that time, many critics praised it (as in the trailer) as one of the best films ever made.
    • Quotes

      [Intertitle]: Time heals, and experience teaches that the secret of happiness is in service to others.

    • Alternate versions
      During 1976, Chaplin was preparing a reissue of A Woman of Paris/Sunnyside but died before completion. The project was completed after his death, and the films were reissued in the United States by Kino International Corp. in 1978. This version, however, dispensed with an opening subtitle, as well as a few brief insert shots.
    • Connections
      Featured in Chaplin Today: Modern Times (2003)

    User reviews44

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    "… the magic city of Paris, where fortune is fickle and a woman gambles with life."
    The second film in my somewhat unusual Charles Chaplin double feature (after the delightfully black 'Monsieur Verdoux (1947)'), 'A Woman of Paris' is perhaps the silent comedy master's least mentioned film, perhaps partly due to it not actually being a comedy, or because Chaplin himself appears only in a very brief cameo role. His first and, I'll venture, his only strictly dramatic feature, the film traces the romantic dilemma of a young French woman living in Paris. It was Chaplin's first film with United Artists – which he had founded in 1919 with Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and D.W. Griffith. Originally entitled 'Public Opinion' and then 'Destiny,' Chaplin considered a dozen more titles before he finally settled on a name.

    Marie St. Clair (Edna Purviance) and her romance Jean Millet (Clarence Geldart), an aspiring artist, residents of a small French village, have plans to move to Paris and get married. However, unfortunate circumstances delay their plans, and Marie impulsively boards the train without Jean. A year or so later, Marie has assimilated into the upper-class lifestyle of Paris, having become the mistress of a wealthy, cynical businessman, Pierre Revel (Adolphe Menjou). It is then that she and Jean suddenly meet again. Though there are undoubtedly still feelings between them, Marie must decide whether she can sacrifice all of Pierre's luxuries to pursue the man that she loves.

    Written, produced and directed by Chaplin, 'A Woman of Paris' is a tightly-paced drama/romance, employing a lot of dialogue (somewhat unusual for Chaplin, who usually relied on extended slapstick comedic set pieces to drive his silent films) and a three-way relationship that has since become commonplace in films of this sort. The film allowed Chaplin to extend his skills beyond the realm of the lovable little Tramp. Unfortunately, this seemingly was not what audiences wanted. Perhaps perceived as a harmful satire of the American way of life, 'A Woman of Paris' was banned in several US states on the grounds of immorality, and it was a commercial flop. Chaplin had conceived the film as a means of launching the individual acting career of Edna Purviance, though this bid was unsuccessful. It did, however, make an international star of Adolphe Menjou.

    Many critics, despite the poor box office performance, praised the film's startling realism. Notably, director Michael Powell ('Black Narcissus,' 'Peeping Tom') cited 'A Woman of Paris' as his greatest inspiration to become a filmmaker. In 1976, a frail Charles Chaplin – just one year before his death – reissued the edited film with a new musical score he had composed, aided by music arranger Eric James. A criminally underrated silent classic, 'A Woman of Paris' is yet another testament to Chaplin's undeniable cinematic genius.
    helpful•8
    4
    • ackstasis
    • May 29, 2007

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 4, 1923 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Instagram
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Парижанка
    • Filming locations
      • Chaplin Studios - 1416 N. La Brea Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Charles Chaplin Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $351,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $11,233
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 22 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Silent
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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