Silent film star
Norma Talmadge's last film was the 100 percent all-talkie Dubarry. Adapted from the popular stage play by David Belasco, the film traces the life of notorious French adventuress Madame DuBarry, turning one of the most famous "kept women" in history into a sympathetic heroine. She becomes the mistress of King Louis XV (
William Farnum), but her heart belongs to handsome Duc de Bissac (
Conrad Nagel). About the only duke we don't meet in this picture is the Duke of Earl.
Norma Talmadge is visually perfect as DuBarry, though her effectiveness is diminished by her nasal, Brooklyn-esque speech patterns. She wisely opted for a fabulously wealthy retirement after this film, which was released in most markets as DuBarry: Woman of Passion (presumably for the benefit of those who didn't know that DuBarry was a woman). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide