
A Woman of Paris stars a fashion-conscious Edna Purviance.
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.
A Woman of Paris (1923). Direction & Screenplay: Charles Chaplin. Cast: Edna Purviance, Adolphe Menjou, Carl Miller, Lydia Knott.