Charlie Chaplin Centennial Collection: A Woman of Paris / Sunnyside

Charlie Chaplin Centennial Collection: A Woman of Paris / Sunnyside
In Chaplin's first production for United Artists, (writer, producer, director and actor) the comedian only appears in an unrecognizable cameo as a porter lugging a trunk in this drama that features Edna Purviance. As Chaplin's leading lady Purviance made almost forty films with the comedian from 1915 to 1926 and with this dramatic effort he was trying to make her a bankable star independent of his comedies. A WOMAN OF PARIS (Released September 26, 1923) is the story of Marie St. Clair (Purviance), a girl from a small French town who plans on eloping to Paris with her lover, Jean (Carl Miller), a would-be artist. Her father disapproves and when Jean leaves her at the train station, Marie ends up in Paris by herself and becomes the mistress of the wealthy Pierre Revel (Adolphe Menjou). In time, Marie runs into Jean again, and is forced to choose between money and love. The fact that there is sin on the one side and the sanctity of marriage comes into play because "A Woman of Paris" is ultimately pure melodrama, beautifully photographed by Roland Totheroh. SUNNYSIDE (Released June 15, 1919) was one of the comedies that Chaplin made for First National Pictures, the studio he signed with after his happiest days at Mutual. However, this was the least of those efforts, probably because Chaplin rushed to get it out. Having developed his own way of creating his comedic masterpieces, being under the gun was rather unproductive. The story begins with the Tramp working as a handyman on a farm, where he develops a crush on the pretty girl next door (Purviance). Unfortunately, his Boss (Tom Wilson) is out to work him to death, and then we get to an extended fantasy sequence with lots of nymphs. A soundtrack for both features composed by Charles Chaplin himself was added in 1976 and a full orchesteral performance is featured on this tape.
Customer Review: Experimental Chaplin
"A Woman of Paris" (1923) emerged as a directorial breakthrough for Charlie Chaplin, who infused sophistication and subtlety into a conventional Victorian melodrama. His first attempt to distance himself from the Little Tramp was a critical triumph, but audiences stayed away in droves. Despite excellent performances by Edna Purviance and Adolphe Menjou, the Chaplin screen presence was sorely missed. Nevertheless, he learned a great deal from "A Woman of Paris" and applied this cinematic depth to his next film, "The Gold Rush" (1925). The video also includes the failed experiment of "Sunnyside" (1919) - a pastoral comedy with serious overtones and pretentious dream sequences. Though one of Chaplin's worst efforts, he took the criticism to heart by developing an ideal balance of pathos and humor in "The Kid" (1921). Regardless of their shortcomings, "A Woman of Paris" and "Sunnyside" remain essential viewing for Chaplin scholars and film historians.