Main Cast: Jane Russell, Gilbert Roland, Arthur Hunnicutt, Craig Stevens, Mary McCarty, Joyce MacKenzie
Release Year: 1954
Country: US
Run Time: 102 minutes
Plot
Like so many other films that were once considered "lewd" and "scandalous", The French Line seems as harmless as Pollyanna when seen today. Essentially a remake of The Richest Girl in the World, the film stars Jane Russell as Mary Carson, an incredibly wealthy Texas oil heiress. Lucky in investments but unlucky in love, poor Mary can never keep a fiance: either they're fortune-hunters or they don't want to marry anyone so rich and powerful. Thus, while on an ocean voyage to France, Mary poses as the model of dress designer Annie Farrell (Mary McCarthy), hoping to attract a man who is interested in her for herself, and not her millions. That man turns out to be dashing stage star Pierre (Gilbert Roland), but there's many comic complications and misunderstandings before the happy ending. What shocked the censors in 1954 was Jane Russell's sizzling musical number "Lookin' for Trouble", in which she performed an uninhibited bump-and-grind while wearing nothing more than a seven-ounce glorified bikini. While Ms. Russell herself was offended by her skimpy costume, she saw nothing wrong with the dance itself, pointing out that she intended it as a parody of a "burleycue" number. The professional blue-noses disagreed, however: the film was condemned by the Catholic Legion of Decency and denied a Production Code Seal. Eventually, producer Howard Hughes got the Seal--along with a million dollars' worth of free publicity, which is what he intended all along. Filmed in 3D, The French Line is the film that was ballyhooed with the classically tasteless ad campaign "J.R. in 3D--It'll knock both your eyes out!" ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
A film clearly designed to exploit both the 3-D fad and its star's main assets, The French Line is loud, garish, and trashy -- but not so much so as to be more than intermittently fun and amusing. As with many film musicals, the plot is nothing more than a clothesline on which to pin musical numbers, hopefully comic situations, and a variety of outfits for the leading lady. Sometimes this results in some fair-to-middling entertainment, but not here. The dialogue is subpar, straining so hard to be funny that it ends up being exhausting. The score is imminently forgettable, saddled with lyrics that, with one or two exceptions, are adequate at best. The film is better served by its costumes, which are never less than effective -- especially in the notorious "Lookin' for Trouble," with star Jane Russell bumping-and-grinding while wearing gloves, high heels, and a memorably sparse bikini. Under the circumstances, Russell acquits herself very well. An adequate performer, she has a certain amount of faux-sex appeal and personality, but does not have enough talent to overcome material of this sort. Sharp-eyed observers can spot future star Kim Novak as one of the models. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Scott Elliott - Bill Harris; Laura Elliot - Katherine Hodges; John Wengraf - 1st Mate; Barbara Darrow - Donna Adams; Barbara Dobbins - Kitty Lee; Suzanne Alexander; Michael St. Angel - George Hodges; Ray Bennett - Foreman; Dan Bernaducci; Jack Boyle; Lane Bradford - Cowboy; Mary Jane Carey - American Nurse; Sue Casey; Helen Chapman; Jack Chefe - Wine Steward; Rita Corday - Celeste; Billy Daniel - Andre; Sandy Descher - Girl; Arthur Dulac - French Steward; Stanley Farrar - French Man; Fritz Feld - French Cabbie; Bess Flowers - Saleslady; William Forrest - Sam Baker; Joel Friend - Actor-dancer; Steven Geray - Francois; Jo Gilbert; Theresa Harris - Clara; Helene Hayden; Joi Lansing; Peggy Leon; Jarma Lewis; Frank Marlowe; Ellye Marshall; Louis Mercier - Steward; Dolores Michaels; John Mooney; Kim Novak - Model; Gloria Pall; Shirley Patterson - Elsie; Jeffrey Sayre; Elizabeth Slifer - French Woman; Charles Smith; Nick Stuart; Lomax Study - French Waiter; Wayne Taylor - French Bellhop; Beverly Thompson; Ralph Volkie; Buck Young - Photographer; Maureen Stephenson; George Wallace; Jane Easton; Charmienne Harker; Bert LeBaron - Doorman; Jean Moorhead; Allan Ray; Carlos Albert; Suzanne Ames; Virginia Bates; Bobette Bentley; Shirley Buchanan - Model; Al Cavens; Edward Coch; Eileen Coghlan; Mary Ellen Gleason; Lonnie Pierce - Showgirl; Edward Short - Willie; Shirley Tegge; Doreen Woodbury
Credit
Carroll Clark - Art Director, Albert S. D'Agostino - Art Director, Billy Daniel - Choreography, Howard Greer - Costume Designer, Michael Woulfe - Costume Designer, William Dorfman - First Assistant Director, Lloyd Bacon - Director, Robert Ford - Editor, Constantin Bakaleinikoff - Composer (Music Score), Walter Scharf - Composer (Music Score), Constantin Bakaleinikoff - Musical Direction/Supervision, Mel Berns - Makeup, Harry J. Wild - Cinematographer, Edmund Grainger - Producer, Darrell Silvera - Set Designer, Al Orenbach - Set Designer, A. Earl Wolcott - Sound/Sound Designer, Clem Portman - Sound/Sound Designer, Matty Kemp - Screenwriter, Isabel Dawn - Screenwriter, Mary Loos - Screenwriter, Richard Sale - Screenwriter
The French Line is a 1954musical film made by RKO Pictures, directed by Lloyd Bacon and produced by Edmund Grainger, with Howard Hughes as executive producer. The screenplay was by Mary Loos and Richard Sale, based on a story by Matty Kemp and Isabel Dawn. It was filmed in three strip technicolor and Dual strip polarized 3-D during what many consider 3-D films "golden era" of 1952-1954.
