April in Paris (1952)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

David Butler

Writers:

Jack Rose (screenplay)
Jack Rose (story)

Release Date:

17 April 1953 (Denmark)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical

Tagline:

Sparkling as Champagne! The Year's Musical Eye-ful!

Plot:

Miss Ethel 'Dynamite' Jackson is a chorus girl who mistakingly receives an invitation from the State...

Plot Keywords:

Paris | Paris France | Diplomat | Festival | Showgirl

Cast

Doris Day	...	Ethel S. 'Dynamite' Jackson
Ray Bolger	...	S. 'Sam' Winthrop Putnam
Claude Dauphin	...	Philippe Fouquet
Eve Miller	...	Marcia Sherman
George Givot	...	François
Paul Harvey	...	Secretary Robert Sherman
Herbert Farjeon	...	Joshua Stevens
Wilson Millar	...	Sinclair Wilson
Raymond Largay	...	Joseph Welmar
John Alvin	...	Tracy
Jack Lomas	...	Cab Driver

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:Unrated | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Quotes:

Ethel S. 'Dynamite' Jackson: I don't care what I did last night and the night before that and the night before that, too. I'm gonna ring the bell tonight. I'm gonna ring the bell tonight. That's what I'm gonna do!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mary Tyler Moore: Divorce Isn't Everything (#1.4)" (1970)

Soundtrack:

I'm Going to Rock the Boat

When Doris sings "April in Paris" all is forgiven...

True, even for the breezy 1950s, the plot for this musical is as light as a feather--but if you are a DORIS DAY fan, as I certainly was during these early Day films at Warner Bros., you'll be enchanted by her way with a song--particularly "I'm Gonna Ring the Bell Tonight", "April in Paris" and "That's What Makes Paris Par-ee". And on top of that, she excels in all of her dance routines, even those in which RAY BOLGER clearly has the spotlight to himself.

It's one of those mistaken identity plots that Warners used extensively throughout the '40s and '50s, something about a showgirl being mistaken for a diplomat and mistakenly invited to represent the U.S. at a French festival. Naturally, all is straightened out in time for a happy ending although I can't say I detected any real chemistry between Bolger and Day--even in a musical where logic doesn't really matter.

The dances staged by LeRoy Prinz are not the best, but there are some cheerful, well staged moments when Bolger gets to do his tap routines and limber legged dancing. All in all, it passes the time pleasantly if you have a weakness for musicals the way they were in the '50s. And Doris proves that singing wasn't her only asset. Her dancing is also very professional (and not surprisingly, she intended to become a dancer before an accident ruined her plans and she switched to singing).