Josephine Baker was an African-American entertainer who refused to be subject to secondary roles in America and instead became a star in France, becoming a starlet of the Jazz Age. She also appeared in a few films, and two of the most famous were Princess Tam Tam and Zou-Zou, recently released as a double bill from Kino Classics.
1935’s Princess Tam Tam has Baker as Bedouin beggar Alwina, who becomes the object of desire for the French writer Max (Albert Prejean). Albert takes Alwina back to Paris, where she becomes a sensation, much to the chagrin of Max’s wife Lucie (Germaine Aussey). Baker shines in every scene she’s in, whether she’s going to the opera or racetrack, yet the film suffers when Baker isn’t present.
1934’s Zou-Zou stars Baker as a servant in the circus. She pines for her foster brother Jean (Jean Gabin). Jean soon is falsely charged with murder, and Zou-Zou becomes desperate to find the money to hire a lawyer to dismiss the charges. She gets her chance by replacing a singing act on a stage revue and becomes an immediate success. Baker claimed this was her favorite of all her films.
These two films are largely remembered for Baker’s dynamic performances, and little else. Each contains memorable musical numbers, yet the plots become dull without her involvement. Fans of Josephine Baker will delight at the bonus features found throughout the new set. Both of the film’s soundtracks appear, as well as a trio of documentaries (The Films, The Performer, and The Woman) which examine her artistic life and career.
Josephine Baker managed to have a fulfilling creative life in a time when African-Americans were largely ignored, and these two films illustrate her talents. The set would be a great addition for anyone studying early 20th-century film history or the history of race relations in cinema. It would also work well for a library presentation on early African-American entertainers. Fim programmers should consider this title for Black History Month and Women's History Month.