Contemporary footage mixed with rare and richly evocative archival films, stock shots and stills give resonance to the stories of an extraordinary cast of characters: novelists and artists, musicians and journalists, rogues and sinners. Added to the mix are excerpts from feature films, married with the music of those remarkable times. What results is a richly drawn portrait of a time and place that helped define our century.

Paris: The Crazy Years

As Paris emerged from the hardship of the Great War, a wave of hedonism swept through the city. In the wake of deprivation, decadence flourished as Paris once again became the centre of modernity and creativity. The French call the interwar years "Les annees folles", the crazy years, and for those who could afford it, it was indeed a wild party. Censorship was minimal, women's bare breasts were an accepted part of an evening's entertainment and brothels were legal. The American dollar was much stronger than the Franc, and American expatriates indulged in all that the city had to offer. Back home prohibition and narrow mindedness reigned, but in Paris, champagne and ideas flowed.

Berlin: Metropolis of Vice

As Allied Europe recovered from the First World War, the turmoil in Germany was still raging. In the wake of defeat, extremist political groups sprang up and city streets became battle zones as the Left clashed with the Right. Out of this struggle emerged a new democratic state - The Weimar Republic. Censorship fell with the Kaiser and in the aftermath of war, Berlin shed its conservative past to become the "Babylon of the 20's".

Shanghai: Paradise for Adventurers

In the Twentieth Century, a handful of cities became legendary - and for a time in the twenties and thirties, there was one place known as the wickedest city in the world - it was Shanghai. For the Chinese, Shanghai meant openness and modernity - the Paris of Asia. For tourists, Shanghai was the whore of the East. The city became a standard port of call for adventurers from around the world and its star grew as a city of vice with everything for sale.

Originally broadcast on CBC in February of 2005

Nominated for a 2005 Gemini Award for Best Documentary Series