Pariser Bekanntschaft

Paramount imported two of MGM's second line leading men to appear opposite Claudette Colbert in I Met Him In Paris. This film finds Claudette as a buyer for a New York department store on a holiday in France trying to decide whether she wants to marry staid and established Lee Bowman.

But of course the last place you want to go to make decisions like that is Paris because too many temptations will find you. In this case two too many temptations in the form of cynical Melvyn Douglas and romantic Robert Young.

Young decides to invite Colbert on a skiing holiday in Switzerland and Douglas decides to invite himself along. The best scenes in the film involve all three of our protagonists learning winter sports. In fact the scene involving Claudette Colbert falling off a toboggan and being in harm's way of another racing toboggan is a great example of a really dangerous situation being played for laughs and quite successfully.

I Met Him In Paris which has the bulk of its scenes in Hollywood recreated Switzerland is a great example of a nice comedy which really could have been better if an Ernest Lubitsch or a Leo McCarey had done it. Mona Barrie has a small, but very important part that occurs toward the end of the film which I cannot say more about lest I spoil things.

Definitely fans of Claudette Colbert will appreciate this film which holds up very well after over 70 years.

Actually have no bias against fluffy romantic comedies, and certainly not those from the 30s so that is not the reason as to why 'I Met Him in Paris' didn't quite work for me. There were plenty of screwball and romantic comedies from the 30s and there are a good deal that are good and more. Have liked Claudette Colbert and Melvyn Douglas in other things and on paper their roles here sounded perfect for them. Haven't seen enough of Wesley Ruggles' work, but what has been seen has been uneven.

'I Met Him in Paris' has its moments, it's well made, has entertaining and charming moments and the cast do really well with the material in roles that suit them well. Somehow though it doesn't quite come together, and would have been much better with much more spark and a far more believable story because 'I Met Him in Paris' tended to lack especially the latter. Again, not a bad film. Just not a great one, which was disappointing considering the potential. If anything, it actually left me conflicted.

Will start with what is done well. Really liked the glossy look of the production values, especially the stylish photography and Colbert's truly beautiful clothes. The settings are also suitably exotic The music has playfulness without trying too hard to be quirky and sumptuous ones without being sugary. Ruggles fares competently in the direction at times, especially in the charming snowy scenes.

The script has moments of barbed wit and some nice sophistication, and there are charming scenes such as Colbert and Douglas on ice. The cast do really well and they spar together in an often blistering fashion, Colbert is adorable and amusing and Douglas is suitably suave and doesn't play his part too seriously. Robert Young does his best to bring charm to a not always pleasant and too good to be true part and does succeed.

Of the cast, only Lee Bowman underwhelms with a bland, underwritten character that he struggles to do much with. So it was not always easy to sympathise with him. The script definitely could have done with more consistent wit, and sharper wit at that, and tautness and also would have benefitted from not being too contrived, because some of it is rather forced.

Furthermore, too much of the story, based on a premise that was pretty silly anyway in the first place, is improbable with too many character motivations and decisions not making sense due to not being explored enough or introduced properly. It is particularly apparent in the final third and brings down 'I Met Him in Paris' a lot. It also takes too long to get going, the Paris portion doesn't really engage.

Altogether, found myself very conflicted on 'I Met Him in Paris. A generous 6/10

If you love romantic comedies then this passes as easy watching.Douglas and Colbert gel but the script lacked sparkle . When I analyse Colberts career it has to be said that she really isn't in many that you would describe as classics,that have stood the test of time.Her performances are generally excellent but often in mediocre films

Claudette Colbert saved and scrimped for a trip to Paris just for her own little self. Even beau Lee Bowman can't talk her out of it. It's not that he's not happy for her or begrudging her well-deserved trip, but he feels anything can happen to her without him there. Though just why he's not going, I don't remember or understand. She goes, meets a waiter who speaks funny English, a French masher, and Robert Young and Melvyn Douglas who rescue her from the masher. But Bob came to her rescue first. The two men are supposedly friends, because they hang out together, but they don't act like it with their constant ribbing and competitiveness over Claudette. For such a good cast, it's hard to describe just how really bad this film is. There's no pace, no laughs, no anything. Just talking, and they're constantly bickering, and Claudette bad-mouths the other guy to the one she's with at the time. This was a total disappointment for all concerned, including director Wesley Ruggles. And, frankly, it's one of the worst old movies I've seen in a long time. Poor Claudette! Who cares who she picked! Stay away from this picture.

Two clunkers in a row - first Bluebeard, then I met him in Paris. The clothes are great, the settings lovely, and the script - a mind-boggling inane conglomeration of improbable and contrived situations that must have contributed to the demise of the screwball comedy. A series of wealthy people with too much time on their hands, acting juvenile (or madcap, as they used to call it). Everyone here has been better elsewhere. Douglas and Young are both in love with Colbert, and three high-tail it off to Switzerland, as the question surfaces: who will Claudette end up with? Of course, Melvyn Douglas is billed above Robert Young, so we know what the outcome must be. As much as I love old films, and Colbert, and Douglas, and Young, I stuck this one out, but it never really gelled for me.