Paris - When It Sizzles (1964)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Richard Quine

Writers:

Julien Duvivier (story) &
Henri Jeanson (story) ...

Release Date:

8 April 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

RELAX...IT'S ALL RIGHT TO LAUGH AT THIS TENDER LOVE STORY!

Plot:

The sprightly young assistant of a Hollywood screenwriter helps him over his writer's block by acting out his fantasies of possible plots.

Plot Keywords:

Screenplay | Paris | Script | Screenwriter | Love

Cast

William Holden	...	Richard Benson / Rick
Audrey Hepburn	...	Gabrielle Simpson / Gaby
Grégoire Aslan	...	Police Insp. Gilet
Raymond Bussières	...	François (gangster #1)
Christian Duvaleix	...	Maitre d'Hotel
Michel Thomass		(as Michel Thomas)
Dominique Boschero
Evi Marandi
Noel Coward	...	Alexander Meyerheim

Also Known As:

Together in Paris (USA)

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:G (TV rating) | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | USA:Approved | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:11

Filming Locations:

Hôtel du Cap, Antibes, Alpes-Maritimes, France

Company:

Richard Quine Productions

Trivia:

Hubert de Givenchy was the first to receive a screen credit for a scent. He got screen credit for Audrey Hepburn's perfume.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Richard lays out the blank pages, he lays one on the chair by the stairs. It falls down onto the seat of the chair. However, in the wide shot, it is back on the back of the chair.

Quotes:

Gabrielle: It's quite all right, really. I once worked for an American novelist who could only write in the bathtub. I'm used to anything.
Richard: You can unpack -
[surprised]
Richard: in the bathtub?
Gabrielle: Yes. On the second day, I gave him a packet of bubble bath and from then on we got along swimmingly.
Richard: I see.
[pointing to the name on the birdcage]
Richard: Uh, does that imply that the bird's name is Richelieu?
Gabrielle: Oh, it's inferred, I believe, rather than implied.
Richard: [pause] "Swimmingly." Interesting figure of speech.

Movie Connections:

References Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

Soundtrack:

The Girl Who Stole the Eiffel Tower

Paris Sizzles, Bill&Audrey Fizzle

One of Audrey Hepburn's most acclaimed films from the Fifties, Sabrina, showed her at her best if not her two co-stars, William Holden and Humphrey Bogart. Bogey had left us already, but given what he thought of the film I doubt you could ever have gotten him to co-star again with this Hepburn. Still Holden and she got along and I guess Paramount thought they would team them again.

It didn't work out because two things were happening in William Holden's life. He broke up with Capucine before this film started and this was to be his final film under his Paramount contract. Reportedly Holden was drinking heavily and production was suspended while he dried out.

According to Tony Curtis's memoirs his unbilled bit in the film was to help pad it out as they got it ready for release. I'll bet that this was the case also for Marlene Dietrich's brief appearance and Noel Coward's small role as Holden's producer.

Paris - When It Sizzles was supposed to be a light hearted farcical look at the art of movie script writing. Audrey Hepburn plays a stenographer typist who is hired by Holden to help him out with dictation. As Holden spitballs his ideas out, we see a whole bunch of fantasy sequences with the two of them and Tony Curtis in various proposed scenes from his film The Girl Who Stole the Eiffel Tower.

Paris - When It Sizzles was held up in release by Paramount for two years, a sure sign this was going to be a lemon. The critics roasted it and the public stayed away in droves. Fortunately both the stars had better work ahead of them and Holden did end his Paramount contract.

It would have been nice had he gone out on something a lot better.