Le pompier des Folies Bergères

This pointless and rather tasteless feature is at least of some historical interest, most particularly for the brief appearance of the very talented Josephine Baker, who was already quite well-known as a dancer at the time. It also contains a few brief special effects shots that stand out somewhat against the less interesting material. Otherwise, though, it's just not very good at all.

The simple story follows a fireman who, after a lengthy period of watching the scantily clad and unclad dancers at the Folies Bergères, does a little drinking and then starts seeing imaginary dancers everywhere. The actor portraying the fireman (who has wisely remained anonymous) plays the part in an inanely exaggerated fashion that gets old very quickly. Despite the rampant female nudity, it looks rundown rather than erotic, and most of it is surprisingly boring.

It says a lot for Baker's beauty and talent that, although she is one of the few women to appear clothed, her scene is far more alluring than any of the rest of it, and it is about the only part of the movie that is worth seeing. There are also a few brief moments of special camera effects designed to depict the fireman's intoxication, and they are solid enough for the time.

This is one of many movies from the era that demonstrate how, contrary to many misconceptions, the silent era saw many risqué and even explicit movies. But this is one such feature that hardly accomplishes anything, and for the most part it just shows that merely being explicit does not, in itself, prevent a movie from being pretty dull.