La revue des revues

La Revue des Revues presents itself as the lighthearted odyssey of Gabrielle, an earnest young chorine whose ambition and timely intervention transform a music hall publicity stunt into her unexpected ascent as Parisian nightclub royalty. Yet, this effervescent Cinderella story is, in truth, a mere gossamer veil. Its actual purpose is to serve as a vibrant, if thin, framework for an relentless parade of early 20th-century theatrical spectacle: a dazzling, often risqué, cavalcade of exotic dancers, precision showgirls like the Tiller’s Follies Girls, acrobats, and the mesmerizing danseuse russe Lila Nikolska. The film’s undeniable magnetic core, however, resides in the incandescent Josephine Baker. Her two show-stopping numbers are cinematic lightning, featuring a 'clownish backfield-in-motion Charleston shimmy' that, even today, remains an unparalleled display of raw, revolutionary energy and captivating stage presence.