La Parisienne (1957)

Set against the picturesque springtime in Paris, the prime minister's daughter marries a buttoned down cabinet official, but when her new husband starts stepping out behind her back, the young bride takes of for the Riviera.

Director:

Michel Boisrond

Writers:

Annette Wademant (original scenario), Jean Aurel (original scenario)

Stars:

Charles Boyer, Henri Vidal, Brigitte Bardot

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charles Boyer	...	Le prince Charles
Henri Vidal	...	Michel Legrand
Brigitte Bardot	...	Brigitte Laurier
Noël Roquevert	...	Le docteur d'Herblay
Madeleine Lebeau	...	Monique Wilson
Fernand Sardou	...	Fernand le Barman
Claire Maurier	...	Caroline Herblay
Robert Pizani	...	Ambassadeur Mouchkine
Guy Tréjan	...	Le colonel d'aviation
Judith Magre	...	Irma
Harry-Max	...	L'ambassadeur (as Harry Max)
Marcel Charvey	...	Un mauvais garçon
Vera Talchi	...	Titine
Marcel Pérès	...	Le général (as Marcel Pérés)
Henri Cogan	...	Un bagarreur

Storyline

The President of France's daughter falls for her fathers attaché and asks to be his mistress. Instead he marries her and flies off on their honeymoon. On the honeymoon she meets the prince who makes friends with her. This leads to a scandalous trip to Nice. Did something go wrong? They both come back with a cold. Is it from swimming or an assignation? The husband is jealous. What's the truth?

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Taglines:

Bardot At Her Frankest! At Her Frenchest! At Her Funniest! In Her First BIG Picture!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French

Release Date:

16 December 1957 (France)

Also Known As:

La Parisienne

Filming Locations:

Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Paris 8, Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

$450,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Films Ariane, Filmsonor, Cinétel

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The airplane used is the Morane-Saulnier MS.755 Fleuret, a prototype French two-seat jet trainer designed and built by Morane-Saulnier. It failed to gain any orders but was developed into the larger four-seat MS.760 Paris. The one and only prototype was registered F-ZWRS, in the movie it is shown as F-WZRS.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Michel Legrand: I'll speak to the Prime Minister. Call me in two weeks.

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Alternate Versions

Being a French-Italy co-production, the film has two original titles: "La Parigina" in Italy, and "Une Parisienne" in France, spoken in Italian and French, respectively. The film premiered end 1957, and was dubbed in English for the international markets as "La Parisienne" early 1958. The official VHS and DVD releases (PAL system), from René Château are also titled "La Parisienne" but have the original French dialogue and English subtitles. The pre-title sequence was omitted from the video release, but it exists from an earlier TV broadcast.

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Connections

Referenced in What's My Line?: Two Mystery Guests: football player Raymond Berry; actor Charles Boyer (2nd appearance as mystery guest) (1958)

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Soundtracks

Paris B. B.
Written by André Hodeir, Henri Crolla and Hubert Rostaing
Sung by Christiane Legrand

User Reviews

Ooh la la

Male fantasy is turned up to 11 in this one. It's a sex farce that I confess to enjoying, despite the silliness and objectification, because dear god it's 1957, Brigitte Bardot is 23, and the film has such a fun French playfulness to it.

As you might guess, the film revolves around Bardot, and she is in so many scenes designed to titillate that it's comical. Let's see, there's the buxom, lusty secretary wearing a tight sweater, the girl sneaking up to a hotel to start an affair with no strings attached, the bride taking off her gown and walking around in lingerie, and the disinterested woman who can be aroused to passion with kisses on the back of the neck. She's also in a low cut red evening dress, trying to seduce another man into an affair by getting down on her hands and knees, later takes a bath, lifting her legs skyward out of the tub, runs around in a towel, and presents breakfast in bed in a shirt and apron. The object of her affections is played by Henri Vidal, and the man she pursues to make him jealous is 58-year-old Charles Boyer. He jets her off to Nice for a swim, so we see her emerging from the sea in a bikini, then dancing seductively with him in a small café.

Bardot is gorgeous and immortalized in this movie, even if it is over-the-top. I might have liked it even more for going all the way in its over-the-top-ness, if that makes any sense. There are countless shots which are just fantastic, including one in front of a set of mirrors, reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe in 'How to Marry a Millionaire". I did like the open acknowledgment of affairs, which is so very French, but how the film points out they have to be conducted in the right way, with sensitivity and decorum, and the jealousy that even then may arise. It's not high art, and it's definitely not politically correct, but ooh la la, this one is a guilty pleasure.