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.

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.