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Charlie Chaplin's A Woman of Paris (1923) was a groundbreaking film which was neither a simple recycling of Peggy Hopkins Joyce's story, nor quickly forgotten. Through heavily-documented "period research," this book lands several bombshells, including Paris is deeply rooted in Chaplin's previous films and his relationship with Edna Purviance, Paris was not rejected by heartland America, Chaplin did "romantic research" (especially with Pola Negri), and Paris' many ongoing influences have never been fully appreciated. These are just a few of the mistakes about Paris.
List of contents
Table of ContentsForeword by Anthony Slide
Preface and Acknowledgments
Prologue: Searching for an Artist's Lost Shadow
1.¿Chaplin's Biography Prior to A Woman of Paris: (A Darkly Farcical Perspective) (1889-1923)
2.¿"Chaplinitis": The Initial Fame Factor and Early Chaplin Films with Tangential Ties to A Woman of Paris
3.¿The Messiah-like World War I Bond Tour: "Chaplinitis" in Overdrive
4.¿Further Glass Ceiling Breaking: The Precedent Shattering Dark Comedy Shoulder Arms (1918)
5.¿Edna Purviance: A Less Than "Sunnyside" (1919) March to The Kid (1921) and A Woman of Paris (1923)
6.¿More Revisionism: A Short Subject and The Kid (1921) Continue to Anticipate A Woman of Paris (1923)
7.¿The Kid (1921) More Than Fulfills the "Letter to a Genius" Opening to Chapter 6
8.¿Charlie Chaplin Goes to Europe (1921)
9.¿Continuing the Path to A Woman of Paris (1923): A Unique Literary Year and Two Seminal Shorter Works
10.¿Prologue to A Woman of Paris (1923): The Pilgrim (1923), and the Women Impacting Paris
11.¿Making A Woman of Paris (1923) and Its Response
12.¿Correcting More Errors About Both the 1923 Release and the 1970s Rebirth of A Woman of Paris
Epilogue: A Woman of Paris (1923) and the United States of Amnesia
Filmography
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the author
Wes D. Gehring is a distinguished professor of film at Ball State University and associate media editor for USA Today magazine, for which he also writes the column "Reel World." He is the author of 40 film books, including biographies of James Dean, Carole Lombard, Steve McQueen, Robert Wise, Red Skelton and Charlie Chaplin.
Summary
Charlie Chaplin's A Woman of Paris (1923) was a groundbreaking film which was neither a simple recycling of Peggy Hopkins Joyce's story, nor quickly forgotten. Through heavily-documented “period research,” this book lands several bombshells.
