Main Cast: Doris Day, Ray Bolger, Claude Dauphin, Eve Miller, George Givot
Release Year: 1952
Country: US
Run Time: 100 minutes
Plot
Thanks to a bureaucratic blunder, the US State Department invites brassy showgirl Doris Day to attend a chi-chi arts festival in Paris. En route to the City of Light, Day falls in love with diplomat corps flunkey Ray Bolger (who's responsible for the error), even though he's married to witchy Eve Miller. The marriage turns out to be invalid, clearing the path for a happy ending. None of the songs in April in Paris are worth remembering, though the dancing by Bolger and Day is well up to the standards of both performers. The romantic scenes, however, fail to hold up: after all, we're talking The Scarecrow and the World's Oldest Virgin here! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
A minor musical, April in Paris' assets are offset by several debits, but the most damaging is the casting of its leads. Both Doris Day and Ray Bolger are accomplished performers, but the mixture of the two is oil-and-water. The lack of chemistry is troublesome, but what's worse is that the pairing is simply unbelievable -- the viewer can't root for them to get together because it seems entirely unnatural. April would have been much better served had either star been replaced. As written, it seems that replacing Day -- who is supposed to be a brassy broad with no couth -- with someone like Betty Hutton would have made more sense, but keeping Day and pairing her with a Donald O'Connor would have worked just as well. Even with more compatible leads, however,Aprilwould still have problems. The script is not as sharp and witty as it needs to be, the plot is tired, some of Sammy Cahn's lyrics are off-kilter (although set to some attractive Vernon Duke tunes), and Claude Dauphin is not sufficiently charming. Still, there are some fine musical moments, such as Bolger's dance with "himself" as Washington and Lincoln, and a lovely rendition of the title song by Day. April in Paris is diverting and pleasant, but ultimately not very memorable. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Paul Harvey - Secretary Sherman; Wilson Millar - Sinclair Wilson; Raymond Largay - Joseph Welmar; John Alvin - Tracy; Jack Lomas - Cab Driver; Herbert Farjean - Joshua Stevens; Wilson Miller - Sinclair Wilson; Jill Richards
Credit
Leo K. Kuter - Art Director, LeRoy J. Prinz - Choreography, Leah Rhoads - Costume Designer, David Butler - Director, Irene Morra - Editor, Ray Heindorf - Musical Direction/Supervision, Sammy Cahn - Songwriter, Vernon Duke - Songwriter, E.Y. "Yip" Harburg - Songwriter, Gordon Bau - Makeup, Wilfrid M. Cline - Cinematographer, William Jacobs - Producer, David Forrest - Sound/Sound Designer, C.A. Riggs - Sound/Sound Designer, Melville Shavelson - Screenwriter, Jack Rose - Screenwriter
Winthrop Putnam is the Assistant Secretary to the Assistant to the Undersecretary of State, and was formerly Assistant Assistant Secretary to the Assistant to the Undersecretary of State. He sends an invitation to Ethel Barrymore to represent the American theatre at an art exposition in Paris. Instead, the invitation is received and accepted by Ethel "Dynamite" Jackson, an All-American Broadway chorus girl. Ethel and Winthrop meet on the way to Paris and fall in love. However, Winthrop is engaged to Marcia Sherman, daughter of his boss Secretary Robert Sherman. After a misunderstanding, Winthrop and Ethel ultimately end up together.
