Program Series: The Sewing Circle: Sapphic Icons of Early Hollywood

Zouzou in 35mm preceded by Symphony in Black: A Rhapsody of Negro Life

Sun, Mar 24, 2024 | 2pm PT

Ted Mann Theater
Mar24 ZOUZOU SewingCircle3-banner

Zouzou Orphans Zouzou and Jean (Joséphine Baker and Jean Gabin) grow up in a traveling circus raised by Papa Melé (Pierre Larquey). When the circus dissolves, Jean grows to be a troublesome, dallying sailor; meanwhile, Zouzou harbors romantic feelings for her adoptive brother who is none the wiser. Developed as a star vehicle for Baker, who by this time was already a cultural phenomenon in France, Zouzou features musical numbers demonstrating her on-stage talents and charm. Contemporarily, Baker is embraced by the queer community for her unconventional life and her spirited personality.

DIRECTED BY: Marc Allégret. WRITTEN BY: Carlo Rim. WITH: Joséphine Baker, Jean Gabin, Pierre Larquey, Yvette Lebon. 1934. 92 min. France. B&W. French. 35mm. Print courtesy of Kino Lorber

Preceded by Symphony in Black: A Rhapsody of Negro Life This musical short features a 19-year-old Billie Holiday in her screen debut and offers slice-of-life segments of Black experiences set... to Duke Ellington’s composition “A Rhapsody of Negro Life.” Having only previously released a few singles, Holiday was a relative newcomer at the time of production.

DIRECTED BY: Fred Waller. WITH: Duke Ellington, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Barney Bigard, Billie Holiday. 1935. 9 min. USA. B&W. English. DCP.

Academy Museum film programming generously funded by the Richard Roth Foundation. 

Explore our current quarterly print Film Calendar and browse the archive.

Theater accessibility accommodations available upon request. Learn more about our accessibility initiatives.

Know Before You Go

  • Plan your Visit

    Location

    The Academy Museum and its theaters are located at 6067 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036

    Parking

    Self-parking, accessible parking, and electric vehicle charging options are available. See below for our parking structure information and view the parking page for further details.

    Ride-Share Drop Off

    Roddenberry Lane, entrance on Fairfax Ave.

    LACMA's Pritzker Parking Garage

    6000 W 6th St., Los Angeles, CA 90036, entrance on 6th St.
    5am–10pm
    $20 ($12 after 8pm entry) 
    Accessible spots on P1, adjacent to elevators
    EV charging stations on P1 and P2

    Petersen Automotive Museum Garage

    744 Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036, entrance on Fairfax Ave. or 8th St.
    6am–11pm
    $24 (first 15 min. free)
    Accessible spots on P1 only; no garage elevator
    EV charging stations on P1

  • Accessibility

    Audio Description

    For visitors who are blind or partially-sighted, audio description devices are available for some digital film screenings on a first-come, first-served basis. 

    Real-time audio descriptions are available for some performances upon request with at least three weeks’ notice, subject to the availability of describers. Email academymuseum@oscars.org to submit your request.

    Closed Captioning

    For visitors who are deaf or hard of hearing, in-seat closed captioning or descriptive audio-devices are available for some digital film screenings on a first-come, first-served basis. Please confirm availability at academymuseum@oscars.org before planning your visit. 

    Real-time captioning is available for programs upon request with at least three weeks’ notice, subject to the availability of captioners. Email academymuseum@oscars.org to submit your request.

    Please see our Accessibility page for complete information, including details on our Visual Description Tours, Calm Mornings, and Covid-19 policies.