Looking to stretch himself as a filmmaker, Chaplin put his leading lady/lover/girlfriend in a film he didn't appear in and wasn't a comedy. A Woman of Paris was made as Chaplin was coming off his series of Mutual short films. Chaplin subtitled the film "a drama of fate" and even put in a disclaimer to the public that he did not appear in it. The film was not successful which is unfortunate, this is one of his best films.
Chaplin had a close relationship with his star, Edna Purviance and was looking to launch her as a major leading actor, unfortunately that didn't work out. Edna Purviance gives a very good performance going from country girl to the mistress of a rich millionaire. Her acting is somewhat spoiled by some ridiculous head pieces she wears which are a minor distraction.
Incredibly Chaplin filmed A Woman of Paris, without a script, and in sequential order. What could have been a melodramatic mess of a film is completely redeemed by his skill with the actors and his use of small bits of comedy to temper the melodrama of the film, very effective.
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An impressive film without all the sloppy sentiment that tended to overwhelm his films. A Woman of Paris is clearly an influence on directors like Ernest Lubitsch, Billy Wilder, Howard Hawks and Alfred Hitchcock with it's skilled mix of comedy and drama .
One of Chaplin's best films.
93 minutes.
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