Parisian Love (1925)

A bit overrated, but still an amazing film

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

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".

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/

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.

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.