''Idol of Paris'' is a 1948 film based on the novel ''Paiva, Queen of Love'' by Alfred Schirokauer, about a mid-19th century French

courtesan Courtesan, in modern usage, is a euphemism for a "kept" mistress (lover), mistress or prostitute, particularly one with wealthy, powerful, or influential clients. The term historically referred to a courtier, a person who attended the Royal cour ...

Theresa Teresa (also Theresa, Therese; french: Thérèse) is a feminine given name. It originates in the Iberian Peninsula in late antiquity. Its derivation is uncertain, it may be derived from Greek θερίζω (''therízō'') "to harvest or re ...

who sleeps her way from poverty to the top of

Second Empire Second Empire may refer to: * Second British Empire, used by some historians to describe the British Empire after 1783 * Second Bulgarian Empire (1185–1396) * Second French Empire (1852–1870) ** Second Empire architecture, an architectural styl ...

society. It was an attempt by its makers to imitate the success of the

Gainsborough melodramas The Gainsborough melodramas were a sequence of films produced by the British film studio Gainsborough Pictures between 1943 and 1947 which conformed to a melodramatic style.Brooke, Michael. (2014)Gainsborough Melodrama Screenonline British Film Ins ...

Cast

Beryl Baxter Beryl Baxter (8 April 1926 - 29 November 2012) was a British film actress whose career spanned the 1940s to the 1970s.Profile ...

–

Michael Rennie Michael Rennie (born Eric Alexander Rennie; 25 August 1909 – 10 June 1971) was a British film, television and stage actor, who had leading roles in a number of Hollywood films, including his portrayal of the space visitor Klaatu in the s ...

–

Hertz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that on ...

, one of Theresa's lovers *

Christine Norden Christine Norden (born Mary Lydia Thornton; 28 December 1924 – 21 September 1988) was a British actress. Early life Norden was born in Mowbray Terrace, Sunderland. She was the daughter of a bus driver. Her childhood home was in Chester Ro ...

– Cora Pearl *

Miles Malleson William Miles Malleson (25 May 1888 – 15 March 1969) was an English actor and dramatist, particularly remembered for his appearances in British comedy films of the 1930s to 1960s. Towards the end of his career he also appeared in cameo roles i ...

– Offenbach *Andrew Osborn – Antoine *

Andrew Cruickshank Andrew John Maxton Cruickshank (25 December 1907 in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire29 April 1988 in London) was a Scottish actor, most famous for his portrayal of Dr Cameron in the long-running UK BBC television series ''Dr. Finlay's Casebook'', which ...

– Prince Nicholas *

Kenneth Kent Kenneth Kent (20 April 1892 – 17 November 1963) was an English actor. He is most notable for his roles as Inspector Hanaud in the film '' At the Villa Rose'' (1940) and as Emperor Napoleon in the film ''Idol of Paris'' (1948). Partial filmo ...

–

Emperor Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

Margaretta Scott Margaretta Mary Winifred ScottBrian McFarlane, "Scott, Margaretta Mary Winifred (1912–2005)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Jan 201available online Retrieved 30 August 2020. (13 February 1912 – 15 Apri ...

– Empress Eugenie *Patti Morgan – Bellanger *

Genine Graham Genine Graham (9 December 1926, London – 11 May 1997, London) was an English actress. She trained at LAMDA, and played the title role of the mermaid ''Miranda'' in the original West End production of Peter Blackmore's play, later filmed with G ...

– Barucci *

Henry Oscar Henry Wale (14 July 1891 – 28 December 1969), known professionally as Henry Oscar, was an English stage and film actor. He changed his name and began acting in 1911, having studied under Elsie Fogerty at the Central School of Speech and Dram ...

– Lachman *

Sybille Binder Sybille Binder (5 January 1895 – 30 June 1962) was an Austrian actress of Jewish descent whose career of over 40 years was based variously in her home country, Germany and Britain, where she found success in films during the 1940s. Career Bi ...

