Princess Tam Tam (1935)

As you may have gathered by now, I will go out of my way to view rareties, hence my visit to the NFT to see this French flick starring the incredible Josephine Baker.  If ever a performer was in the right place at the right time, it was this Black American who was the toast of Paris in the 20s and 30s, mainly for her wild dance routines and her somewhat operatic voice.  However the films that she made, while they form a record of her singular talent -- such as it was -- come from Planet Weird.  In this one which was banned Stateside since it implies a multi-racial romance, she plays a Tunisian goatherd (would you believe) who is tutored by a vacationing author to make his feckless wife jealous.  The fact that Baker was 31 at the time with a sophisticate's make-up did not stop the film-makers here trying to portray her as some sort of street urchin.  This Pygmalian-like tale has its moments but as a showcase for Miss Baker, it leaves a great deal to be desired.  Since it was conceived and written by her husband of the time, she can't really blame anyone else for some of the idiocies inflicted upon her.  One has a long wait before seeing her dance routines, but there are compensations, particularly with an elaborately-staged production number that wouldn't have shamed Busby Berkeley (not that she was in this one).  I'm happy to have seen this film, but wouldn't break my neck to see another of her vehicles.