So Long at the Fair

Wonderful re-creation of the gai Paris of l'exposition universelle with its Eiffel Tower(which was to be destroyed after it,but they did not,certainly wisely).Superb atmosphere in "l'hotel de la licorne" where Cathleen Nesbitt impressed me with her perfect French (I thought she was French).There are probably too many people in Paris 1889 who speak English ,but Terence Fisher makes a welcome frequent use of the Victor Hugo language.

As for the story,it's an absorbing story of a gentleman who vanishes in the grand tradition of "the lady vanishes" but Jean Simmons's character,who's slowly believing she's losing her mind reminds me more of "Gaslight" (1940 and 1944).The scene with the balloon is a great moment:is -it really an accident? Who's behind all that?Spies?Thieves?Murderers?You'll be wondering during the whole movie and the ending,for once ,will not disappoint you:it's so unexpected that it's impossible to guess it .Excellent performances by the whole cast.