Does The Worst Woman in Paris? actually deserve the title?

You should probably watch this today if you have a soft spot for those old movies where the dialogue is fast and the hats are even faster. It is a good pick for anyone who likes a story about redemption that doesn't feel too preachy.

Action fans or people who need things to be relly gritty will likely hate it. It is very much a product of 1933, which means a lot of standing around and talking in very nice rooms.

The movie starts out in Paris and it feels like every single person there has nothing better to do than gossip. Peggy Vane is the target of all this talk, and honestly, she just seems like she enjoys a good party.

Benita Hume plays Peggy with this kind of *tired elegance* that I really liked. She looks like she has heard every joke in the world at least three times already.

Then you have Adolphe Menjou playing Adolphe Ballou. He is supposed to be the best-dressed man in Paris, and honestly, the suits in this movie are incredible.

The two of them have this weirdly mature relationship where they just decide they are bored. No big screaming match, just a "well, I guess we are done" vibe which felt surprisingly modern.

Peggy heads to America with her maid, Jeanine. I felt bad for Jeanine because she has to follow Peggy to Bridgetown, Kansas, which is a huge step down from Paris.

There is a train wreck scene that actually caught me off guard. For a movie from the early 30s, the crash feels pretty intense and chaotic.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Worst Woman in Paris? (1933) through its definitive frames.

This is where Peggy becomes a hero. She saves a baby, which is a bit of a cliché, but it works to get the town to love her.

She ends up staying with the Strong family. John Strong is a school headmaster and he is just so... wholesome. It’s almost annoying.

I noticed a small detail in the Strong house—the way the mother, played by Margaret Seddon, always seems to be hovering with a plate of food. It felt very real for a small-town mom.

Peggy starts to lose her "Parisian veneer" as the movie calls it. She starts liking the simple life, which reminded me a bit of the themes in The Girl Who Came Back.

John falls for her, but he is totally blind to his secretary, Mary, who clearly loves him. Poor Mary has that "I'm wearing glasses so I'm invisible" energy that old movies loved to use.

There is a scene where John talks about becoming a university president. He is so excited, but you can see the look on Peggy’s face—she knows her past will destroy him.

It is one of those moments where the movie stops being a light comedy and gets a bit heavy. I liked that the movie didn't try to make it easy for her.

The way she decides to leave is kind of heartbreaking. She finds out Adolphe lost all his money back in Paris and is now just a clerk.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Worst Woman in Paris? (1933) through its definitive frames.

She uses that as an excuse to tell John she has to go back to the man who "gave her everything." It’s a total lie to save John’s career, but it’s brutal to watch him hear it.

One reaction shot of John after she tells him the news lingers for just a second too long. It makes the moment feel a bit awkward instead of purely sad.

I did find it funny how the Mayor of Bridgetown shows up at the very end just to say thanks. Like, the timing was way too perfect 🚂.

The ending back in Paris is interesting. Peggy gives up her jewels to pay off Adolphe's debts.

They end up together, and the gossips are still talking! It shows that people will always find something to complain about, no matter what you do.

Some things I noticed:

• The lighting in the Kansas scenes is much brighter than the Paris scenes.
• Adolphe Menjou can say more with a mustache twitch than most actors can with a monologue.
• The baby Peggy saves is remarkably chill for someone who was just in a train wreck.
• Jeanine the maid has some great side-eye moments when they first get to Kansas.

It isn't a masterpiece like The Kid, but it’s got a lot of heart. The pacing is a little weird in the middle, especially when they spend a lot of time at the school.

I think I liked the Paris stuff more than the Kansas stuff. The dialogue there was just sharper.

Still, it’s a solid watch if you can find a good print of it. It makes you think about how much we let other people's opinions run our lives.

The movie doesn't really answer if she's the "worst woman," but it definitely proves she's not the most boring one. 🥂