Parisian Love (1925) User Reviews

Watch it for Bow

[freebyte · 6/10 · 13 April 2012]

I watched this film because I wanted to see Clara Bow's early work. The plot is as implausible as others have mentioned, and Clara is still learning her craft, but how she lights up the screen! When doing comic or action scenes, she is superb. I love the bit where she disguises herself as a maid and has to fend off amorous 'gentlemen'. I can see how she won the hearts of movie-goers of the era. She is so pretty and so naturally animated. What should be subtle... um... isn't, but Clara made 15 films in this same year -- no one was going to wait around for retakes and guidance of a young actress.

There are some excellent comic moments from the rest of the cast, particularly Lillian Leighton as a French Ma Barker. She reminds me of W. C. Fields. You may be surprised at how much this movie entertains. Watch it for Bow, but enjoy the rest.

We'll Always Have Paris

[wes-connors · 7/10 · 4 July 2010]

Thieving Parisian lovers Clara Bow (as Marie) and Donald Keith (as Armand) are separated when police interrupt their attempt to rob wealthy professor Lou Tellegen (as Pierre Marcel). Posing as a street doxie, Ms. Bow manages to escape, but Mr. Keith is wounded. Luckily for the handsome Keith, Mr. Tellegen turns out to have a yen for both men and women. Tellegen recognizes Keith as a former student, puts him to bed, and caresses him back to health.

Bow wants her boyfriend back; she suspects Tellegen has ensconced him on his estate, and manages to get her self a job there, as a temporary maid. Bow discovers Tellegen's plan to mate Keith with pretty Alyce Mills (as Jeanne), and jealously leaves. Keith tries to find Bow, but fails. After regrouping, Bow begins her final plan; to win the whispered-to-be "aloof from love" Tellegen's boy and money, she will pose as a convent girl and seduce him into marriage!

"Parisian Love" is a quite unlikely, but highly amusing comedy. Bow and Keith are a great match, with the former lively in a number of guises. Bow impresses as a commanding star comedienne. Fading idol Tellegen is a real surprise, plucking his gray hairs in a memorable scene, and mixing well with the young lovers. Also keep an eye on veteran hag Lillian Leighton; she is hilarious, hogging the liquor as Bow's "snuff-smelling, absinthe-gargling" companion.

******* Parisian Love (8/1/25) Louis Gasnier ~ Clara Bow, Donald Keith, Lou Tellegen, Lillian Leighton

Not Quite Parisian, Not Quite Love

[nycritic · 6/10 · 3 February 2007]

With a plot line that is as convoluted as a ball of yarn, PARISIAN LOVE barely manages to escape ignominy due to the presence of Clara Bow, who with her huge eyes, expressive face, and earthy beauty just dying to burst out of its confines manages to transcend well beyond the material she was handed (which tended to be unremarkable, as she wasn't considered glamorous enough to garner or carry that sort of film). Even so, PARISIAN LOVE is an odd movie, one that starts out as a dance-duel between partners, evolves into an adventure, and then turns into a revenge drama where Bow's character decides to go after Armand (Donald Keith) after believing he has betrayed her love for him in a rather implausible way. All in all, it's an okay movie, for completists of Bow's cinematography only, but for anyone looking for true acting and in a timeless style, the preferred movie to view would be IT.

the big-eyed Miss Clara Bow

[didi-5 · 15 April 2003]

The first thing I noticed about Clara Bow is her huge eyes which she uses to great effect when words won't do. As portrayed by her, Marie is not a nice girl at all, she's scheming, she's common (interesting question - if she's a street girl, an 'Apache', where did she learn to dance?), she's not good enough for little Armand (the boy thief who is even prettier than her) or for Marcel (who is far more interested in Armand anyway, or at least that seems to be the way Lou Tellegen is playing the role - perhaps unintentionally, but ...). Clocking in at just over an hour, this is a small film which feels rushed towards the end after a very long-winded beginning. However, it manages to combine humour, a slightly ridiculous script, and peripheral characters who are there for a few seconds then disappear. I liked the boozy 'Madame' who is stealing all the drinks at the party (who has previously broken bottles over her slow-moving husband's head). Donald Keith as Armand has too little to do except look cute. Worth watching for Bow and Tellegen and for the gorgeous tinting on the restored print.

