La coqueluche de Paris

What a discovery! My wife and I were perusing a Madrid flea market and came across a few American films, released cheaply and given Spanish subtitles. This one had Douglas Fairbanks Jr and neither of us could make out what film it was. It turned out this was not because of the Spanish title translation but because this seems to be a genuinely forgotten film. Goodness knows why because it is an absolute gem and the perfect screwball comedy. Fairbanks is fine but the gorgeous Danielle Darrieux is amazing, a sheer delight throughout. The dialogue sparkles as much as she does and the only reason few will know her name is that this is one of the very few non French films she made, even though she is still making a contribution to French film, even now. The story of a pretty young thing wanting to marry rich is hardly original but take my word for it this is one of the very best.

The title of this film, "The Rage of Paris," may seem to most viewers at first not to fit the plot. But with a premise that pops up occasionally in the movie, it soon dawns on one (this viewer, finally) that it refers to a theme of the film that a woman's drive in gay Paris should be to snag herself a wealthy husband. OK! So, that out of the way, we have here a very enjoyable comedy with some good early film stars. The plot is fun, the acting is very good, and the direction and sets are good.

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and Louis Hayward are very good in their respective roles as Jim Trevor and Bill Duncan. Most moviegoers know about Fairbanks, but few people today probably remember the name Louis Hayward. He did have a short leading period in Hollywood and later moved to television, but his star never rose very high. Hayward was born in South Africa and educated in England. He came to the U. S. in 1935 for a Broadway play, and soon moved to Hollywood.

This is also one of the few American-produced films that stars Danielle Darrieux. This demure and versatile star of stage and screen was the leading actress in France for much of the eight decades during which she acted. Darrieux flew to Hollywood to make "The Rage of Paris" in 1938, and returned to France after it was released. She stayed there during the war and made three films through 1942, but nothing after the Nazi occupation. All were comedies. She resumed work in 1946, and has played starring roles in drama, suspense-thrillers, romance and comedies.

She appeared is some other notable English films - made in Great Britain or on the continent, so Americans and others may have seen her in some of these. "Five Fingers" was a great 20th Century Fox espionage thriller filmed around Europe. In 2002, at age 85, she won honors for her role in "8 Women," a musical comedy produced in French and English. Darrieux continued acting until 2010, at age 93.

One aspect of this film that stands out and is most enjoyable is the acting of the support cast. Mischa Auer played Mike, the head waiter. He was a Russian-born actor who had a distinguished film career, mostly in Europe, but with some films in the U. S. His English was quite good, and his accent was a natural for the many different supporting and leading roles he played as a man of various nationalities. He did mostly comedy films, but was equally good in serious roles.

Helen Broderick played Gloria Patterson. This long-time comedienne acted with some top stars over the years. She was best as the wisecracking sidekick of the lead female star - as in this film. Broderick was married to another vaudeville and stage performer, Lester Crawford. They were the parents of Oscar-winning actor Broderick Crawford (her last name and her husband's last name), who was born in 1911.

Here are the best comedy lines from this film.

Nicole de Cortillion, " Why are you always so good to me?" Gloria Patterson, "Oh, I suppose you have to be good for something, and my dog died a week before you moved in here."

Mike - The Head Waiter, "Uh, Uh, young lady in your party forgot her wrap." Jim Trevor, "It wasn't my party, and she's not a lady." Mike, "Oh, I'm sorry, sir. But I'm sure you know your friends better than I do."

Nicole, "He meant I was dishonest." Gloria, "Darling, all women are dishonest. If they weren't, the world would be divided into two classes of people - old maids and bachelors."

Mike, "I started out to get a restaurant and I'll be lucky if I wind up with a ham sandwich."

Jim Trevor, "Did you hear that, Rigley?" Rigley, "Did you want me to, sir?" Trevor, "I do." Rigley, "I did." Trevor, "Good."

Jim Trevor, "Rigley!" Rigley, "Yes, sir?" Trevor, "If this young lady is not here when I get back, you're fired." Rigley, "Thank you, sir."

Trevor, "Now, you do as you're told. You're on borrowed time anyway. I should have fired you last Tuesday." Rigley, "Well, why don't you fire me now, sir?" Trevor, "Well, if you do a good job tonight, perhaps I will." Rigley, "Oh, thank you very much, sir."

