Sunday Showcase
Princess Tam Tam
Directed by Edmond T. Greville
Sunday, May 25, 1 pm
Free, first come, first served
“Irresistible…as of today the most enchanting new film in town.” —Vincent Canby, New York Times
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 film—Princess Tam Tam—reveals 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. Alwina (Josephine Baker) is discovered by a French aristocrat (Albert Prejean) while he is in Tunisia seeking inspiration for a new novel. He becomes infatuated with this innocent gamin and constructs a plot to polish her charms and bring her to Paris where he presents her to society as an Indian princess. 1935, France, 35mm, in French with English subtitles, 77 minutes.
Content consideration: Princess Tam Tam includes language and depictions of racial and sexist stereotypes. We encourage you to view scholar Terri Simone Francis’ conversation about her book, Josephine Baker’s Cinematic Prism, with Nina Collins on YouTube:
Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Brilliant Exiles: American Women in Paris, 1900-1939.
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