Prix de beauté
1930 Drama / Romance   
Director: Augusto Genina
Starring: Louise Brooks, Georges Charlia, Augusto Bandini, André Nicolle, Marc Ziboulsky


 
Summary
Lucienne, a typist working on a Parisian newspaper, decides to a enter a beauty contest, despite her boyfriend André’s fierce objections.  Having won the Miss France award, she sets off for the Miss Europe contest in Spain.  Success, stardom and film contracts inevitably follow – but at what price?

Credits
  • Director: Augusto Genina
  • Script: René Clair, Georg Wilhelm Pabst
  • Photo: Rudolph Maté, Louis Née
  • Music: René Sylviano
  • Cast: Louise Brooks (Lucienne Garnier), Georges Charlia (André), Augusto Bandini (Antonin), André Nicolle (Le secrétaire du journal), Marc Ziboulsky (Le manager), Yves Glad (Le maharajah), Alex Bernard (Le photographe), Gaston Jacquet (Le Duc), Jean Bradin (Prince de Grabovsky)
  • Country: France
  • Language: French
  • Runtime: 108 min; B&W
  • Aka: Beauty Prize; Miss Europe



More French Drama




More French Romance

 

Review
Prix de beauté was one of the last silent masterpieces, directed by Augusto Genina and scripted by René Clair (himself a great director).  Released at a time when sound films were becoming the norm, this film was largely overlooked and has only comparatively recently received the attention it deserves.

The film stars Louise Brooks in the role of the eponymous tragic femme fatale, a part that suits the beautiful young actress perfectly.  Despite her short film career, Brooks has the reputation of one of the icons of Twentieth Century cinema, thanks mainly to her part as Lulu in G.W. Pabst’s 1928 film Pandora’s Box.

© James Travers 2001



Write a review for this film...

User Comments
How do you rate this film?
  To buy this film...   

  


 


  Genre:
Decade:
Action     Comedy     Drama     Horror     Musical     Rom-com     Sci-Fi     Thriller     War     The best
1910s     1920s     1930s     1940s     1950s     1960s     1970s     1980s     1990s     2000s    
 


For the latest film releases on DVD...




HOTELS    |    FLIGHTS    |    HOLIDAYS    |    PROPERTY    |    JOBS