Movie Review: Paris - When It Sizzles

Paris - When It Sizzles
Richard Quine Productions, George Axelrod Productions, USA, 1964.

Movie producer Alexander Meyerheim (Noël Coward) is waiting for movie script from Richard Benson (William Holden). Richard is more interested in boozing up and chasing skirts. He gets a new secretary Gabrielle Simpson (Audrey Hepburn) who is a stunning linguist. There are only two days to write the script for movie "The Girl Who Stole Eiffel Tower."

Alexander Meyerheim

Richard

Gabrielle

Richard tries to make up the story while flirting with Gabrielle. The characters in the scripted story look surprisingly similar to them. The possible plotlines switch between agent story to campy vampire story and to caper story. Gabrielle begins to fall in love with Richard but does the middle-aged cynical drunk want to change his habits? 

Campy Dracula

Oh, Paris.

The film is a remake of "La Fête à Henriette." It is light as a cotton candy. This one I saw a long time ago and I remembered it to be better. The shaggy dog film is not William Holden's or Audrey Hepburn's brightest moment although both are charismatic as always. It is stylish and chic but suffers from overblown events and gets carried away with its own cleverness. Much of the film is about the fictional B-grade agent/caper meta-story. The film has some good and pioneering satire on Hollywood cliches and formulas and it also laughs at the minimalistic New Wave- cinema. There are many inside jokes about Hollywood and stars from Marlene Dietrich to Tony Curtis visit in small roles.  

Marlene Dietrich

Maurice / Philippe (Tony Curtis)

Part of The 2016 Movie Watching Challenge (#44. Classic romantic movie)

Rating: Average

Starring: William Holden, Audrey Hepburn, Grégoire Aslan, Raymond Bussières, Christian Duvaleix, Michel Thomass, Dominique Boschero, Evi Marandi, Noël Coward, Tony Curtis, Marlene Dietrich, Mel Ferrer, Orestis Ganakis, Henri Garcin, Frank Sinatra

Director: Richard Quine