Innocents in Paris *** (1953, Alastair Sim, Margaret Rutherford, Jimmy Edwards, Claire Bloom, Peter Illing, Gaby Bruyère, James Copeland, Ronald Shiner, Claude Dauphin, Laurence Harvey) – Classic Movie Review 6571

A great vintage cast of seven British actors play assorted characters who catch the plane from London and spend a weekend in Paris. There they experience amorous and other adventures and kick up a few mild laughs in director Gordon Parry’s 1953 British romantic comedy adventure drama.

Alastair Sim delights as Sir Norman Baker, an economist facing up to the stubbornness of Russian delegate Panitov (Peter Illing), while Margaret Rutherford is a joy as the elderly lady painter Gwladys Inglott. James Copeland plays Glaswegian in his kilt Andy MacGregor, who finds love with a simple young French woman, Raymonde (Monique Gérard), Jimmy Edwards plays hearty Captain George Stilton who discovers an archetypal British pub and spends the entire weekend in it, and French comedy actor Louis de Funès appears as a taxi driver.

Ronald Shiner plays a Royal Marine bandsman called Dicky Bird, who enjoys a big night out, and Claire Bloom plays lovely young Susan Robbins, who finds romance with older Frenchman Max de Lonne (Claude Dauphin), who offers her a tour of Paris.

The city of Paris, as always, is a pleasure and the stars carry their familiar characters abroad to considerable effect, resulting in an easy-going, lightweight trip to the Continent. It packs a lot of stories into its 102 minutes.

Writer-producer Anatole de Grunwald’s unashamed screenplay makes the most of its stereotypical views of both Brits and foreigners. And Parry’s snappy and entertaining episodic comedy offers good innocent fun. Rutherford, Sim and Colin Gordon as the Customs Officer give the outstanding turns.

Also in the cast are Laurence Harvey, Christopher Lee, Louis de Funes, Frank Muir, Peter Jones, Richard Wattis, Mara Lane, Gregoire Aslan, Colin Gordon, Kenneth Cove, Reginald Beckwith, Alf Goddard, Philip Stainton, Bill Shine, Kenneth Williams, John Brooking, Jack May and Ivan Samson. Rutherford’s husband Stringer Davis appears as ever in one of her films, as Arbuthnot.

It is shot in black and white by Gordon Lang, scored by Josef Kosma and designed by Tom Goswell.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6571

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