The French Line ** (1953, Jane Russell, Gilbert Roland, Arthur Hunnicutt) – Classic Movie Review 8229

‘See Jane Russell in 3-D – She’ll Knock BOTH Your Eyes Out!’ ran the publicity for director Lloyd Bacon’s 1955 romantic comedy The French Line, a 3D Technicolor RKO Radio Pictures musical remake of their 1934 Miriam Hopkins hit The Richest Girl in the World, made at RKO Studios.

Alas, the American Production Code office made sure that things were pretty tame – the 3D version was not released in Britain – though the admirable Jane Russell as Mame Carson, a wealthy Texas girl looking for real love in Paris, gets to do a sexy hootchy-cooch dance clad in black satin. Mexico-born Gilbert Roland looks uncomfortable as the French beefcake, Pierre DuQuesne, the revue star hired to watch over Mame.

When the film flags, Mary McCarty’s wisecracks jolly it up, co-starring as Annie Farrell. Arthur Hunnicutt as ‘Waco’ Mosby and Rita Corday [Paula Corday] as Celeste also give the movie a lift.

The French Line has worn in nicely as a fun kitsch curio item from the Fifties, and Russell is a sparkling gem. Kim (then Marilyn) Novak appears fleetingly in her film debut as a model on the stairs.

Because of a censorship controversy over Jane Russell’s Looking for Trouble number, the film was briefly released without a Production Code seal. The US version with seal features a much tamer performance with little breast exposure, while the initial UK version cut the whole sequence.

It easy to understand why they advertised it as ‘J.R. in 3D. Need we say more?’ but much harder to comprehend ‘Songs as gay as champagne’.

Also in the cast are Craig Stevens, Steven Geray, Joyce Mackenzie, Scott Elliott, Kasey Rogers [Laura Elliot], Michael St Angel, Barbara Darrow, Barbara Dobbins, Fritz Feld, Bess Flowers, William Forrest, Louis Mercier, John Wengraf and Dolores Michaels.

The screenplay is by Mary Loos and Richard Sale, based on a story by Matty Kemp and Isabel Dawn.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8229

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