Zaza, das Mädel vom Varieté (1923)

Zaza, das Mädel vom Varieté: Directed by Allan Dwan. With Gloria Swanson, H.B. Warner, Ferdinand Gottschalk, Lucille La Verne. Zaza is an actress and the favorite at an open-air theater in a small French town. When diplomat Bernard Dufresne comes to the village, he stays away for fear he will fall for her. But when Zaza is badly injured, he has no choice.

“You really have to hand it to Gloria Swanson in this – she goes at it full tilt! u0026quot;Zazau0026quot; is a music hall girl. A bit rough round the edges, but sheu0026#39;s a decent sort of soul who falls for the womanising u0026quot;Dufresneu0026quot; (H.B. Warner) only to discover he is a true cad… The story is pretty predictable, but the journey is a hell of a ride – we even have a cracking cat fight between her and her rival u0026quot;Florianneu0026quot; (Mary Thurman) and there are a few quite enchanting scenes with the young u0026quot;Cecilleu0026quot; (Helen Mack). There is plenty of humour – verging on the bawdy at times, and it is used effectively to demonstrate the best and worst in human nature. Thereu0026#39;s a lot of acting here, and though the plot doesnu0026#39;t challenge, it is still joy to watch.”