Risen from the streets to the height of fame as the main attraction of a music hall routine at an open-air theater in a small French town, Zaza (Gloria Swanson) is a young actress, and the favorite. Life for Zaza isn't all sunshine and roses. She brings in the crowds and hoards of adoring men, but also brings the envy of other performers who envision themselves in her position. She isn't without love. Her frequent liaisons with men of high stature lead to heartbreak. When rich diplomat Bernard Dufresne (H.B. Warner) comes to the village, he stays away for fear of falling for her. Zaza battles her rival Florianne (Mary Thurman) and chases after Bernard, only to get her comeuppance in a terrific music hall sequence in which Zaza swings way out over the audience and tosses flowers down on various men. Florianne cuts the rope and sends Zaza crashing down onto the floor. But when Zaza is badly injured, Bernard houses her in his country cottage. They both fall in love. Zaza is a nice girl, of the more or less glorified merry-merry, who loves not wisely but well. She has a series of temperamental outbursts, and throws things at people. The fiery, devil-may-care soubre, who stands ready to battle all womanhood for the love of her man, has a catfight. Her women-type chemistry is entertaining the way she fights with Regault (Riley Hatch). But, they part ways when Zaza learns the truth he has hidden from her. All too late she discovers the object of her affections is married, and even a father. Zaza renounces her right to happiness. Although Bernard divorces his wife, it is not until years later, when his ex-wife dies, that the two meet again with the usual happy termination of their tribulations. A 1923 American silent romantic comedy drama film directed and produced by Allan Dwan and starring Gloria Swanson, based on the original Broadway production of "Zaza" by Pierre Berton and Charles Simon (from the French play of the same name by David Belasco and starring Mrs. Leslie Carter that opened at the Garrick Theater on January 9, 1899), and shot at Paramount's Astoria Studios in New York City. Dwan got superlative performances out of his all-star cast, including Ferdinand Gottschalk as the duke, Helen Mack as the daughter, with Lucille La Verne stealing scenes as a parrot-totting drunken aunt, and Yvonne Hughes is fun as the maid. In this well-executed laugh-out loud amusing romantic comedy, in which a delightful and charming woman must suffer because she's fallen in love with a married man, Swanson adroitly treads the difficult performance between misery and self-mockery, and injects a delicious comedy value. She felt she was being stereotyped, and fought Paramount to make this after a series of "clothes horse" pictures. On the pretext of needing an operation, she went to New York, to distance herself from Jesse Lasky, Paramount's head, and take control over her career. A flamboyantly passionate performance from Swanson shows her as both a dramatic actress and comedienne. Even when the chips are down and Zaza is at her lowest, a simple glare from Swanson tells you Zaza has a trick or two up her sleeve. The magnetic attraction the camera has with Swanson is palpable. This is her show and she owns it. The film was a big success. Dwan sidesteps the need for spoken dialogue with impressive visuals and relies on his actors to convey thought and emotion with physical presence rather than interrupting the flow of a scene with a title card so the audience can read what they're thinking in this engaging, intense, faithful, deserving, and jazzy adaptation of the second cinematic adaptation of "Zaza," modernized with a war touch. A previous film version was released by Paramount in 1915 starring Pauline Frederick. A third version, directed by George Cukor and starring Claudette Colbert, was released in 1939. But this "Zaza" has plenty of emotional range, comedic abilities, and spirit thanks to Swanson, who delivers a full-body performance showcasing a bright personality through an expressive performance, sold without the use of verbal wit. Dwan keeps this character piece lively through grand recreations of music hall entertainment, allowing Swanson to strut her stuff through stage numbers, then tested through a problematic relationship. Dwan can't play with dialogue, so he visualizes a social and romantic obstacle course, maintaining pace throughout. The catfight scene could only be shot once because there were no costume or props doubles. Mary Thurman has to allow Swanson to give her a whipping that surely looks real. Swanson plays the piano and Ben Model sings "Plaisir d'amour," one of the most famous love songs ever, written by Padre Martini in 1898). It became Elvis Presley's hit, "I Can't Help Falling in Love With You," and was recorded by many classical singers of the 20th century long before Elvis. A complete print of Zaza is housed at the George Eastman House in Rochester, NY., and the Library of Congress.

• published: 01 Feb 2023
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