''The Dancer of Paris'' is a

lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

1926 American silent

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

produced and distributed by First National Pictures. It was directed by

Alfred Santell Alfred Allen Santell (1895–1981), was an American film director and film producer. Santell directed over 60 films, beginning in 1917, most of which were two-reel comedy short subjects for Hal Roach and other productions companies. Taking up f ...

and starred

Dorothy Mackaill Dorothy Mackaill (March 4, 1903 – August 12, 1990) was a British-American actress, most active during the silent-film era and into the pre-Code era of the early 1930s. Early life Born in Sculcoates, Kingston upon Hull in 1903 (although she ...

. A vintage movie trailer displaying short clips of the film still exists.

Plot

As described in a film magazine review, Florida

flapper Flappers were a subculture of young Western women in the 1920s who wore short skirts (knee height was considered short during that period), bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered accepta ...

Consuelo Cox accepts Sir Roy Martel's proposal, but then overhears him say that he does not really intend to marry her and discovers that his love for her is of the basest sort. She breaks her engagement and swears revenge, vowing to ruin him. Consuelo goes to Paris, becomes a professional dancer at the Boule Rouge, and obtains the apartment across from Sir Roy. At a bachelor party she performs at, the nude female statutes suddenly come to life and join in the festivities. Consuelo falls in love with Noel Anson, a friend of her uncles. Sir Roy, dying in his apartment, calls for her. She dances for him in a decidedly abbreviated costume until he passes, and then falls into the arms of Noel.

Cast

Conway Tearle Conway Tearle (born Frederick Conway Levy, May 17, 1878 – October 1, 1938) was an American stage actor who went on to perform in silent and early sound films. Early life Tearle was born on May 17, 1878, in New York City, the son of the ...

as Noel Anson *

as Consuelo Cox *Robert Cain as Sir Roy Martel *

Henry Vibart Henry Vibart (25 December 1863 – 30 August 1943) was a Scottish stage and film actor, active from the 1880s until the early 1930s. He appeared in many theatrical roles in the UK and overseas, and featured in over 70 films of the silent era ...

as Doctor Frank *Paul Ellis as Cortez * Frances Miller as Mammy (credited as Frances Miller Grant)

Reception

Film reviews noted that Mackaill's dancer character was barely dressed at times, in one scene wearing just stones and beadwork and in the finale wearing only a

loincloth A loincloth is a one-piece garment, either wrapped around itself or kept in place by a belt. It covers the genitals and, at least partially, the buttocks. Loincloths which are held up by belts or strings are specifically known as breechcloth or ...

, breastplate, and cloke, and then starting to remove this clothing. Because of this, like many American films of the time, ''The Dancer of Paris'' was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. While the

National Board of Review The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered an early harbinger of the film awards season that culminat ...

did not require any cuts, the film censor boards of Virginia required 6 cuts, Pennsylvania required 16 cuts, New York 5 cuts, Ohio 10 cuts, and Chicago 4 cuts. The reasons for the cuts varied, while Virginia cut scenes with nudity, Pennsylvania cut nude scenes, suggested drug use, cut or flashed suggestive scenes, and cut or reworded some

intertitle In films, an intertitle, also known as a title card, is a piece of filmed, printed text edited into the midst of (i.e., ''inter-'') the photographed action at various points. Intertitles used to convey character dialogue are referred to as "dialo ...

s. One intertitle changed by this state was from, "You are obsessed by an insane desire to intrigue women—to make love to them—to hurt them," to the very different statement, "You are obsessed by an insane desire to marry—when the state of your health positively forbids it."

References

External links

* *
Stills
at silenthollywood.com 1926 films American silent feature films Lost American drama films Films directed by Alfred Santell First National Pictures films American black-and-white films 1926 drama films 1926 lost films English-language drama films Silent American drama films 1920s American films 1920s English-language films {{1920s-silent-drama-film-stub