A showcase for a unique artist
Josephine Baker was an American-born Black entertainer who refused to be relegated to the servile roles offered in American venues and worked mostly in France, where she headlined revues in the Folies Bergere in Paris, her skimpy costumes and spirited dancing becoming symbols of the Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties. She also starred in a few films. The most famous of these, “Princess Tam Tam” and “Zou-Zou,” are newly double-billed in a Blu-ray release from Kino-Lorber Classics.<br /><br />In “Princess Tam Tam” (1935), beautiful young Bedouin beggar Alwina (Baker) becomes the object of desire and inspiration for an idealistic French writer, Max (Albert Prejean). Max intends to write a book about molding the ragged girl into an alluring sophisticate dressed in the most elegant French fashions. He brings Alwina back to Paris, presenting her as an Indian princess, and immediately causes problems with his wife, Lucie (Germaine Aussey). To make her husband jealous, Lucie flirts with a Maharajah (Jean Galland). Against these romantic goings-on, the city becomes delighted with the free-spirited, sensual Alwina.<br /><br />This variation of the Pygmalion tale is slight, but it benefits from Baker’s electric presence. Running, jumping, or hopping on a moving automobile, she is a fearless physical performer with a child-like sense of humor, and delights in being introduced to new experiences, such as the opera and the racetrack. Whenever she’s on screen, the movie sparkles. When she’s offscreen, the picture sags.<br /><br />Director Edmond T. Greville, inspired by Busby Berkeley’s Hollywood musicals, stages an elaborate climactic production number with a revolving stage, outrageous costumes, African drummers, even a team of plate spinners. And yes, there are many overhead views of girls creating kaleidoscopic patterns on the floor. The number features Baker stripping off some of her clothing and performing a wild dance, driven by the steady percussive beat.  Earlier in the film, Baker, sitting at a bar, spontaneously sings “Under the African Sky.”<br /><br />“Zou-Zou” (1934) stars Baker as a Creole laundress brought up in the circus with her foster brother, Jean (Jean Gabin). He becomes a music hall electrician. She yearns for Jean, but he pursues her best friend. When Jean is falsely charged with a murder, Zou-Zou becomes desperate to raise money for lawyers to get the charges dropped. She gets the money by appearing on the stage, replacing a temperamental performer in a stage revue, and becomes an overnight star. This Cinderella tale was Josephine Baker’s favorite film.<br /><br />With its routine, flimsy plot, “Zou-Zou” has life only because of Baker’s charismatic performance. Her acting is only fair, but she makes up for that with her singing and especially her dancing, which adopts movements from contemporary dances while showcasing her unique style. A rehearsal scene is similar to one in “42nd Street.” As in “Princess Tam-Tam,” there’s a big production number, this one opening with two dancers sleeping in a gigantic bed. When the sheet is pulled back, dozens of chorus girls in revealing costumes stand up and start their routine. A huge comb is played like a xylophone and Baker, in glitter and feathers, swinging in a large bird cage, sings “Haiti” before diving into a line of chorus boys. There’s even a water ballet segment, reminiscent of the classic “By a Waterfall” number choreographed by Busby Berkeley.<br /><br />Josephine Baker grew up poor in St. Louis and moved to New York at the height of the Harlem Renaissance when she was 13. Through determination and drive, she achieved early success in the chorus lines of musical revues featuring Black casts, but it wasn’t until she emigrated to Paris in 1925 that her career took off. She achieved international stardom over the next few years. Opportunities in Hollywood films for Black performers in the 1930s were limited to supporting roles, usually as servants, so Baker’s success as a movie star is especially notable.