Editor Reviews:

Description:
Cinema immortal Charles Chaplin brings his talents to both sides of the camera in this deluxe double feature. The comedy king gives American pop culture and politics the royal treatment in the satiric, penultimate Chaplin film A King in New York. Advertising, movies, TV, rock music, celebrity and more are in Chaplin's comic sights as he portrays a deposed European monarch who becomes a U.S. media sensation. The acclaimed Silent-Era classic A Woman of Paris is Chaplin's first drama (a genre he visited again in Limelight). Directing with keen-eyed finesse and appearing in only a bit role, Chaplin jabs at French high society while telling a tale of tragic love. The early Chaplin. The later Chaplin. A remarkable genius infuses both in this special collector's compilation.

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A King in New York
A King in New York, Charlie Chaplin's penultimate film--featuring his final starring performance--was made in 1957 but wasn't officially released in America until the '70s, when it, surprisingly enough, won an Oscar for Chaplin's score. What took so long? Thanks to his politics and unorthodox personal life, Chaplin was pretty roundly hated by the late '50s, but had the movie been better, someone might've brought it stateside sooner. Chaplin plays King Shahdov of Estrovia, on the lam when revolution grips his homeland. In New York, despite the occasional indignity, he's treated as royalty until he takes a stand against the commie-hunters, a plotline that hit way too close to home at the time (Chaplin, remember, was ahead of everyone in attacking Hitler when he made The Great Dictator). There's one inspired bit, as Shahdov orders dinner over the din of a supper club, but overall, the satire is strident, and Chaplin's takes on such things as technology and pop music make him look decidedly like an old fogey. --David Kronke

A Woman of Paris
At the height of his popularity, Charlie Chaplin chose to make a straight dramatic feature--without himself in a starring role. The plot of A Woman of Paris is perhaps not new: after a tragic misunderstanding, a small-town girl (former Chaplin paramour and longtime co-star Edna Purviance) goes to Paris and becomes the mistress of a rich playboy (Adolphe Menjou). But if the outline is familiar melodrama, the film still looks remarkable for its measured, adult attitude toward its characters; they are not black or white, but complicated, sophisticated shades of gray. Menjou, in particular, is a charming and thoroughly delightful cad. The film's matter-of-fact spirit on the subject of how adults conduct their sexual lives is also impressive. Critics loved the picture, but audiences did not, and Chaplin soon returned to comedy. He can be glimpsed, disguised, in a one-scene walk-through as a clumsy train porter. --Robert Horton

Rating : - Too Little Too Late
Of the two movies in this DVD, "A King in New York" is clearly the better one. There were moments in it when I laughed out loud. They mainly occurred during Chaplin(the King)'s exploration of New York City. The previews at the movie theater and his experience at the night club were, I suppose, Chaplin's comments on how the Arts had commercialized themselves. There were a few other jokes in reference to advertizing that worked fairly well. However, the movie eventually revealed its' purpose as a condemnation of the Rosenberg Trial (Wow, I didn't see that one coming). Chaplin gave an acceptable performance and I came away reasonably glad that I had seen it. No need to watch it again, though.

The second film in the DVD, "A Woman of Paris" was made about 30 years earlier. It did not star Charlie Chaplin (who DID direct it) and there was even a disclaimer in this silent movie that clarified that Mr. Chaplin would NOT be appearing in the movie. This was a reasonably well-made story of the innocent young beauty whose circumstances led her down the wrong path. It is Not a comedy. In fact it's rather tragic although it ends with an upbeat message. The actors were unknown to me except for Adolphe Menjou who seems to have made a career of being a supporting actor. The director obviously meant to create an emotional story. However, Chaplin the actor was far better at creating emotions than was Chaplin the director. Chaplin the actor could create a story with little, if any, dialogue. Chaplin, the director, needed a lot of dialogue cards to set the stage and enhance the story. Chaplin directed himself to much success. That's because he had better talent to work with than he did in "A Woman of Paris".