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 during one performance, while Zaza is singing on a swing, her rival cuts the rope and she falls. Zaza is badly injured and she makes Dufresne's acquaintance. A romance quickly springs up and he installs her in a villa. Their happiness is marred, however, when his wife appears.
| Tagline | Gloria Swanson in the role she was made for! "Zaza," queen of the gay French music balls; a creature of whirlwind emotions, savage loves and hates- a veritable wildcat. And how she plays it! |
| Release Date: | Oct 21, 1923 |
| Genres: | Romance, Drama, Comedy |
| Production Company: | Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, Paramount Pictures |
| Production Countries: | United States of America |
| Casts: | Gloria Swanson, H.B. Warner, Ferdinand Gottschalk, Lucille La Verne, Mary Thurman, Yvonne Hughes, Riley Hatch, L. Rogers Lytton, Ivan Linow, Florence Fair, Helen Mack |
| Status: | Released |
| Budget: | $0 |
| Revenue: | 0 |
You really have to hand it to Gloria Swanson in this - she goes at it full tilt! "Zaza" is a music hall girl. A bit rough round the edges, but she's a decent sort of soul who falls for the womanising "Dufresne" (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 "Florianne" (Mary Thurman) and there are a few quite enchanting scenes with the young "Cecille" (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. There's a lot of acting here, and though the plot doesn't challenge, it is still joy to watch.
