Main Cast: Louise Brooks, Georges Charlia, Gaston Jacquet, Jean Bradin, A. Nicolle
Release Year: 1930
Country: FR
Run Time: 93 minutes
Plot
The French Prix de Beaute stars cult figure Louise Brooks as a nondescript typist for a Parisian newspaper. On a whim, Brooks submits her photograph to the Miss France Contest. To everyone's amazement--and her boyfriend Andre's (Georges Charlia) displeasure--she wins the contest, and is sucked into a whirlwind of photo ops and interviews at the Miss Europe contest in Spain. Here she is confronted by Andre, who angrily demands that she give up this foolishness and return home. But the lure of fame and fortune is much too strong, and before long Brooks has signed a movie contract. The heart-stopping tragic climax brilliantly juxtaposes the image of the dead Brooks with her "live" screen image. Not as highly regarded as Louise Brooks' German films for G. W. Pabst, Prix de Beaute nonetheless succeeds in terms of visual dynamics and the naturalness of the star's performance. Available in both sound and silent versions, the film never received a formal American release. Augusto Genina replaced the film's original director Rene Clair during the pre-production stages. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Prix de Beauté (UK title: Miss Europe) is a 1930 film directed by Augusto Genina. It is notable for being the first sound film made by Louise Brooks, and the first time she sang in a movie.
Plot
Lucienne Garnier (Louise Brooks) is a young and beautiful typist who later enters the Miss Europe beauty pageant, sponsored by the newspaper company that she is working for. Upon Lucienne's claiming the title of Miss France, her jealous lover Andre persuades her to withdraw from the competition, but he is too late. Lucienne heads for Spain to take part in the finals and, on the same day Andre proposes to her. Later, he is jealous when he sees a swarm of admirers gathering around her. At the end, Lucienne is in a theatre watching a film clip of herself singing a song, when she is shot and killed by Andre.
_film_poster.jpg)
