A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923)

A kept woman runs into her former fiancé and finds herself torn between love and comfort.

Director:

Charles Chaplin

Writer:

Charles Chaplin

Stars:

Edna Purviance, Clarence Geldart, Carl Miller

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Edna Purviance	...	Marie St. Clair
Clarence Geldart	...	Marie's Step-Father (as Clarence Geldert)
Carl Miller	...	Jean Millet
Lydia Knott	...	Jean's Mother
Charles K. French	...	Jean's Father (as Charles French)
Adolphe Menjou	...	Pierre Revel
Betty Morrissey	...	Fifi
Malvina Polo	...	Paulette

Storyline

Marie St. Clair believes she has been jilted by her artist fiance Jean when he fails to meet her at the railway station. She goes off to Paris alone. A year later, mistress of wealthy Pierre Revel, she meets Jean again. Misinterpreting events she bounces back and forth between apparent security and true love.

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Plot Keywords:

female protagonist | apartment | telephone | suicide | railroad station | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 November 1923 (USA)

Also Known As:

Una mujer de París

Filming Locations:

Chaplin Studios - 1416 N. La Brea Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$351,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$387,391, 31 December 1924

Company Credits

Production Co:

Charles Chaplin Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min 78 min (1976 release)

Sound Mix:

Mono (1978 re-release) Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The re-issue 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 re-issued 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.

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Quotes

Pierre Revel: The trouble is you don't know what you do want!
Marie St. Clair: I want a real home, babies, and a man's respect.

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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.

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Connections

Featured in Chaplin Today: Modern Times (2003)

User Reviews

Beautifully directed and acted

Charles Chaplin is noted for his comedy performances, and deservedly.

His direction, though, should be more highly regarded, if only for this one motion picture.

Compare the quality of the photography and the smoothness of the editing to, for example, "The Gold Rush," of about the same time.

"A Woman of Paris" is very modern; "The Gold Rush" is downright primitive (but, in spots, brilliant).

"A Woman of Paris" also shows some admirable acting talent in, really, all the players. Some of the lesser characters are still played beautifully, despite being "lesser," especially Marie's maids and her, more or less, friends, and very especially the masseuse.

And the scene where the artist's mother, played by Lydia Knott, bent on revenge, comes upon Marie -- with no words, just body movement and facial expression -- she tells the audience what the proverbial thousand words could not so well.

Credit for part of that good acting must, of course, go to the director, but even the best director can't make much of poor actors.

Chaplin had very good actors. Adolphe Menjou reached stardom, and deservedly. What a tremendous talent; he could do everything.

Edna Purviance should have achieved much more acclaim. She performed admirably, especially in this movie, and she was attractive. Fame is certainly fickle.

In some ways, "A Woman of Paris" might be written off by a few as "soap opera." But it is well worth watching for the performances and, especially, for the directing.