Kiki

(1926) Kiki SILENT ROMANTIC COMEDY

Kiki (Norma Talmadge) acts like a kook who is naturally clumsy, with it's goal was it to live and marry the typical wealthy owner of a stage show. It happens to be the Ronald Coleman character as he plays, Victor Renal. Which if you can get past the first 30 minutes, since the other slapstick stuff was routinely old fashioned and rather predictable, than you might be able to make it the rest of the way. As some of the comedy bits is similar to other comedy stuff of that era, even though comedic giants such as Chaplin, Keaton and Harold Lloyd and other shorts...had done some of those comedic scenes better. The only difference with this movie as opposed to the others is that there is a story to be told here, with the slapstick serving nothing more but a backdrop.

Norma Talmadge, an actress who usually performed in melodrama during the 1910's and 1920's, displays her gift for comedy in "Kiki" (1926), a gift usually seen more often in the performances of her kooky sister Connie Talmadge ("Intolerance", "The Primitive Lover"). But Norma was a pro and could carry comedy off just as well as her sister (for example see Norma also in "The Social Secretary" (1916) for some witty moments).

"Kiki" starts off rather slowly and at first you are not sure you are going to like her character. She's a street kid who seems incredibly dumb, who lives alone but desires to get into the chorus line of a local show. Here she falls in love with incredibly handsome Ronald Colman, a tenor, and though she loves him instantly she puts off his advances by being silly and uncooperative. Through some really funny physical comedy the two eventually come together. Best part of the film is when Kiki pretends to be in a catatonic state just to be able to stay near her love. I was howling with laughter.

Kiki is definitely a worthwhile film to see if you are intrigued with the Talmadge Sisters. Too few of their films survive, but what does showcases enormous talent that should not be forgotten.

This is a delightful and very funny film starring Norma Talmadge, possibly at her best. She was a natural and vivacious comedienne, although she often played serious roles. As I pointed out in my review of THE SOCIAL SECRETARY (1916), she was a fine actress, and she played two roles instead of only one in THE FORBIDDEN CITY (1918, see my review). Immediately after this film, she switched tempo entirely and played the tragic Marguerite Gautier in the silent version of Dumas's CAMILLE, a role to be made famous later in the sound version with Greta Garbo. I wonder whether Talmadge's performance here as Kiki may have been inspired by the many performances of Clara Bow, who had made 32 films by this time. If so, the inspiration worked, and the Bow was successfully tied in a double knot just this once. Ronald Colman is superb and very much 'the Ronald Colman we know' in this film, despite not being able to hear his mellifluous voice. It needs to be stressed that this is not a film about the famous Kiki de Montparnasse of that era, even though it is set in Paris and this Kiki is, like the real Kiki, a lively scamp who came from total poverty as a waif. The film is based on the successful play KIKI, which did well on both Broadway and in London, by André Picard. Picard probably decided to call attention to his play by calling his character Kiki, knowing that it would arouse curiosity because of the notoriety of the real Kiki, and this worked. The film was remade in sound in 1931 with Mary Pickford in the lead, and she 'bombed', so they say, though I have never seen that version. It was remade again twice in 1932, in both cases with Anny Ondra in the lead, with two different directors, one filming in French and the other filming in German, but these films seem to be lost, and in any case there are no IMDb reviews of them. So Picard's amusing play was filmed four times in six years, and in three languages. In this version, George K. Arthur is very amusing as Ronald Colman's valet and butler, Adolphe. This film was directed by Clarence Brown, who later made such famous films as NATIONAL VELVET with Elizabeth Taylor (1944) and several films with Greta Garbo including ANNA KARENINA (1935) and MARIE WALEWSKA (1937). Earlier than those, he made ANNA Christie with Garbo in 1930, the same year made the terrible ROMANCE with Garbo, from which he wisely had his name removed, and he also made INSPIRATION with Garbo in 1931. That was three Garbo films in a row over those two years. The film he made just before KIKI was THE EAGLE (1925) with Valentino and immediately after KIKI, he made the famous FLESH AND THE DEVIL with Garbo and John Gilbert, which was when they began their famous love affair. Brown was one of the Hollywood Greats. It is thus not at all surprising that this film is lively, and often wonderfully funny. It was a First National Picture and has been restored from an old print, the negative obviously having been lost. This is a silent classic to be treasured.

On the streets of Paris, poor newspaper saleswoman Norma Talmadge (as Kiki) pines for debonair producer Ronald Colman (as Victor Renal). Encouraged by paperboy pal Frankie Darro (as Pierre), Ms. Talmadge spends her rent money on a new outfit and auditions for a position as chorus girl in Mr. Coleman's theater revue. She gets the job with some deception and performs on stage like Lucille Ball (likely in the audience), but makes audiences laugh. More importantly, Talmadge catches Coleman's romantic eye. However, he is engaged to blonde star Gertrude Astor (as Paulette Mascar)...

Superstar tragedienne Talmadge wisely shows her comic side in this first class success, produced with partner Joseph M. Schenck. They employed director Clarence Brown, photographer Oliver Marsh and amazing set artist William Cameron Menzies, to great effect. Comic servant George K. Arthur (as Adolphe) and veteran Marc McDermott (as "Baron" Rapp) contribute fine support. The unexplained relationship between Talmadge and young Darrow (he should have reappeared near the end) along with the "never been kissed" scene are meant to sell Talmadge as a teenager, which does not convince...

"Kiki" has been beautifully restored, and should hereafter be considered one of 1926's more important releases.

******** Kiki (4/4/26) Clarence Brown ~ Norma Talmadge, Ronald Colman, Gertrude Astor, George K. Arthur

Norma Talmadge plays the title role. Kiki is a goofy young Parisian lady who wants to join the chorus. Using her wits and a bit of trickery, she is able to become a chorus girl. Unfortunately, she's also a ditsy nut and soon loses her job. The boss (Ronald Colman) feels sorry for her, however, and he takes her home. Kiki is in love with him but his thoughts are for the diva of his company--a sophisticated and very demanding lady. Can Kiki manage to steal away his heart or is nice-guy Colman going to throw his life away on the diva? Norma is pretty good in this film but sometimes her character is a bit too goofy--making the humor a bit too broad. This is not a major complaint but prevents the movie from rising to the level of the best female silent comedies (such as Marion Davies in "Show People"). Enjoyable but slight.

By the way, since this is a Pre-Code film, there is some sexual innuendo you just won't see in post-1934 films. The most funny and bawdy is the bed bouncing scene--which you'll just have to see for yourself.