<br /><br />Both “Princess Tam Tam”  and “Zou-Zou” were shot on black-and-white 35-millimeter film, finished photochemically, printed on 35-millimeter film, and released in the aspect ratio of 1.37:1 (the Blu-ray features an aspect ratio of 1.33:1). For “Princess Tam Tam,” picture quality is only fair, with scratches visible throughout, particularly during the opening credits, and many dirt specks. Scene transitions are either abrupt or use wipes, a common technique in 30s films. The big musical production number features varied, imaginative camera angles. Frame compositions tend to be long or medium shots, with few close-ups.  Outdoor locations are used liberally, giving the film a realistic grandeur absent from studio-bound Hollywood movies of the same period. “Zou-Zou” contains scratches throughout. Heavy black scratches mar the opening credits. Mostly shot on interior sets, the film captures the excitement of live theater. Baker’s appearance in the second half of each picture is chic and glamorous thanks to the make-up, hair, and costume departments.<br /><br />The soundtrack for both films is DTS-High Definition Master Audio 2.0 Mono. Dialogue is in French. Optional English subtitles in white appear at the bottom of the screen, making them difficult to read against light backgrounds. This is frustrating. A far better choice would have been easier-to-read yellow subtitles. Musical numbers lack depth and sound flat, failing to enhance the elaborate visuals. Baker’s speaking voice is light with a pixie-like quality. Her singing voice is high and plaintive. On the “Zou-Zou” track, there is an audible crackling sound.<br /><br />Bonus materials on the unrated Blu-ray release include 3 shorts about Josephine Baker, video tour, “The Fireman at the Folies Bergere” (short), piano performance by Steve Ross, and clips of Baker dancing the Charleston and recounting episodes of her life between scenes of “Siren of the Tropics.”<br /><br />“Princess Tam Tam” and “Zou-Zou” serve as introductions to Josephine Baker, who was never as popular in the United States as she was in Europe, and especially France. Her athleticism, exuberance, and bubbling energy along with a lusty love of life and a personality that nearly bursts from the screen, elevate pedestrian material to showcase a unique artist at her peak.
The movie title "Princess Tam Tam/Zou Zou," available on Movies & TV, has received an average rating of 4.6 from 41 reviewers. 
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 {"Genre": "Musical", "Contributor": "Albert Pr\u00e9jean, Pierre Larquey, Jean Gallande, Edmond T. Gr\u00e9ville, Josephine Baker, Marc All\u00e9gret, Ila Mecs\u00e9ry, Jean GabinAlbert Pr\u00e9jean, Pierre Larquey, Jean Gallande, Edmond T. Gr\u00e9ville, Josephine Baker, Marc All\u00e9gret, Ila Mecs\u00e9ry, Jean Gabin   See more", "Language": "French", "Runtime": "2 hours and 49 minutes", "Aspect Ratio": "1.33:1", "MPAA rating": "NR (Not Rated)", "Product Dimensions": "7 x 5 x 1 inches; 2.08 Ounces", "Director": "Edmond T. Gr\u00e9ville, Marc All\u00e9gret", "Run time": "2 hours and 49 minutes", "Release date": "February 8, 2022", "Actors": "Josephine Baker, Jean Gabin, Albert Pr\u00e9jean, Jean Gallande, Pierre Larquey", "Subtitles": "French", "Studio": "Kino Classics", "Number of discs": "1"}

Here is a brief synopsis of the title : In the 1930s, black performers were forbidden to steal the spotlight from white actors on the American screen. To circumvent this unwritten law, singer/dancer/comedian Josephine Baker accepted the invitation to work in France. The resulting films—Princess Tam Tam and Zou Zou—reveal what segregationist producers in the U.S. were afraid of: a confident, sexy, scene-stealing African American woman who spewed exuberance, expressiveness and raw charisma like an uncorked bottle of champagne. Princess Tam Tam is a Pygmalion-like comedy in which Josephine Baker stars as a mischievous shepherd girl who rises through society to become a pretend princess and the toast of Paris nightlife. Conceived as a vehicle for Baker, then among Europe’s most popular entertainers, Zou Zou was her debut talking film. In the tradition of 42nd Street, it tells the story of a talented Cinderella (Baker) who saves a show and becomes an overnight sensation. Features Josephine's poignant rendition of “Haiti,” sung while clad in feathers and swinging in a birdcage..