El París que fue

Paris, 1940. The Germans are closing in around France. Many French have confidence that the Maginot Line will keep the Germans out. But they are unaware that the Fifth Column spies are already infiltrating the country and are busy undermining its politics, business, and citizens by using agitation, sabotage, propaganda, and any other means available.

Captain Bill Hamilton, an intelligence officer for MI5, is assigned to find out if Ann Morgan, an American fashion designer for Florien in Paris, is part of the Fifth Column.

Fashion designer Ann Morgan (Ann Dvorak, looking divine as always in her dresses and hats) crashes into Bill Hamilton's car (Hamilton is played by Griffith Jones) in 'This was Paris" during WWII. Hamilton, a member of MI - 5, meets up with Butch, a reporter, in a bar. Butch is played by Ben Lyons, in one of his last films, investigating fifth columnists in France. His girlfriend "Blossom" played by Mary McGuire, turns out to be roommates with Blossom. Lots of humor and jokes coming from Butch, among the intrigue and the foreboding wartime sentiment, since the war was in full swing as this was being made. And according to IMDb, that's Elisabeth Welch singing a great number "There's a Boy in Harlem", backed up by a full orchestra, when they go to a club. In spite of the war, there is a sense of fun; after Butch comes out of the elevator, we cut to the bar crowd singing 'What goes up, must come Down". Note Robert Morley, as Van Der Stuyl, taking a swipe at Americans as he remarks how they stand out so easily when they come to Europe, which I guess was true even back then. Strong script, as we watch Hamilton and Butch try to figure out who is on which side. Dvorak, Jones and Lyons had served in the military, so they brought a touch of reality to this film, with Dvorak actually driving an ambulance in this film, just as in real life. A good way to spend 77 minutes, and a bit of French history on the side.

This film is essentially about the Fifth Column.This is a term that originated out of the Spanish War when a Spanish General claimed that he had supporters in Mdarid who were his fifth column.The hint is broadly dropped in the credits as the cartoons under the credits are by the famous wartime artist Fougasse(Kenneth Bird)who immortalized the catchphrase"Careless Talk Costs Lives">Alas nothing so original or funny occurs thereafter in this confused and confusing film.After all Ben Lyon is the nominal co star of this film but disappears for long stretches.Griffiths Jones plays an intelligence officer who goes round telling everyone he is an intelligence officer.Rather an oxymoron in his job title.The film was made at a time when the fifth column scare in the UK was at its height.Even nuns were suspected of being NAzi parachutists.It is true to say that there were numerous Nazi sympathisers in the UK but by and large the security services had the situation under control.This film suggests that the fifth column was responsible for the downfall of France,which is untrue.It also mentions the Maginot Line and the invasion of the Low Countries whilst failing to mention the fact that one of the main causes for the defeat of France was the fact that the French did not fortify the border with Belgium and did not consider it essential to fortify the Ardennes with the result that the Germans were easily able to outflank the Maginot Line.It is likely that the film was driving home the propaganda message that there was a fifth column in Britain and people should be like dad and "Keep Mum".

Set during the "False War" between the declaration of war in September 1939 and the invasion of Belgium in the Spring of 1940, THIS IS Paris is one of the Warner Brothers Teddington Studio productions, meant to get around blocked funds and film quota restrictions. Ann Dvorak is an American dress designer who is suspected of being a Nazi Fifth columnist; Ben Lyon is an American journalist who thinks he has a line on Dutch industrialist Robert Morley, who he thinks is a Nazi; and Griffith Jones is a British Intelligence officer cooling his heels, in love with Dvorak, who is told that he has to spy on her because she is suspected. Then the Blitzkrieg begins and All is Revealed.

The movie is a mix of good scenes, clichés and some sloppy editing -- the Teddington stuff survive in poor condition. The leads are all good and there are the usual faces familiar to lovers of old movies in small roles: Miles Malleson as a put-upon newspaper librarian and Hay Petrie as a carnival owner are their usual delightful selves. Elisabeth Welch sings Rogers & Hart's "There's a Boy in Harlem" in a welcome appearance. Over all though, it's a cheap quota quicky with a propaganda message.