Having built his career as both an actor and director of silent cinema with comedic short films starring his wildly popular Little Tramp character, Charles Chaplin confounded audiences when he followed up his first feature, The Kid, with a serious melodrama—sans the Tramp! A major departure from his previous output, A Woman of Paris centers around the title character (frequent Chaplin Studios actor Edna Purviance), who is betrayed by her lover and then cast aside by her would-be fiancé (Adolphe Menjou).

Applauded by the press but rejected by the public, then pulled from distribution by Chaplin himself, A Woman of Paris, with its influential, understated acting and deft storytelling, now stands as one of Chaplin’s greatest directorial achievements.

Director: Charles Chaplin (US 1923) 90 min