Slightly French (1949)

Best movie of this year hands down!

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

A Major Disappointment

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

How do you turn a sarong into a Paris original? It takes class, poise and a ton of conniving. This remake of the 1934 musical "Let's Fall in Love" puts Dorothy Lamour into carny clothes and after initially seen in a Carmen Miranda disguise, movie director Don Ameche plans to make her a genuine French movie star after his temperamental leading lady (Adele Jerhens) makes the scene to end all scenes. Lamour goes under strict training before making her public debut. Falling in love with Ameche, Lamour's honest slip of the tongue threatens to destroy both her future as a movie star as well as Ameche's directing career.A decent post war musical was just one of many musical remakes of the post war era which strived to remain traditional in spite of changing tastes. Still gorgeous, Lamour makes an amusing comedian and displays both feistiness and sweetness with equal zest. Janis Carter adds some sparkle as Ameche's sister while Jergens goes all out as the initial choice for Ameche's film. Jeanne Manet adds both glamour and eccentric humor. Willard Parker takes on a Ralph Bellamy role of Ameche's rather dull rival for Lamour's affections. Still, in spite of all the talent, it's another case of a Cinderella rising out of the cinders and becoming the bell of the ball. The musical numbers indicate that this should have been made in color with one number looking like it was from the set of the Rita Hayworth musical "Down to Earth". In her big dramatic scene, Lamour seems to be trying to burlesque an Irish accent that would embarrass Maureen O'Hara. She does a nice job with " Let's Fall in Love " however, so a few overlooks of her acting weaknesses can be forgiven.

No, this is not a GREAT film, but it's better than I expected it to be.Don Ameche is always pleasant to watch, including in this film as a movie director. Dorothy Lamour always seemed a bit worn to me, although a good sidekick in the Road films with Hope and Crosby. But in this film she shines. There is one excellent dance number later in the film, although it appeared to me a double was doing her dancing. The plot is decent. A film director is fired when his leading lady has a breakdown due tot he stress. So, at a carnival, he finds a promising replacement...if he can pass her off as being French. A sort of love/hate relationship develops, which I'm not sure quite works, although the overall picture does as Ameche tries his hand at a Pygmalion effort.This is a very good "B" musical, and frankly there were occasional "A" musicals that were inferior to this. So sit back and enjoy it...at least once.

(Spoilers, yes -- but the plot hardly matters...) Nothing much to recommend this, I'm afraid, except perhaps for the opening dance number, which seems to be taking place in someone's idea of Paris, but which we only belatedly discover is a sound stage (as if we didn't know) with the entrance into the frame of a camera on its crane. Nice touch, that. Unfortunately, from her first scene top-billed Dorothy Lamour is quite insufferable (intentionally, perhaps, but that doesn't really help matters), and she is, unfortunately, the central character. Don Ameche does his level best with a role which he was to reprise (in essence) in the 1958 Broadway musical "Goldilocks," and he does rant well. Janis Carter gives a real amateur night in Dixie performance as Ameche's sister, but Willard Parker (very handsome, he) is more than respectable as Ameche's producer and Lamour's secondary love interest (who ends up with -- too bad for him -- Carter). At least the title is intriguing (as are almost all Sirk's titles, in one way or another). Quite, quite boring, however.

Don Ameche was on the decline in his career and Dorothy Lamour still trying to acheive stardom outside those "Road" movies when this movie was made. It tries to borrow from Ameche's earlier hits with Alice Faye but the formula does not work here because Lamour is no Faye. And she is expected to carry it. Supporting performances from Page and Kennard is good but not enough. If it were made today, it would make a good video rental.