A fine silent classic, if lacking any major spark

[I_Ailurophile · 7/10 · 20 December 2022]

Though of course broken up by intertitles, it's worth observing right away that the storytelling is more fluid than it was in no few other silent films. The acting, direction, and pacing come across as mostly very natural, a step away from the stilted and less authentic sensibilities derived from stage drama and vaudeville and toward the style modern viewers are familiar with. Still the picture maintains a steady clip, advancing the plot swiftly, but never at such a pace as to feel rushed or forced. What follows is a tale blending two discrete elements of crime and romance into a form that seems to have fallen out of fashion in cinema of the latter half of the twentieth century, with dashes of both comedy and drama peppering the proceedings for variety of flavor. 'Parisian love' may not be utterly essential among such older movies, but it's solid, and remains quite worthwhile on its own merits.

As one would well expect of the silent era, when visuals were extra important, the presentation here looks fantastic. The production design and art direction are outstanding, flush with detail, as is the costume design. The hair and makeup work is terrific, and very noticeably and gratifyingly more rich and varied than has been true elsewhere in early cinema; characters are readily distinguishable just by their appearance (a credit as well to preservationists, for there's scarcely any sign of degradation or loss of fidelity in the digitized print). And the cast is most excellent, demonstrating range and personality, but also welcome nuance exceeding what was common among most of its contemporaries. Naturally silent superstar Clara Bow stands out the most in the lead role, showing why she was so beloved and sought after, but her co-stars are just as well with what they bring to the feature, breathing vivid life into their characters.

Save perhaps for the gracefulness of its fundamental craft, there's not necessarily anything about 'Parisian love' that stands out so much as to make this a must-see. It's well made and acted, but maybe doesn't have any major spark of vitality to it. Yet the story is engaging and enjoyable, despite occasionally coming off as uneven, and the scene writing actively entertaining to keep us keenly interested. Louis J. Gasnier's direction is sturdy and capable, as is the work of everyone behind the scenes. This is the sort of classic that doesn't abjectly demand viewership, but is still deserving and appreciable for what it does represent. It's those who are already enamored of silent pictures that will get the most out of this - but, perhaps, it's sufficiently well done to possibly serve as a point of entry for those who are curious about older movies, or trying to get their feet wet. Not specifically flawed, not specifically stupendous, 'Parisian love' is still worth checking out if you have the inclination and opportunity.

Bizarre

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 22 October 2011]

This is a film with a very strange plot. There are so many bizarre plot elements that I think the overall picture comes off as very, very difficult to believe and is one of the worst films I've seen that stars Clara Bow. Now the film sure LOOKS nice...but the plot?! Weird.

The film begins with a gang of thieves breaking into a rich professor's house. However, things don't go smoothly. One of the robbers wants to kill Professor Marcel--but the other stops him. Just then, the cops arrive. Marie (Clara Bow--who is the lookout) escapes, the would-be killer is killed and Armand (the good thief) is protected by the Professor--who tells the police that he's his house guest. You can understand this--after all, this lovely thief did save Marcel. However, this scene and the subsequent scenes might be interpreted to have a gay subtext when seen today--especially when the Professor invites Armand to live with him and treats him in a very familiar manner.

