"Playboy in Paris" is a Paramount movie that debuted in American theaters in October 1930; and was remade and retitled for release in France after a New York premier on Jan. 20, 1931. The French language version was called, "Le Petite Café." The film I watched had the title covered over with the English title, "The Little Café." This was the American edition with the credits and cast of the original film.
Only one member of the cast is the same in the two releases. Maurice Chevalier plays the waiter, Albert Loriflan, in both films. The most familiar other actors in the original film are Eugene Pallette as the cook, Pierre Bourdin, and Stuart Erwin as Paul Michel, the kitchen helper. One wonders why the film was completely shot a second time with mostly French actors in that version. Because, it too, was filmed on location at Paramount studios in Hollywood.
Frances Dee plays the part of Yvonne Phillbert in this version. She's the daughter of the café owner, and Phillbert is played by O.P. Heggie. One wonders why the Yvonne role wasn't played by Yvonne Vallee in both films, because she was Chevalier's wife at the time. The couple had been married since 1927, and she moved to Hollywood with Chevalier when he went there to break into American films. She was Chevalier's only wife and they divorced in 1935. The American film's Yvonne is played by Frances Dee, who would marry Joel McCrea within three years. Her part seems overblown at times.
The film is a comedy that's also billed as a musical for the couple of tunes that Chevalier sings. The plot is interesting and exploits themes of greed, gold-digging, dreaming of wealth, and the loss of virtues associated with these - envy, pride, arrogance, cheating, lying and more. But, the comedy is just so-so, and there's nothing outstanding about the movie.
The funniest scene is when Albert takes Phillbert off to the side in a fancy restaurant to stop him from divulging his background to his date, Mademoiselle Berengere (played by Dorothy Christy). Albert describes the different types and results of a punch in the nose, when Phillbert finally gets the message. One of the strangest (maybe intended as funny) scenes is early when Albert recommends for breakfast, radishes, ham and bread.
Here are a couple of the funnier lines from the movie.
Mademoiselle Berengere, "Albert, you must calm yourself. Waiter?" Albert, "Yes, madam?" Berengere, "Oh no, dear, I was calling the waiter."
Pierre Bourdin," Albert, Albert, I just learned from the general that the banker is not the man that I thought he was." Albert, "You mean Gastonet is afraid?" Pierre, "Afraid? I should say not. Before he settled down in the banking business, he was an officer in the 22nd ...And this will make his sixth duel."
Pierre, "You must forget everything I told you yesterday. Your only chance is to shoot first. You can't afford to lose a second." (Pierre is his second second.)
