Zou Zou (DVD)
Directed by Marc Allegret
Pierre Languey
Marcel Vallée
Josephine Baker
Zou Zou was conceived as a vehicle for Josephine Baker, then among Europe's most popular entertainers. This was her debut talking film and a huge success in France upon its original release (and upon its 1989 theatrical re-release by Kino International). It is definitely Baker's show, despite the presence of Jean Gabin, who was himself on the brink of international stardom.
In the tradition of 42nd Street and other Warner Bros. backstage musicals of the period, the plot of Zou Zou concerns a star who walks out on her sugardaddy producer for true love, and a talented Cinderella (Baker) who takes her place, saves the show and is hailed as a new sensation opening night.
The film places Baker in several lavish production numbers in which she is sumptuously dressed and supported by a large chorus. But it is the poignant rendition of "Haiti" that remains indelible. Seated on a swing in an oversize birdcage, scantily clad in feathers like some exotic bird of paradise, she sings nostalgically for her Caribbean home and leaves a permanent record on film of her unique style and powerful charisma.
DVD Extras Include:
- "Josephine Baker: The Woman" (2005) Includes interviews with Lynn Whitfield (actress, The Josephine Baker Story), Margo Jefferson (New York Times theatre critic), Elizabeth Kendall (dance critic and historian) and Josephine Baker's adopted son Jean-Claude Baker.
- Video tour of Chez Josephine Jean-Claude Baker's culinary exhibition of rare Josephine Baker paintings and posters.
- Song Selections
- Stills Gallery
- Optional English subtitles
"I can't recommend it highly enough." - Leonard Maltin, ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT
"ELECTRIFYING! ...a great boisterous presence that irradiates the screen with arcs of eroticism..." - Michael Wilmington, LOS ANGELES TIMES
To read more about Kino Lorber Edu's terms of use and ordering information,
visit Kino Lorber Edu.
Related Products
Country: France
In Princess Tam Tam, a mischievous shepherd girl rises through society to become a pretend princess and the toast of Paris nightlife. Zou Zou tells the story of a talented Cinderella who saves a show... More
Country: France, U.S.
This entirely African American-conceived and produced ensemble drama is the result of a collaboration of a pair of pioneering Black artists: writer Ishmael Reed and filmmaker Bill Gunn, who wrote and... More
Country: France, U.S., U.S.
This entirely African American-conceived and produced ensemble drama is the result of a collaboration of a pair of pioneering Black artists: writer Ishmael Reed and filmmaker Bill Gunn, who wrote and... More
Country: France, U.S., U.S., U.S.
A deft, often chilling look at the unexploded dynamite of guard/prisoner relations, The Keeper is a searing psychological drama stunningly acted by Giancarlo Esposito (Do the Right Thing, Fresh,... More
Country: France, U.S., U.S., U.S., Germany
<span data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Douglas Sirk (All That Heaven Allows) would become synonymous with the 1950s American melodrama, but he was already reinventing the genre while working in... More
Country: France, U.S., U.S., U.S., Germany, U.S.
Romantic musical based on the life of Norway’s greatest composer, Edvard Grieg. More
Country: France, U.S., U.S., U.S., Germany, U.S., U.S.
Romantic musical based on the life of Norway’s greatest composer, Edvard Grieg. More
Country: France, U.S., U.S., U.S., Germany, U.S., U.S., U.S.
Once a week, a circle of lifelong friends meet to pay tribute to the past. But when life throws them a few unexpected curves, they happily discover the best times are still ahead! More
Country: France, U.S., U.S., U.S., Germany, U.S., U.S., U.S., U.S.
A talented trumpeter has to come to the aid of his manager and childhood friend and finds his world more fragile than he ever imagined. More
Country: France, U.S., U.S., U.S., Germany, U.S., U.S., U.S., U.S., U.S.
Semi-autobiographical portrait of a school teacher, her stubborn jazz musician husband and their five kids living in Brooklyn in 1973. More
Country: France, U.S., U.S., U.S., Germany, U.S., U.S., U.S., U.S., U.S., U.S.
In 1976, Drew (Larenz Tate) is a teenager who has trouble dealing with life after he accidentally sets his house on fire. His parents decide to go to Martha’s Vineyard to spend the 4th of July... More
Country: France, U.S., U.S., U.S., Germany, U.S., U.S., U.S., U.S., U.S., U.S., U.S.
In 1976, Drew (Larenz Tate) is a teenager who has trouble dealing with life after he accidentally sets his house on fire. His parents decide to go to Martha’s Vineyard to spend the 4th of July... More
Country: France, U.S., U.S., U.S., Germany, U.S., U.S., U.S., U.S., U.S., U.S., U.S., U.S.
Spike Lee's take on the “Son of Sam” murders in NYC during the summer of 1977, centering on the residents of an Italian-American Bronx neighborhood who live in fear and distrust of one... More
Country: France, U.S., U.S., U.S., Germany, U.S., U.S., U.S., U.S., U.S., U.S., U.S., U.S., U.S.
Spike Lee's take on the “Son of Sam” murders in NYC during the summer of 1977, centering on the residents of an Italian-American Bronx neighborhood who live in fear and distrust of one... More
“Bruno Dumont… rips furiously into the Internet-juiced mediascape in his new film, France.” –' @tnyfrontrow' //…' https://t.co/azCbRcbeR5'
RT' @FilmLinc': Bruno Dumont's FRANCE is tragicomic and deliciously ambivalent—a very 21st-century treatment of the difficulty of maintaining…
RT' @tnyfrontrow': Watched Bruno Dumont's France (opening this Friday) again, and this time it came in at a slightly different, and illuminat…
Bill Morrison’s latest cinematic meditation on the lost histories that endure on celluloid, The Village Detective:…' https://t.co/EdTspYfSCV'
RT' @kino_cult': Filmed in the California desert, THE FRONTIER (2015) weaves elements of classic noir, American western, and the hard-boiled…
RT' @GeekGabNews': Artistically innovative & emotionally gripping, #OrsonWelles classic #NOIR will be a visual treat, when #TouchOfEvil comes…
RT' @KLStudioClassic': Coming February 15th on 4KUHD and Blu-ray! Orson Welles' Touch of Evil (1958) 3-Disc Special Editions Loaded with Ext…
Thrilled to have George Schmalz join our team to oversee our ever-growing repertory library of 800+ films and conti…' https://t.co/sGoB5VzAkH'
RT' @kindertrauma': Made for TV horror is the foundation of my fandom so couldn’t pass up SCREAM PRETTY PEGGY(‘73) & THE VICTIM (‘72) from @…
RT' @filmsbyAmy': GODARD alert!' @KinoLorber' has a vast array. ' https://t.co/7zCAFJWEVq'' https://t.co/zqphXlNgaO'
General Inquiries
333 W. 39th St., Ste. 503
New York, NY 10018
Tel. (800) 562-3330
Fax. (212) 714-0871
Press & Media
For publicity assistance and press inquiries please contact us by emailing dninh@kinolorber.com or calling 212-629-6880.
Educational
Please visit our educational site at www.KinoLorberEDU.com
For assistance with educational orders, please contact us at:
Phone:212-629-6880
Fax: 212-714-0871
email: edu@kinolorber.com
