Four years after launching United Artists with Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, and D.W. Griffiths, Charlie Chaplin distributed his first film through the company. It was a dream project that defied expectations. After making over 50 comic shorts, all of which he starred in, Chaplin not only released a straight romantic drama with A Woman of Paris, but—as he only appeared in it in a brief cameo, and under heavy makeup—it was easy to miss him on screen.
This 1923 film delighted critics, and its narrative and visual sophistication and the highly natural performance style of the actors made it a watershed release during Hollywood’s silent era, influencing countless directors, most notably Ernst Lubitsch. But it was a commercial failure, as audiences only wanted more of the Little Tramp. Still, while neither that iconic character nor anyone like him appears in it, A Woman of Paris is distinctly Chaplinesque,...
This 1923 film delighted critics, and its narrative and visual sophistication and the highly natural performance style of the actors made it a watershed release during Hollywood’s silent era, influencing countless directors, most notably Ernst Lubitsch. But it was a commercial failure, as audiences only wanted more of the Little Tramp. Still, while neither that iconic character nor anyone like him appears in it, A Woman of Paris is distinctly Chaplinesque,...
- 3/19/2025
- by Derek Smith
- Slant Magazine
A Woman of Paris (1923) Direction & Screenplay: Charles Chaplin Cast: Edna Purviance, Adolphe Menjou, Carl Miller, Lydia Knott Edna Purviance (left), A Woman of Paris I must admit that I'm not a fan of Charles Chaplin's comedies. Heresies aside, I did very much enjoy Chaplin's dramatic A Woman of Paris, an attempt to turn his frequent leading lady Edna Purviance into a star. Despite rumors to the contrary, A Woman of Paris was a box-office success; even so, Purviance's career never took off. That is unfortunate, as she gives a moving, subtle performance in this nonjudgmental tale of lost love and single motherhood. Purviance is with Carl Miller in the photo on the right. Things are obviously not going very well for the couple, but the actress is surely suffering in style.
- 10/12/2010
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
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