It is fascinating to consider the two leads of this film in terms of their movie and stage success. Doris Day became one of the biggest popular singers of her day, and then got a nice contract from Warner Brothers. Her image as the perpetually beautiful virgin who is your next door neighbor got pushed into our faces with films like ON MOONLIGHT BAY and TEA FOR TWO. But they were good films. The public never quite realized her good straight acting in films like LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME or THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH.
Bolger was in films from the 1930s, but performances (even good ones) in films like ROSALIE were forgotten. Instead he lucked out early at MGM with the "Scarecrow" in THE WIZARD OF OZ, a role nobody who saw it ever forgot. He did well enough in the 1940s, but his best film (again with Judy Garland - THE HARVEY GIRLS) while showing him to advantage is just not as memorable. Bolger went back to Broadway, did WHERE'S CHARLIE - a tremendous popular hit, and then was lucky enough to get his performance on celluloid in the film version. He should have taken off. Instead, he makes this film - again a nice one - and does very little other films afterward (most notably the Disney version of BABES IN TOYLAND). A great dancer and entertainer but with two first rate performances on film he never got real film stardom.
APRIL IN Paris was a decent musical for 1952, but as a follow-up to WHERE'S CHARLIE it lacks a degree of snap. WHERE'S CHARLIE was based on a classic English farce, CHARLIE'S AUNT, so it was really tried material that usually works The script for APRIL IN Paris was based on the Vernon Duke number that is a standard. But the rest of the score was not up to that standard, although a song and dance number that Day and Bolger do together in the galley of the French ocean liner ("I'm Going'to Ring the Bell Tonight!") is tuneful and bouncy. A later song between Claude Dauphin and Doris Day was also quite pleasant regarding Day's reaction to being in Paris. But neither of the latter two songs have ended up in the American songbook.
The script is actually fairly typical for the period. Bolger is a rising figure in the State Department, who is engaged to Eve Miller (the daughter of Paul Harvey, Bolger's boss). Bolger has set up an international cultural festival in Paris wherein America would have Ethel Barrymore representing us. But by one of those ridiculous errors that are used to stimulate the plots of comedies (usually they can be explained away by simply owning up to them), the invitation is sent to chorus girl "Dynamite" Jackson (Day). Bolger tries to get it back but he is slowly attracted to Day. Still he has a difficult time convincing Harvey to replace Barrymore with Day to impress the French about our love of fun.
(I was thinking about how within a couple of years Day appeared in YOUNG AT HEART with Barrymore - it might have been interesting to have the famous actress appear for a scene or two reacting to this silly error.)
Bolger is trying to balance between his career in the diplomatic service (which may lead to a political career) and his growing affections for Day (who is against the straight jacket approach of American Diplomacy forced down her throat by Harvey). Complicating matters is the side antics of Claude Dauphin, who has to sneak back to France because of a diplomatic problem that Bolger would not help him with - Dauphin is working as a steward on the ocean liner, and is unwilling to keep quiet with the crew or with the passengers, including Doris.
Eventually Bolger and Day decide to be married by the Captain of the ship, and Dauphin is their witness. But the Captain is a fraud, and so is the marriage. So Dauphin has to sabotage the wedding night as the nice Day and prickly Bolger are not legally entitled to sleep together. It is quite silly, but it has some amusing moments when Harvey shows up and threatens Bolger to face up to his career responsibilities or face the end of his career. Harvey reading the diplomat's rule book to Bolger under an umbrella in a flooding cabin (don't ask) is a sight to see!
It ends satisfactorily. But it is not as good as WHERE'S CHARLIE was, and as a result it was not a good follow up to that film. Maybe if Bolger's follow up had been his "Barnaby" in BABES IN TOYLAND the film career problem would have been settled more satisfactorily.
I have known only one person in my life who went far in the State Department. He was the smartest fellow in my high school graduating class, and he would rise to the post of Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs. He still is a rather big wheel in his current job. I dedicate this review to him.
Bolger was in films from the 1930s, but performances (even good ones) in films like ROSALIE were forgotten. Instead he lucked out early at MGM with the "Scarecrow" in THE WIZARD OF OZ, a role nobody who saw it ever forgot. He did well enough in the 1940s, but his best film (again with Judy Garland - THE HARVEY GIRLS) while showing him to advantage is just not as memorable. Bolger went back to Broadway, did WHERE'S CHARLIE - a tremendous popular hit, and then was lucky enough to get his performance on celluloid in the film version. He should have taken off. Instead, he makes this film - again a nice one - and does very little other films afterward (most notably the Disney version of BABES IN TOYLAND). A great dancer and entertainer but with two first rate performances on film he never got real film stardom.
APRIL IN Paris was a decent musical for 1952, but as a follow-up to WHERE'S CHARLIE it lacks a degree of snap. WHERE'S CHARLIE was based on a classic English farce, CHARLIE'S AUNT, so it was really tried material that usually works The script for APRIL IN Paris was based on the Vernon Duke number that is a standard. But the rest of the score was not up to that standard, although a song and dance number that Day and Bolger do together in the galley of the French ocean liner ("I'm Going'to Ring the Bell Tonight!") is tuneful and bouncy. A later song between Claude Dauphin and Doris Day was also quite pleasant regarding Day's reaction to being in Paris. But neither of the latter two songs have ended up in the American songbook.
The script is actually fairly typical for the period. Bolger is a rising figure in the State Department, who is engaged to Eve Miller (the daughter of Paul Harvey, Bolger's boss). Bolger has set up an international cultural festival in Paris wherein America would have Ethel Barrymore representing us. But by one of those ridiculous errors that are used to stimulate the plots of comedies (usually they can be explained away by simply owning up to them), the invitation is sent to chorus girl "Dynamite" Jackson (Day). Bolger tries to get it back but he is slowly attracted to Day. Still he has a difficult time convincing Harvey to replace Barrymore with Day to impress the French about our love of fun.
(I was thinking about how within a couple of years Day appeared in YOUNG AT HEART with Barrymore - it might have been interesting to have the famous actress appear for a scene or two reacting to this silly error.)
Bolger is trying to balance between his career in the diplomatic service (which may lead to a political career) and his growing affections for Day (who is against the straight jacket approach of American Diplomacy forced down her throat by Harvey). Complicating matters is the side antics of Claude Dauphin, who has to sneak back to France because of a diplomatic problem that Bolger would not help him with - Dauphin is working as a steward on the ocean liner, and is unwilling to keep quiet with the crew or with the passengers, including Doris.
Eventually Bolger and Day decide to be married by the Captain of the ship, and Dauphin is their witness. But the Captain is a fraud, and so is the marriage. So Dauphin has to sabotage the wedding night as the nice Day and prickly Bolger are not legally entitled to sleep together. It is quite silly, but it has some amusing moments when Harvey shows up and threatens Bolger to face up to his career responsibilities or face the end of his career. Harvey reading the diplomat's rule book to Bolger under an umbrella in a flooding cabin (don't ask) is a sight to see!
It ends satisfactorily. But it is not as good as WHERE'S CHARLIE was, and as a result it was not a good follow up to that film. Maybe if Bolger's follow up had been his "Barnaby" in BABES IN TOYLAND the film career problem would have been settled more satisfactorily.
I have known only one person in my life who went far in the State Department. He was the smartest fellow in my high school graduating class, and he would rise to the post of Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs. He still is a rather big wheel in his current job. I dedicate this review to him.