So This Is Paris *** (1954, Tony Curtis, Gloria DeHaven, Gene Nelson, Corinne Calvet, Mara Corday, Paul Gilbert) – Classic Movie Review 9774

Director Richard Quine’s vibrant if messy and cheap-looking 1954 Technicolor musical So This Is Paris has a trio of Yankee sailors, Joe, Al and Davy (Tony Curtis, Gene Nelson and Paul Gilbert), on furlough chasing after three mademoiselles, Colette, Suzanne  and Yvonne (Gloria DeHaven, Corinne Calvet and Mara Corday) in the French capital of amour.

The cast seems aware of the rather derivative nature of the enterprise, with a script borrowing ideas from On the Town and An American in Paris, and consequently performs with a general lack of enthusiasm. Even Curtis, in his only musical, fails to add the much-needed injection of star quality this sort of venture depends on, though he remains game and appealing. But Gene Nelson’s dancing and choreography are the standout.

However, the songs by Doris Sherrell [Pony Sherrell] (lyrics) and Phil Moody (music) are lively and likeable, and the Gene Nelson and Lee Scott-choreographed song-and-dance routines are bracing, though, with Calvet in particularly fine fettle. But the musical number honours go to DeHaven for her show-stopping rendition of ‘I Can’t Give You Anything but Love’ in French (music by Jimmy McHugh, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, French lyrics by Tanis Chandler).

Curtis recalled: ‘My one and only musical. I got good notices, but I never told Gene Kelly because I was afraid he might be jealous. One day I asked Gene what he thought of my dancing, and he replied, “Keep fencing”.’

Also in the cast are Allison Hayes, Myrna Hansen, Ann Codee, Roger Etienne, Christiane Martel, Regina Dombek, Arthur Gould-Porter, Michelle Ducasse, Maithe Iragui, Lucien Plauzoles, Numa Lapeyre, Lizette Guy, Jean De Briac, Rolfe Sedan, André Villon, and Marcel De La Brosse.

So This Is Paris is directed by Richard Quine, runs 96 minutes, is made by Universal International Pictures (UI), is released by Universal Pictures (1955) (US) and General Film Distributors (GFD) (1955) (UK), is written by Charles Hoffman (screenplay) and Ray Buffum (story), is shot in Technicolor by Maury Gertsman, is produced by Albert J Cohen, is scored by Henry Mancini, Herman Stein and Joseph Gershenson (music supervisor), with music by Doris Sherrell [Pony Sherrell], Phil Moody, Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields, production design by Alexander Golitzen and Eugène Lourié, and choreography by Gene Nelson and Lee Scott.

It was filmed far from Paris at Universal Studios, California. So This Is Not Paris then.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9774

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