Danielle Darrieux and friend Helen Broderick are jobless and have plans on marrying men with money. At least Danielle does. Helen tells her "that ship has sailed for me, dearie." But in trying to get a job as a model, Danielle discovers she has to wear nothing but drapes. No, she says. But when someone else has no qualms about it, she reconsiders and snatches the company card off the executive's desk. The only trouble is she picked up the wrong card in her haste. She goes to Douglas Fairbanks' work and thinks she's in the right place and starts to undress! When Douglas sees this, we find that his character has none and that's he's no gentleman. He's only loving this and gazes on and on… She eventually leaves and she and Helen find a name in the news who's scandalously rich. They set their sights on him with some financial assistance from waiter and friend Mischa Auer. Posing as a rich socialite from Paris, she innocently meets Louis Hayward, who just so happens to know Doug. The rest of the film is about Doug warning Louis about the kind of woman Danielle is, because he knows better. Or, does he? Right from the very beginning, this film is flamboyantly funny and tres, tres chic. I found this off Amazon and am so glad I did. How could I not know about such a fun and entertaining film as this, which is worthy of being compared to "The Awful Truth"! It was sweet and romantic one moment and then uproariously funny the next. I don't have to tell you what happens. Can't you guess? Can't you? With zippy one-liners and a great cast, including Charles Coleman, who made a career of being a man's man in films and Harry Davenport, this is one screwball comedy to discover today.

An enticing French girl (Danielle Darrieux) named Nicole has no employ and without rent . Then , she's helped by an ex-actress (Broderick) and a maitre of New York City Hotel (Mischa Auer). They are planning a plot for snare a rich hubby and catch the eyes on Bill (Louis Hayward ). The scheme works and the engagement is quickly publicized in the newspapers . But a Bill's friend (Douglas Fairbanks J.R) knows the true intentions and the plans may be thwarted .

The movie is a well acted and fast-paced screwball comedy with several giggles , joyful , tongue-in-cheek and very entertaining . Besides , the sympathetic relationship between lovely Darrieux and gallant Fairbanks into the countryside house is similar to developed between Claudette Colbert and Clark Cable in ¨It happened one night¨ (Frank Capra) . Danielle Darrieux as the French young girl is top-notch , she's a fascinating comedian . Her playing as an attractive and enjoyable French young girl demonstrates experience as future first star , as happened in her unforgettable role as countess in ¨ Five fingers¨(Joseph L. Mankiewicz) . She nowadays follows acting even at ninety years old . The two partners -Douglas Fairbanks and Louis Hayward- are ordinary heroes of adventure cinema, here turned into a sympathetic comedian actors and both are awesome . The veteran Mischa Auer , as always , plays the relief comic role as a likable head-waiter. Furthermore , Mary Martin's film debut . The picture was well directed by Henry Koster . The movie will appeal to classic comedy moviegoers. Rating : Better than average and amusing .

French film star Danielle Darrieux made her American debut in The Rage in Paris. She plays a fortune seeking gal who's set her cap for Louis Hayward, but has Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. running interference for his good friend.

She got good notices for The Rage in Paris and deservedly so. She made the decision however to go back to her own country and got to spend four years with some uninvited guests. Who knows what direction her career would have taken had she stayed here.

Anyway, Danielle is pretty but broke, desperate for a job she grabs a ticket from an employment office for what she thinks is a modeling job and gets to Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.'s office and proceeds to take her clothes off. She beats a hasty retreat however when she realizes the big boo-boo she made with Fairbanks, somewhat amused.

Later on gal pal Helen Broderick and her friend head waiter Mischa Auer set her up with a suite at a really swanky hotel to trap millionaire Louis Hayward. It works, but he's a friend of Fairbanks as well.

I think you can see the complications and if you're a fan of Thirties screwball comedy you know how this one will turn out.

Darrieux is fresh and appealing and who would't want to Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and Louis Hayward chasing you albeit for different reasons. Broderick carries on with the gal pal's best friend part that later on Eve Arden would perfect.

The film itself was photographed though in that sometimes annoying sepia tint process. Sometimes that serves in good stead, the best example is Errol Flynn's The Sea Hawk when Flynn and his pirate crew are in the Panamanian jungle. In The Rage of Paris it starts out in sepia than switches to regular black and white and then back to sepia for no discernible reason.

Still though I think that even today's viewers will find the elegant world that Fairbanks and Hayward move in still quite appealing.