'Paris Interlude' is based on a play by S.J. Perelman and his wife Laura (nee Weinstein). Laura Perelman's chief claim to fame was that she was the sister of the grossly overrated cult author Nathanael West. S.J. Perelman is remembered for co-authoring two Marx Brothers movies and 'Around the World in 80 Days', for which he won an Oscar (which he used as a doorstop). In my opinion, S.J. Perelman is the greatest author in the history of the written word, but that greatness is conveyed in his brief humour pieces ('feuillettes', he called them) in the New Yorker magazine. Perelman's stage plays are negligible, and most of his screenplays are no better.
'Paris Interlude' takes place on the Left Bank of that city, but all the main characters are American expats with brittle sophistication. Julie Bell is attracted to Pat Wells, a genial toper who will probably never amount to anything. She realises she'd do better to marry Sam Colt, a macho war correspondent who lost his left arm during a previous assignment. When Colt goes off to cover the war in China (there's always a war in China), Julie stays in Paree to become a fashion reporter until Colt's return. She makes the acquaintance of Cassie Bond, a wisecracking clothes designer. (I'm astonished that any American would move to Paris to become a fashion designer, with any expectation of beating the French at their own game ... but plausibility is not this film's strong suit.) When Colt is reported killed in action, Julie reluctantly accepts a marriage proposal from Rex Fleming, a pompous golf pro.
The best things in 'Paris Interlude' are two supporting performances. Ted Healy shines as the wisecracking publican of the Brass Monkey, the American bar where all the expats soak up the atmosphere (among other things). The great character actor Edward Brophy is a notch below his usual standard as Ham Farnsworth, a befuddled Yank reporter whose editor has assigned him to go to Russia to cover the brilliantly successful five-year plan. Brophy's character seems to have been inspired by Walter Duranty, the N.Y. Times correspondent who won a Pulitzer Prize for his reports about the wonderful land reforms in the Soviet Union. It's now known that Duranty lied about genocides and famines in the Ukraine, and recently (as I write this) his Pulitzer was posthumously rescinded. But Duranty was a deliberate liar, whereas Brophy's character in this movie is just a poor sap who doesn't know what to believe. Still, he's funny. I wish I could say as much for Una Merkel ... who has never impressed me in any film, and who here does her usual turn (with her annoying voice) as the dame who's seen it all, dearie.
SPOILERS COMING NOW. It's no surprise that Colt's death turns out to be a false report. Meanwhile, Robert Young (as Pat Wells) shows up on Julie's balcony, stripped to his skivvies. This is one of those annoying movies in which the heroine turns down a reliable guy in favour of a happy-go-lucky jerk whose only assets are his good looks and a charming manner ... and we're supposed to approve her choice. Robert Young and dull Madge Evans are no good in the leads. Otto Kruger (an underrated actor) gives a good performance as Colt, but must contend with some bad camera angles as he tries to conceal the fact that he's a two-armed actor playing an amputee with one arm stuffed into his coat. Still, Kruger does a better job here (concealing his left arm throughout the entire film) than Wallace Beery did (also playing an amputee) concealing his right arm for two-thirds of "O'Shaughnessy's Boy".
I really wanted to like this film, due to my tremendous admiration for S.J. Perelman. But the best I can give 'Paris Interlude' is 5 out of 10. The biggest flaw in this movie is that - except for Ted Healy's bartender - there isn't a single character here whom I'd actually want to meet.
'Paris Interlude' takes place on the Left Bank of that city, but all the main characters are American expats with brittle sophistication. Julie Bell is attracted to Pat Wells, a genial toper who will probably never amount to anything. She realises she'd do better to marry Sam Colt, a macho war correspondent who lost his left arm during a previous assignment. When Colt goes off to cover the war in China (there's always a war in China), Julie stays in Paree to become a fashion reporter until Colt's return. She makes the acquaintance of Cassie Bond, a wisecracking clothes designer. (I'm astonished that any American would move to Paris to become a fashion designer, with any expectation of beating the French at their own game ... but plausibility is not this film's strong suit.) When Colt is reported killed in action, Julie reluctantly accepts a marriage proposal from Rex Fleming, a pompous golf pro.
The best things in 'Paris Interlude' are two supporting performances. Ted Healy shines as the wisecracking publican of the Brass Monkey, the American bar where all the expats soak up the atmosphere (among other things). The great character actor Edward Brophy is a notch below his usual standard as Ham Farnsworth, a befuddled Yank reporter whose editor has assigned him to go to Russia to cover the brilliantly successful five-year plan. Brophy's character seems to have been inspired by Walter Duranty, the N.Y. Times correspondent who won a Pulitzer Prize for his reports about the wonderful land reforms in the Soviet Union. It's now known that Duranty lied about genocides and famines in the Ukraine, and recently (as I write this) his Pulitzer was posthumously rescinded. But Duranty was a deliberate liar, whereas Brophy's character in this movie is just a poor sap who doesn't know what to believe. Still, he's funny. I wish I could say as much for Una Merkel ... who has never impressed me in any film, and who here does her usual turn (with her annoying voice) as the dame who's seen it all, dearie.
SPOILERS COMING NOW. It's no surprise that Colt's death turns out to be a false report. Meanwhile, Robert Young (as Pat Wells) shows up on Julie's balcony, stripped to his skivvies. This is one of those annoying movies in which the heroine turns down a reliable guy in favour of a happy-go-lucky jerk whose only assets are his good looks and a charming manner ... and we're supposed to approve her choice. Robert Young and dull Madge Evans are no good in the leads. Otto Kruger (an underrated actor) gives a good performance as Colt, but must contend with some bad camera angles as he tries to conceal the fact that he's a two-armed actor playing an amputee with one arm stuffed into his coat. Still, Kruger does a better job here (concealing his left arm throughout the entire film) than Wallace Beery did (also playing an amputee) concealing his right arm for two-thirds of "O'Shaughnessy's Boy".
I really wanted to like this film, due to my tremendous admiration for S.J. Perelman. But the best I can give 'Paris Interlude' is 5 out of 10. The biggest flaw in this movie is that - except for Ted Healy's bartender - there isn't a single character here whom I'd actually want to meet.