This enjoyable pre-Hays Code and meagrely budgeted romantic melodrama benefits from a crisply composed screenplay from Mary Flannery, that the first (and only) time director and veteran character actor Alphonse Martell proves to be adept at employing for his expositional development, in this instance a Parisian background, that parries anything smacking of reality, thereby revealing pleasures that lie within the narrative. Suzanne Ricord (Madge Bellamy), a shopgirl working at a tony Paris perfumer's, there meets, subsequently to be wooed by, wealthy Count Balraine (Theodore Von Eltz), who soon after decides against continuing his romantic relationship with the beautiful blonde and seizes from her very finger their engagement ring, not being even slightly moved by her attendant dismay, crushing Suzanne who is impelled by his harsh act to take employment at a cabaret theatre as a singer while also, along with her similarly embittered roommate Paulette (Molly O'Day), becoming "gigolettes", flirting with and taking pecuniary advantage of susceptible cabaret patrons who have fallen for the charms of the two girls despite their manifest golddigging deportment. Suzanne befriends a fancy man habitué of the night spot, Tony (Gilbert Roland), who has fallen in love with her although she is primarily interested in using him to earn revenge against Balraine for his callous treatment, the Count having presented her former ring to serve as adornment for the hand of a new conquest, worldly and somewhat cynical Lady Diane (Natalie Moorhead), who as it happens is now enamoured of the seductive Tony. The gigolo aids Suzanne with her scheme of requital, aspiring thereby to win her heart, but it becomes apparent that she is completely obsessed with retribution, focused upon returning the Count's statement made to her during their break-up that their sudden separation was according to "the rules of the game", and although she does give to Tony an expensive wrist watch that she has garnered from one of her admirers, it proves to be stolen property, and becomes a linchpin for the tale's climactic episode. The cast performs well with Flannery's script, Bellamy additionally exhibiting a solid command of her light soprano range during one song number at the cabaret, while many able turns may be enjoyed, particularly from Roland, Von Eltz, sardonic O'Day and Moorhead, along with a large number of supporting players. Both the platinum tressed Moorhead and the natural blonde Bellamy exhibit attractive marcelled waves, the former gaining the acting as well as coiffure honors with a typically sophisticated interpretation of her role. Released upon an Alpha Home Entertainment DVD in 2007, the film has not been remastered, as is standard operating procedure for the company, and there are no extra features. The work's visual quality is fine, but the audio track often slides out of synchronization.
5 Reviews
Three Behind the Counter make sure the rent gets paid.
mark.waltz17 August 2013
Warning: Spoilers
A neat little pre-code B film drops all sorts of insinuations about the well-dressed young people who frequent a posh Parisian night spot. In fact, the film drops as many hints about the men as it does the women, tying two of them romantically in spite of the fact that the suave Gilbert Roland is engaged to the wealthy Natalie Moorehead. There's a scene where Roland is eyed hungrily by a group of women of various ages. This is followed by a scene where a heavy-set dowager receives the bill and her young date is shocked by whom she leaves with. A subplot involving the theft of a valuable watch over-shadows much of the film but never allows you to forget what the leading characters do for a living.
flapper & friend get caught up in their schemes
ksf-223 March 2010
Well, the sound production and lighting sequences are so crappy, I thought for SURE it was one of the first talkies, but no, it was actually made in 1933... although we DO see alcohol being served; they were probably in a speak-easy for those scenes, since prohibition wasn't repealed until the end of 1933. About half the actors listed here in IMDb don't have a matching character name listed, so it must be a seldom-seen, little-known film. The story revolves around "Suzanne" (Made Bellamy) and her friend Tony (Gilbert Roland). She is determined to get back at Balraine,(Theodore von Eltz) who gave her a ring, then dumped her for another, and many others. They bump into another woman, who seems to be Madame Balraine, and she will be used to help them get revenge on Balraine. It's a shortie, at only 64 minutes (61 minutes on the Genius Entertainment DVD collection,. which I got from Turner Classics). Apparently, this was the ONLY film Alphonse Martell wrote & then directed ... he had acted in 240 films prior to this one. The story is OK, the acting is so-so, and the scenes jump ahead here & there, so its probably a case of poor/lost film quality, rather than editing. Interesting history at Wikipedia.org explaining how theater/distributor Majestic Pictures was later merged into Republic Pictures. Not a bad rental, but I wouldn't miss the the ball game for this one. More of a study of the history of the times than anything else.
