The Rage of Paris

After becoming an international sensation in "Mayerling" (1936), pretty French Danielle Darrieux (as Nicole de Cortillion) arrives in America. Mistaken for a nude model, Ms. Darrieux gets caught in the middle of undress by debonair Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (as Jim Trevor), who gets to utter the amusing line "I'm all ears" (while looking his Gable best). How director Henry Koster gets Mr. Fairbanks to keep his eyes glued upon Darrieux' face after she takes her shirt off is good acting.

When Darrieux is about to be evicted from her room, she "adopted" as a "niece" by matronly Helen Broderick (as Gloria Patterson). "The only job for a woman is marriage," Ms. Broderick tells Darrieux, "There's nothing wrong with you that a nice rich husband couldn't cure." Broderick conspires to marry Darrieux and millionaire Louis Hayward (as Bill Duncan), with the help of busboy turned head waiter Mischa Auger (as Mike). But, Fairbanks has other plans for the French beauty.

****** The Rage of Paris (6/9/38) Henry Koster ~ Danielle Darrieux, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Helen Broderick, Louis Hayward

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.

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.

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.

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 .