In the meantime, Marie sneaks into a party at Professor Marcel's house and sees Armand--with another woman. She assumes that he no longer loves her and she is angry--determined to destroy Marcel for taking Armand away from her. So, she later pretends to be a rich lady and meets Marcel--and makes him fall in love with her. Just after the marriage, Marie's mother reveals to Marcel the truth--and that she'd stolen Marie from a rich family when she was a baby(???!!!). And, without knowing the truth, Marie then tells Marcel that she married him just to get revenge on him for breaking up the relationship between her and Armand(??!!). JUST THEN (again), Armand shows up--and the old gang does as well and shoots Marie!!!! Then, she miraculously survives AND the Professor leaves--allowing Armand to have Marie for himself!!!! This has to be the most contrived plot I've ever seen in a silent film--and I've seen about a thousand of them. So many silly surprises and twists thrown into a film barely over an hour long--it made me laugh with all these story elements. While the film looks nice and is entertaining, it also is fundamentally stupid. Not one of Bow's shining moments and the sort of fluff she'd no longer be doing once she really hit it big with films like "Wings" and "It"...at least until her star faded at the advent of sound.

An Anodyne Clara Bow Film

[FerdinandVonGalitzien · 4/10 · 30 November 2006]

In spite that Dame Clara Bow has "It", she haven't an astounding career with a lot of masterpieces or even remarkable films ( for this German Count only two or three films of her deserves such Teutonic silent glory ). Her film career consisted of, on the contrary, a lot of inoffensive, trifle and insignificant films starring the Amerikan actress…until fame knocked at her silent and Paramount door.

"Parisian Love" it is a perfect example of what this German aristocrat is talking about, that is to say, an unimportant film directed by Herr Louis J. Gasnier ( an anodyne film director who goes well with the spirit of those Dame Bow films ). It seems that nobody pays attention to our star in spite of the fact that she does exert herself with excessive intention, overacting many times. She suffers many vexations such as dancing the Apache gang dance at night in Paris (a hybrid between tango, flamenco and personal attack ), changing her criminal life for an honest one as a servant or a convent bred fraulein, being ignored by her former fiancée, Armand ( Herr Donald Keith ) and his mentor Marcel ( Herr Lou Tellegen ) in which there's a kind of subtle and silent homosexual relationship. It's probably due to the fact that the chemistry between Dame Bow und Herr Keith it is defunct. The only standout in this simplistic Dame Bow film is the Paris underground art designer.

And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must to bow and scrape his fat German heiresses.

Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/

Bizarre bisexual love triangle!

[David-240 · 8/10 · 5 July 2001]

Am I just deluded or is this the tale of a woman driven to extremes of jealousy, when her boyfriend becomes the lover of another man? The story goes like this: A handsome young robber is caught while robbing a wealthy man. Instead of handing him over to the police, the man claims that the robber is an old friend, and then nurses his wounds in his own bed. He insists that the young man live with him or he will turn him in. Meanwhile the robber's girlfriend finds out what's going on and, while the robber is away on a business trip for his "friend", she decides to seduce the wealthy man and trap him into marrying her. This she describes as revenge for him stealing her lover from her. A title reads: "All of Paris whispered when Pierre Marcel was married - he had been so aloof from love". Mmm. Well if anyone could "convert" a gay man it would have to be the wondrous CLARA BOW.

Clara Bow Eyes Lou Tellegen -- But Not for Love!

[JohnHowardReid · 9/10 · 3 March 2008]

It's hard to believe, but on the evidence of this delight of a movie, undoubtedly true, that Louis J. "Reefer Madness" Gasnier was once a highly competent director. Even in the condensed 62-minute version currently available (with at least two obvious cuts, one of them right before the fade-out), directorial ability shines through every scene, particularly those with the three principals. As usual, Clara Bow rivets attention right from her very first entrance to her final clinch, skilfully managing the remarkable transition from energetic hoyden to graceful débutante with charisma, style and panache; while Lou Tellegen (whom I have been waiting to see for 52 years and have finally caught up with) subtly conveys the charm, presence and instant audience identification that illuminated his stage roles opposite the great Sarah Bernhardt; and, as expected, Lillian Leighton is a comic riot when her awesomely pugnacious La Frouchard transforms herself into a pillar of Parisian society.

