#1253: CHAPLIN, Charles: A Woman of Paris (1923)
CHAPLIN, Charles (United States)
A Woman of Paris [1923]
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The Booklet
Sixteen-panel foldout poster (gorgeous!) featuring an essay by critic Pamela Hutchinson and notes by conductor Timothy Brock on the 2005 score.
Brock:
None.
Alternate score
From 2005 created by Brock, based on music by Chaplin, presented in uncompressed stereo.
Video essay
By Chaplin biographer Jeffrey Vance.
Chaplin Today: “A Woman of Paris”
Featuring interviews with actor Liv Ullmann and filmmaker Michael Powell.
Archive Commentary About “A Woman of Paris”
Documentary by Arnold Lozano, managing director of Roy Export S.A.S.
Excerpts
From an audio interview with Chaplin Studios cinematographer Roland Totheroh.
Deleted shots
By Spine #
A Woman of Paris [1923]
Spine #1253
Blu-ray
Remarkable for its psychological nuance and its boldly modern perspective on an independent woman’s search for fulfillment, Charlie Chaplin’s long-overlooked silent masterpiece A Woman of Paris is a revelation. Chaplin confounded 1923 audiences with this unexpected foray into serious drama, and by ceding the spotlight to his longtime screen partner Edna Purviance. She is captivating as the vivacious Marie St. Clair, a “woman of fate” who leaves behind her small-minded village for the glamour of Paris, where she finds herself at the center of a Jazz Age whirl of champagne soirees, luxurious pleasure-seeking, romance, and tragedy. Putting aside his Little Tramp persona, Chaplin’s second feature proved that, beyond being a comic genius, he was an artist of immense sensitivity and human understanding.
81 minutes
Monaural
Black and White
1:33:1
Criterion Release 2025
Monaural
Black and White
1:33:1
Criterion Release 2025
Directors/Writer
Charles Chaplin was 34 when he wrote and directed A Woman of Paris.
Other Chaplin films in the Collection:
#799: The Kid (1921)
#996: The Circus (1928/1969)
#680: City Lights (1931)
#543: Modern Times (1936)
#565: The Great Dictator (1940)
#615: The Gold Rush (1942)
#652: Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
#756: Limelight (1952)
Other Chaplin films in the Collection:
#799: The Kid (1921)
#996: The Circus (1928/1969)
#680: City Lights (1931)
#543: Modern Times (1936)
#565: The Great Dictator (1940)
#615: The Gold Rush (1942)
#652: Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
#756: Limelight (1952)
The Film
Chaplin’s first film without his presence as an actor required an important title card:
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He does, however, appear quite briefly as a train porter at 0:11:20!
This is Chaplin’s second full-length film (in the first — The Kid [1921, Spine #799], he is still the Tramp.)
It had been five years since Chaplin and Edna Purviance (Marie St. Clair) had ended their romance, but Chaplin was still in need of an actress with her looks and talent. She shines here, but the real find is Adolphe Menjou (Pierre Revel) who kicked off a long career with this part.
Totally recognizable from his earlier work with Chaplin is Henry Bergman (Headwaiter).
The Chaplin/Brock score is annoyingly wall-to-wall, mostly 3/4, but is easily forgiven by the captivating story and its filmic execution. Very clever, however, is the insertion of a saxophone every time Menjou picks one up and plays a few notes … and Chaplin expands upon this prop, when Marie’s friend Fifi (Betty Morrissey) uses the bell of the instrument as an ashtray!
Chaplin moves from scene to scene almost exclusively with dissolves and the occasional iris. The restoration is gorgeous.
Carl Miller (Jean) and his mother (Lydia Knott) are also outstanding.
Film Rating (0-60):
57
The ExtrasThe Booklet
Sixteen-panel foldout poster (gorgeous!) featuring an essay by critic Pamela Hutchinson and notes by conductor Timothy Brock on the 2005 score.
“Marie chooses a quiet life, one full of a kind of joyful penance, caring for orphaned children. Despite Chaplin’s intention to avoid a moral, the film clearly approves of her discovery that ‘the secret of happiness is in service to others.’ Marie’s ending is not an unhappy one, however. The tragedy is all reserved for Pierre, who remains trapped in the empty world of the city, and unable to learn such a lesson. As he passes Marie without even seeing her, let alone recognizing her, the most worldly-wise man in Paris has become the fool who has experience but no wisdom, who little knows how little he understands … whatever became of Marie? By escaping Paris, and Pierre, she gets to begin again, and decide her own fate.”
Brock:
“I created a new score using newly discovered material and by reconfiguring themes from Chaplin’s 1976 score … I reorchestrated the music by adopting 1920s techniques commonly used by Chaplin’s orchestrators.”
Commentary
None.
Alternate score
From 2005 created by Brock, based on music by Chaplin, presented in uncompressed stereo.
Choose your score — Chaplin’s original or Brock’s. Although Chaplin considered himself a serious composer, the more serious musician and composer is Brock — and his score is clearly superior!
Introduction
By Chaplin scholar David Robinson.
Introduction
By Chaplin scholar David Robinson.
He details the origin story of the film, speaking of the three women in Chaplin’s life who inspired the story: Purviance, of course (now too mature of comedy); Peggy Hopkins Joyce (married six times, what a life!); and Pola Negri, with whom he had a very public affair, broken off right after he finished the picture.
Video essay
By Chaplin biographer Jeffrey Vance.
“A Serious Drama”
Vance is brilliant. A highly informative extra …
Chaplin Today: “A Woman of Paris”
Featuring interviews with actor Liv Ullmann and filmmaker Michael Powell.
Archive Commentary About “A Woman of Paris”
Documentary by Arnold Lozano, managing director of Roy Export S.A.S.
Excerpts
From an audio interview with Chaplin Studios cinematographer Roland Totheroh.
Deleted shots
From the original 1923 film.
Archival footage
Of the United Artists signings.
Trailers
1976 rerelease
2023 rerelease
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