Young as You Feel

Will Rogers is a successful Chicago meat packer. Since his wife died, he has lived life in a rut, taking a pill for dyspepsia, one teaspoon of champagne a week, and blowing his noise right before the clock strikes eight. Today is different. He blows his nose right after the clock strikes eight, is annoyed when his sons inform him they're having a party and unveiling of a new work of art home home. He tells his longtime vice-president, Lucien Littlefield that he doesn't feel like their daily game of checkers. He goes home and finds that Fifi D'Orsay has been hired to sing at the party and is changing into her costume in his room. Instead of a teaspoon of champagne, he splits a split with her and orders more.

The copy I looked at was in poor shape, but the prospect of seeing Rogers directed by Frank Borzage made me sit through it. Surprise! It had almost nothing of Borzage in it, just another well-directed movie featuring the man who was rapidly becoming Fox Film's biggest star. It's a little slow in getting started, what with Rogers playing a man in a fog, and Miss D'Orsay's accent, but after a few choice remarks about modern art, it picked up steam, thanks to the unbeatable Rogers charm, and Mlle D'Orsay being cute as a button.

Although she played an oo-la-la Parisienne up until I saw her in Follies, Mlle D'Orsay was not one. She came from Montreal to New York at the age of 20, formed a vaudeville act with Ed Gallagher of Gallagher & Shean -- "I wanted to learn everything about show business and he taught me - believe me!" she later said -- and debuted in the movies in the Will Rogers vehicle THEY HAD TO SEE PARIS.

Mlle D'Orsay died in 1983 at the age of 79. I don't think she ever went to Paris.