Wednesday, March 11, 2020

The Rage of Paris (1938)

A delightful little romantic comedy. Young French girl Nicole (Danielle Darrieux) is in New York desperate for a job. An embarrassing mix-up brings her into contact with Jim (Douglas Fairbanks Jr) but then she is embroiled in a plot with waiter Mike (Mischa Auer) and housemate Gloria (Helen Broderick) to ensnare a millionaire Bill (Louis Hayward)...

The plan is for Nicole to marry Bill and then help facilitate Mike's dream of having his own restaurant. The plan works as Nicole and Bill are soon engaged but Jim is a friend of Bill and he realises the plot. He has plans for Nicole himself...

A fun little film, predictable and light but very well done. The film looks fantastic, much of it set in fancy houses and hotels, it is an Art Deco treat. The performances especially from Darrieux and Fairbanks Jr are also top class. Darrieux in particular gives the film such joie de vie to really elevate it to something special.