The French Line captures Russell at the height of her career, the year after Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, in a splashy musical comedy specializing in costumes so purposely skimpy that it garnered a condemnation by the Catholic Legion of Decency. The outrageous outfits were designed by Howard Hughes and the craftsmen at RKO to display Russell's physique to best advantage. Russell's singing, dancing, and comedic skills are also much in evidence. The film was considered scandalous at the time of its release but by today's standard would barely elicit a blush.
Plot
Millionairess Mame Carson's (Jane Russell) oil empire spells trouble for her love life. Men are either after her fortune or afraid of it. Her money-shy fiancé Phil Barton (Craig Stevens) has just given her the brush off. Disappointed, Mame heads for Paris on one of the French Line cruise ships with friend and fashion designer Annie Farrell (Mary McCarty). She swaps identities with Myrtle Brown, (Joyce Mackenzie) one of Annie's models, hoping to find true love incognito. Aboard ship she falls in love with French playboy Pierre DuQuesne (Gilbert Roland) who, unbeknownst to Mame, has been hired by her zealous guardian Waco Mosby (Arthur Hunnicutt) to keep the fortune hunters at bay. Pierre professes his love for Mame. Is he sincere or is this just a ploy to gain access to her millions? Silliness ensues interspersed with several musical numbers until Pierre's real intentions are finally revealed.
Controversy
Producer Howard Hughes was no stranger to controversy, especially when it came to Jane Russell. His focus on Jane's cleavage in The Outlaw ran afoul of The Production Code in 1941. The film was held up until 1943 before it was finally given a limited release. The French Line had its own set of controversies. Jane's ample bosom literally popped out of the screen in 3-D. To stress the point Howard used the tagline "J.R. in 3D. It'll knock both your eyes out!" as part of the advertising campaign. He also added the raunchy song and dance number "Lookin for Trouble" performed by Jane in a revealing one piece outfit with three strategically placed cutouts. The Catholic National Legion of Decency condemned the film and called for a boycott. The Breen Office refused to give it a Production Code seal of approval. Howard defied both by releasing the film without the seal. After the initial run he made substantial cuts to the offending scene then re-released the film flat (without the 3D process). Advertising changed the tagline to " THAT Picture! THAT Dance! - you've heard so much about!" The publicity surrounding the film guaranteed a success for both versions.
The uncensored dance sequence can be seen at Youtube - The French Line. This version appeared in the 3D release of the film prior to the drastic cuts made to appease the censors. By today's standards it seems charmingly innocent.
The Critics Speak
Bosley Crowther of the New York Times had no kind words to say about the film. He found it full of "Smoking room humor" and felt "To say any more about the cheapness and obviousness of this R. K. O. film would be but to give it more attention. And that it most certainly does not deserve."
The French Line was filmed in RKO's own 3-D process which they titled "Future Dimension".
Bwana Devil - 1952 is often credited as the first 3-D film. Although it did spawn "The Golden age of 3-D from 1952 to 1954" the history of 3-D films can be traced as far back as 1903.
Recent advances in 3-D films including IMAX 3-D and Digital 3D are opening a new era of 3-D filmmaking.
Availability
The only known surviving 3-D print of "The French Line" was screened at The World 3-D Expo 2006 September 15th, 2006 at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, Ca. The print included the very rare uncensored version of the "Lookin for Trouble" number.
Turner Home Entertainment released "The French Line" on VHS in 1989. Although the box claimed the print to be "The Original Studio Edition" it was the re-edited version with the censored "Lookin for Trouble" number. The VHS has been out of print for several years. It periodically surfaces on various auction web sites