The other players, including personable hero, Donald Keith (who disappears for a long stretch), have little to do, although "Monsieur Frouchard" provides some splendid bits of comedy inaction in the domestic fight scene when La Leighton lets loose.

Of course, you can't really take the convoluted plot (or even the characters) too seriously, but who cares? It's all great entertainment.

Beautifully photographed and most attractively costumed and set, this big-budget movie is presented on an excellent (10 out of ten) Kino DVD with "Down to the Sea in Ships".

The Eyes Live

[tedg · 17 October 2003]

Spoilers herein.

Usually when I comment on a film, it is in the context of ideas. I root myself in the notion that ideas can have power, including emotional effect. Further, I suppose that many of these ideas come from thinking filmmakers.

That sets me apart from others that look for dramatic engagement and credit actors with great influence.

But my reaction to this film is different than both. In this case, I am reminded that some things in life take on their own identity and do what is necessary to promulgate. Things like musical tunes can be thought of as living, selfish entities that adapt so that they stick in your mind and induce you to hum or play them so that they can similarly stick in someone else's mind.

Ideas like equality and justice and god are in this class which is generally called `memes.'

Powerful films are full of memes, many of which aren't known at the time. Some of these we notice after the fact. Here, we have a few phases in the language of eyes. This was a new language in 1920, just when movies were inheriting the soul of our culture, that place where we collectively develop our imaginations. And Clara Bow was the first great artist of sculpting emotions with her eyes.

And once those eye-phrases are captured, they do what they need to to survive and promulgate. Their expression in this film is secure, as it is now on DVD and thoroughly distributed throughout the planet. Not even a dinosaur-sized asteroid could kill that now. But the more effective promulgation is that now some of Clara's phrases have entered the music of everyday sexual dialog.

See this as one of the better vehicles for various opportunities she has to play her eyes, probably better than most of the others easily available. Otherwise the film is a waste, except for recalling a time when it made movie sense to portray a man of culture as a French scientist. That's a meme that is dead.

Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.

Way Too Much Story for One Film

[Michael_Elliott · 21 September 2010]

Parisian Love (1925)

** (out of 4)

A lot of times "B" movies are put down for not having enough plot and not running long enough to matter. That saying is really put to the test here as this film runs a mere 62-minutes but there are enough plots here for ten movies. The film starts out as Apache lovers Marie (Clara Bow) and Armand (Donald Keith) break into the house of the rich Pierre Marcel (Lou Tellegen). Marie takes off when the police arrive but Armand becomes "friends" with Pierre who eventually saves him from blood poisoning. Still awake? Pierre then hooks Armand up with another woman, which Marie finds out about as she's gone undercover in the house as a maid. This upsets Marie so she plans on marrying Pierre to get even with him while other goons try robbing him for more money. There are several other subplots going on in this thing, which happens to be just one of fifteen movies Bow would make in 1925. The amazing thing here is how much stuff they try throwing at the viewer and for the life of me I really can't figure out what it was for. There's really no romance here even though, I guess, in the end that's what the story is suppose to be about. None of the goons are ever threatening and there's no tension from anything that happens with them. There's very little comedy and there's really no strong character development. There's pretty much nothing going on here but the thing is just so weird, so over-the-top that you can't help but keep watching just to see what's going to happen next. I would call this a really bizarre film but it's worth noting that director Gasnier would later make REEFER MADNESS so I guess this film could have gone even further (although there is a cocaine snorting scene here). I think the main reason people will be drawn to this film is just to see Bow. This isn't the greatest performance out there but she does a fair job with the role. Some of her acting towards the end of the picture is too far out there but she's nice to look at. Keith is a tad bit too bland in his role and Tellegen is so far gone that you can't help think he'd perfectly fit into REEFER MADNESS.