Zaza *** (1938, Claudette Colbert, Herbert Marshall, Bert Lahr) – Classic Movie Review 8715

Director George Cukor’s 1938 musical romantic drama Zaza stars Claudette Colbert, who puts new life into the old theatrical workhorse story about the 1900s French vaudeville singer Zaza (Colbert) who has a sad love affair with a married aristocrat Dufresne (Herbert Marshall) and goes on to become a star.

Zoe Atkins adapts Pierre Berton and Charles Simon’s play, which was already filmed as far back as 1909 and 1915, and notably in 1923 with Gloria Swanson.

Claudette Colbert performs three songs by Frederick Hollander (music) and Frank Loesser (lyrics) engagingly, helped no doubt by Fanny Brice’s coaching. Bert Lahr as Cascart (in his film before The Wizard of Oz) and Herbert Marshall are assets, bringing respectively the real smell of greasepaint and polished touch of class.

Originally cast star Isa Miranda retired injured but did a version of the same play in Italy four years later.

Also in the cast are, Constance Collier, Helen Westley, Genevieve Tobin, Walter Catlett, Ann E Todd, Rex O’Malley, Ernest Cossart, Rex Evans, Robert C Fischer, Janet Waldo, Dorothy Tree, Duncan Renaldo, Olive Tell and John Sutton.

Zaza is directed by George Cukor, runs 83 minutes, is made and released by by Paramount Pictures, is written  by Zoe Atkins, is shot in black and white by Charles Lang Jr, is produced by Albert Lewin, is scored by Frank Loesser and Frederick Hollander [Friedrich Hollaender] and designed by Hans Dreier and Robert Usher, with songs by Frank Loesser and Frederick Hollander. LeRoy Prinz stages the musical numbers, Boris Morros is musical director, and the costume design is by Edith Head. Alla Nazimova is production consultant.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8715

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