– Mrs. Lachman *

Leslie Perrins Leslie Perrins (7 October 1901 – 13 December 1962) was an English actor who often played villains. After training at RADA, he was on stage from 1922, and in his long career, appeared in well over 60 films. Hobbies Perrins and wife Violet w ...

– Count Paiva *

Campbell Cotts Campbell Cotts (21 April 190219 February 1964) was a Cape Colony-born actor of British stage, film and television. A former barrister and a published poet, Cotts studied at Cambridge and fought in Second World War, attaining the rank of 1st Lieu ...

– George Tremer Sr. *

John Penrose John David Penrose (born 22 June 1964) is a British politician serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for Weston-super-Mare since 2005. A member of the Conservative Party, he was the United Kingdom Anti-Corruption Champion at the Home Office ...

– George Cremer Jr. *April Stride as Countess de Molney *

Donald Gray Donald Gray (born Eldred Owermann Tidbury, 3 March 1914 – 7 April 1978) was a South African actor, well known for his starring role in the British TV series '' Mark Saber'', for providing the voices of Colonel White, Captain Black and the M ...

as Police Inspector *June Holden as Marie *Frederick Bradshaw as Chamberlain *

Marianne Stone Marianne Stone (23 August 1922 – 21 December 2009) was an English character actress. She performed in films from the early 1940s to the late 1980s, typically playing working class parts such as barmaids, secretaries and landladies. Stone appe ...

as Theresa's Secretary

Production

The film was produced by

Maurice Ostrer Maurice Ostrer (1896–1975) was a British film executive. He was best known for overseeing the Gainsborough melodramas. He was head of production at Gainsborough Studios from 1943–46. He resigned from the studio in 1946 after a disagreement wi ...

who moved into independent production after leaving

Gainsborough Pictures Gainsborough Pictures was a British film studio based on the south bank of the Regent's Canal, in Poole Street, Hoxton in the former Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch, north London. Gainsborough Studios was active between 1924 and 1951. The com ...

. He set up his own company, Premier Productions, and made the film in association with R. J. Minney and

Leslie Arliss Leslie Arliss (6 October 1901, London – 30 December 1987, Jersey, Channel Islands) was an English screenwriter and director. He is best known for his work on the Gainsborough melodramas directing films such as ''The Man in Grey'' and ''The Wi ...

who had all collaborated on ''

The Wicked Lady ''The Wicked Lady'' is a 1945 British costume drama film directed by Leslie Arliss and starring Margaret Lockwood in the title role as a nobleman's wife who becomes a highwayman for the excitement. The film had one of the top audiences for a f ...

''. Filing started in August 1947. It was shot at MGM's British studios. The cast includes Australian Patti Morgan, who Ostrer put under a seven-year contract.

Reception

Critical

Reviews were very bad. The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' wrote that "the film is over-exaggerated in every detail and will appeal only to the very unsophisticated." ''Variety'' said Ostrer "forgot that recent successful mellers leaned on stars for clicks with this 'first independent production. He boasts that the team that made his "Wicked Lady" has turned out this picture, but he has no James Mason and no Margaret Lockwood to carry the burden of an ill- written, corny script., Instead, he has comparative newcomers, who unfortunately do not merit leads in an ambitious picture. Its boxoffice prospects are dim. It would be a waste to export it to America."

Box office

The movie was not a financial success and led to Maurice Ostrer quitting the film business for good. He cancelled plans to make a film ''Wild Marriage'' and dropped eight artists who he had under contract. The careers of Leslie Arliss and Beryl Baxter never recovered either.Maurice Ostrer
at

BFI Screenonline Screenonline is a website about the history of British film, television and social history as documented by film and television. The project has been developed by the British Film Institute and funded by a £1.2 million grant from the National Lot ...

References

External links

* *
Review of film
at ''Variety'' * 1948 films 1940s historical films British historical films Films directed by Leslie Arliss British black-and-white films Films set in France Films set in the 19th century Cultural depictions of Napoleon III Second French Empire 1940s British films {{1940s-UK-film-stub