The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954)

Charles returns to Paris to reminisce about the life he led in Paris after it was liberated. He worked on "Stars and Stripes" when he met Marion and Helen. He would marry and be happy ... See full summary »

Director:

Richard Brooks

Writers:

Julius J. Epstein (screenplay), Philip G. Epstein (screenplay),

Stars:

Elizabeth Taylor, Van Johnson, Walter Pidgeon

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Elizabeth Taylor	...	Helen Ellswirth
Van Johnson	...	Charles Wills
Walter Pidgeon	...	James Ellswirth
Donna Reed	...	Marion Ellswirth
Eva Gabor	...	Lorraine Quarl
Kurt Kasznar	...	Maurice
George Dolenz	...	Claude Matine
Roger Moore	...	Paul
Sandy Descher	...	Vicki
Celia Lovsky	...	Mama
Peter Leeds	...	Barney
John Doucette	...	Campbell
Odette Myrtil	...	Singer (as Odette)

Storyline

Charles returns to Paris to reminisce about the life he led in Paris after it was liberated. He worked on "Stars and Stripes" when he met Marion and Helen. He would marry and be happy staying in Paris after his discharge and working for a news organization. He would try to write his great novel and that would come between Charlie, his wife and his daughter.

---

Plot Keywords:

love | writer | party | reporter | death of wife | 

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 April 1955 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Damals in Paris

Filming Locations:

Cannes, Alpes-Maritimes, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is one of a handful of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer productions of the early 1950s whose original copyrights were never renewed and are now apparently in Public Domain; for this reason this title is now offered, often in very inferior copies, at bargain prices, by numerous VHS and DVD distributors who do not normally handle copyrighted or Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer material.

---

Goofs

Near the end of the film, when Helen is wearing the red dress, Charlie comes home drunk and puts the chain on the door. The chain is a lot longer than a normal door chain, at least 12 inches. When Helen comes home later and tries to get in, the chain is now much shorter. It's now the length of a normal door chain.

---

Quotes

James Ellswirth: Helen tells me that you're a very serious-minded man, hard-working, industrious.
Charles Wills: Well I try to be sir.
James Ellswirth: I tell you frankly, these were not the qualities I'd hoped for in a son-in-law.

---

Connections

Featured in A Century of Cinema (1994)

---

Soundtracks

"You Wonderful You"
(uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Played when Helen introduces Paul Lane to Mrs. Johnson at the party

User Reviews

Romantic drama about the troubled relationship between a war journalist and a feisty young girl

A successful writer ( Van Johnson) remembers about his love story with a gorgeous American girl ( Elizabeth Taylor ) in post WWII Paris . As we watch bright scenarios from Paris as the Arc of Triumph , river Sena , Cathedral of Notre Dame , promenade of Eliseos ; furthermore a horsemen race and Montecarlo car race , among others . Based on a semi-autobiographic novel titled ¨ Babylon revisited ¨ by F. Scott Fitzgerald who is well incarnated by Van Johnson and in which Helen played by Elizabeth Taylor represents Zelda , Scott's wife .

This interesting movie reminisces the love affair between a wealthy war reporter and a feisty young woman ; it packs romance , drama , and colorful scenarios . Good support cast as Donna Reed , Eva Gabor , Kurt Kasznar , John Ducette and Walter Pidgeon who steals the show as joyful and sponger father . Glamorous cinematography in glimmer Technicolor by Joseph Ruttemberg and adequate musical score .

The motion picture is professionally written and directed by Richard Brooks . He's an American filmmaker and screenwriter who won an Oscar for ¨ Elmer Gantry ¨ writings ; Brooks so consistently blended the good with average which it became quite impossible to know what to expect from him next . In the 50s , the harder his movies impacted , the more successful they were ; and the gentler they were , the less effective as ¨The last time saw Paris ¨ . Thus , the Brooks pictures that have the biggest hit in the 50 are the following : ¨Blackboard jungle ¨, ¨Something of value ¨ ¨The Brothers Karamazov ¨ , and in the 60s are ¨ Sweet bird of youth¨, Cat on a hot tin roof ¨, ¨In cold blood ¨ and ¨ The professionals ¨ ; in addition during the 70s a special mention to ¨ Bite the bullet ¨. Rating : : Good film that appeal to Elizabeth Taylor fans .