by Hal Erickson
synopsis
Maria Felix stars as La Belle Otero in this "fin de siecle" romantic melodrama. The story traces Otero's progress from unemployed Spanish dancer to the most famous, and most sought-after, courtesan in all of Paris. Though she romances many men, Otero never finds true love. On the verge of lasting happiness, she is the unwitting cause of the death of her most fervent lover. In true "Joan Crawford" fashion, the film demonstrates how Otero learns to manipulate men only after she has been misused and abused. Marc-Gilbert Sauvajon adapted the screenplay from the memoirs of the real-life Caroline Otero.