Decent...but hard to love.
planktonrules18 April 2019
"Gigolettes of Paris" is a film about a couple people (Madge Bellamy and Gilbert Roland) who essentially are parasites....folks who kiss up to rich folks and live off the gifts these men and women give them. The film unrealistically portrays the relationships as more fraternal and non-sexual...something I had a hard time believing. Additionally, the characters (particularly Bellamy) really are NOT nice people....and it made enjoying the movie quite difficult. So, while the acting was fine and it was technically competent, it was also a bit tedious as a result of the strange plot and characters.
A Beautiful Sophisticated Pre-Code Gem of a Comedy
jayraskin115 May 2010
Warning: Spoilers
This film is about a single ring that ends up in the possession of no less than six characters in the film. The sudden and surprising shifts in possession of the ring mark the shifts in fortune of the characters.
This film beautifully illustrates the Marxist idea that people are turned into commodities under capitalist relationships. There is a beautiful montage sequence in a nightclub where the camera cuts to a series of wealthy men trying to entice beautiful singer Suzanne (Madge Bellamy) over to their tables. It is shortly followed by a montage of wealthy women trying to entice handsome gigolo Tony (Gilbert Roland) over to their tables. They are simply not people but objects to be bid on.
The movie playfully follows the exchange of sexual favors for jewels, furs and money among the rich of Paris. It also shows how this is treated as a game, something of no consequence. Beautiful people are commodities to be bought and sold, just as the perfumes, rings, bracelets and necklaces are in the shops of Paris.
The movie does not object or moralize about this. Like the great Brechtian work it is, it simply teaches and sarcastically comments. Note the montage near the end when Suzanne looks at the different jewels that see has collected and sees the faces of the men who gave each me to her. The men have been transformed into jewelry for her. Man as become a thing, the final result of capitalist commodity production. The gorgeous and natural acting cast was directed by Alphonse Martell. This was his only movie. This is sad as he shows great talent and a terrific visual sense. Martell appeared in over 100 uncredited roles as a Frenchman over the next 35 years after this film.
This is one of only 12 sound roles for silent film star Madge Bellamy, who is delightful, making a totally believable transition from naive shop-girl to high class courtesan. Fans of "White Zombie" will enjoy seeing her here. Mary O'Day as Paulette also seems to be having a great time in her role as the female buddy/sidekick. Natalie Moorehead has the best line in the film, "I was through with you before we started." It indicates that she never took Albert seriously as a love and was just playing with him.
This film is before the horrible Hollywood Hayes moral code. It is hard to see the Hayes code allowing the sexual playfulness and happy ending for our gigolos and gigolettes that we find here. One can only wonder at how many more naturalistic and joyful movies Hollywood would have produced if not for the tyrannical straight jacket of the damn Hayes codes. May it never come again.
This film beautifully illustrates the Marxist idea that people are turned into commodities under capitalist relationships. There is a beautiful montage sequence in a nightclub where the camera cuts to a series of wealthy men trying to entice beautiful singer Suzanne (Madge Bellamy) over to their tables. It is shortly followed by a montage of wealthy women trying to entice handsome gigolo Tony (Gilbert Roland) over to their tables. They are simply not people but objects to be bid on.
The movie playfully follows the exchange of sexual favors for jewels, furs and money among the rich of Paris. It also shows how this is treated as a game, something of no consequence. Beautiful people are commodities to be bought and sold, just as the perfumes, rings, bracelets and necklaces are in the shops of Paris.
The movie does not object or moralize about this. Like the great Brechtian work it is, it simply teaches and sarcastically comments. Note the montage near the end when Suzanne looks at the different jewels that see has collected and sees the faces of the men who gave each me to her. The men have been transformed into jewelry for her. Man as become a thing, the final result of capitalist commodity production. The gorgeous and natural acting cast was directed by Alphonse Martell. This was his only movie. This is sad as he shows great talent and a terrific visual sense. Martell appeared in over 100 uncredited roles as a Frenchman over the next 35 years after this film.
This is one of only 12 sound roles for silent film star Madge Bellamy, who is delightful, making a totally believable transition from naive shop-girl to high class courtesan. Fans of "White Zombie" will enjoy seeing her here. Mary O'Day as Paulette also seems to be having a great time in her role as the female buddy/sidekick. Natalie Moorehead has the best line in the film, "I was through with you before we started." It indicates that she never took Albert seriously as a love and was just playing with him.
This film is before the horrible Hollywood Hayes moral code. It is hard to see the Hayes code allowing the sexual playfulness and happy ending for our gigolos and gigolettes that we find here. One can only wonder at how many more naturalistic and joyful movies Hollywood would have produced if not for the tyrannical straight jacket of the damn Hayes codes. May it never come again.
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