Madame la Presidente (1916)

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Anna Held, celebrated Ziegfeld Follies beauty and former wife of entrepreneur Flo Ziegfeld, made her one and only film appearance in the Morosco production Madame La Presidente. Based on a popular French stage farce which previously served as a vehicle for Fannie Ward, the film casts Held as Mlle.… More Anna Held, celebrated Ziegfeld Follies beauty and former wife of entrepreneur Flo Ziegfeld, made her one and only film appearance in the Morosco production Madame La Presidente. Based on a popular French stage farce which previously served as a vehicle for Fannie Ward, the film casts Held as Mlle. Gobelet, who through a series of unbelievable plot convolutions becomes president of a village magisterial board. She spends most of her term in office fending off the affections of former president Galipaux (Herbert Standing) and minister of justice Gaudet (Herbert Standing). As was often the case in comic confections of this nature, the plot is resolved in a hotel room, with plenty of door slamming and ducking in and out of closets. As often as possible, director Frank Lloyd bowed to the demands of his leading lady's devotees by offering Held in various states of deshabille. Most contemporary film fans will recall Anna Held via the Oscar-winning performance of Luise Rainer in the 1936 biopic The Great Ziegfeld. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi