Paris Follies of 1956

Lloyd Corrigan is backing Forrest Tucker's Paris-themed night club, while he keeps show star Margaret Whiting and her sister, Barbara Whiting on the string. The show is about to open when Corrigan's son and daughter show up and explain that Corrigan has no money. Tucker sees doom, but the show must go on, and so it does, for the next hour, with a few bouts of star temperament from Margaret, some jokes from Dick Wesson, ending with a big circus number.

If this looks a lot like a television spectacular, that can be laid at the rest of the show's cinematographer, E.B. DuPar. After getting a start at Vitaphone, running the camera on almost 300 shorts, DuPar took on a second job on television. He died in 1961, aged 75.

This is a bit of a hard musical film to like. Essentially it follows the opening night of a musical spectacular in a (actual) restaurant called the Moulin Rouge. The lead actress is essentially there because she's in love with the director, but he's off seeing the art director on the side. Meanwhile, the lead actress's kid sister is looking for her big break too. When the lead actress finds out about her philandering boyfriend, will this be her chance? Filled with a "who cares?" story and somewhat boring production values, (although the 'circus' ending was a bit inspired.. End the show with Circus elephants!) and interestingly tired dance numbers, this whole thing gets boring quick, especially when they stall the story for fifteen minutes to go through 5 or 6 songs. YAWN! The acting here is OK, Forrest Tucker seems to can't wait for this thing to end, Margaret Whiting is a passable singer at best, and she's got WAY too much lipstick on, and I LOVE Dick Wesson as the obligatory gay stage manager. Is there any other kind?

Jeez - who's the sourpuss who found everything to complain about? He was way off base (and he can't spell). I expected little from "Fresh From Paris," and was pleasantly surprised. Unlike most such grade-B jobs this one has a good-sized cast including a host of good dancers and some pretty good Berkley-like arrangements. The songs were pretty good and the 'idjit' who put down Maggie Whiting's singing is nut-so. In the '40s and '50s she was one of the most popular singers, helping to keep Capitol on the map. The Sportsmen had an excellent spoof on their boss, Jk. Benny. The plot was decent enough and, all in all, it was time very well spent.

Channel 13 in LA in the late 50s and 60s only had three movies that were rotated weekly and this was one of them. The other two were "Norman Conquest" (the name of a 50s British detective) and "Warlock" (an awfully boring 50s Western).

"Fresh from Paris" was made at The Moulin Rouge in Hollywood and took place totally inside that nightclub, which by that time (1956) was well past its glory days. The movie is so stupid and the "production numbers" so bad, it might be worth seeing it just to get depressed. It was probably a vanity production made by someone who "always wanted to make a movie" and wanted to have "chorus girls" in it. It makes "Ladies of the Chorus" (1948, with Marilyn Monroe playing the daughter of fellow stripper Adele Jergens) seem like Shakespeare.

The only humor I remember from this waste of film is the back view of a woman wearing a dress with only a front to it above the waist. Little did the people connected with this movie know that in a few years it would really come true.

All in all, an absolutely terrible mess.

I can't believe the two bad reviews on this site for this movie - I loved it! The title I watched it under was "Fresh from Paris", it's alter ate title evidentially. The plot is indeed pretty thin, almost non-existent really, but that's not why you'd watch this - it's great because of the fantastic dance numbers, and the sometimes hilarious singing numbers. (I'm referring to the funny act by the four male singers, it made me laugh aloud). Loads of gorgeous costumes too, a real visual treat through and through.There are quite a few modern day burlesque girls who could learn something from watching "Fresh from Paris".

I enjoyed this film so much I will be buying it on DVD (if available). Don't miss this if you love good old-fashioned entertainment!