THE LAST TIME I SAW PARIS
US, 1954, 116 minutes, Colour.
Elizabeth Taylor, Van Johnson, Walter Pidgeon, Donna Reed, Eva Gabor.
Directed by Richard Brooks.
The Last Time I Saw Paris is based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'Babylon Revisited'. The story is updated to the post World War Two period.
The film is lavish in production, has a strong M.G.M. cast - but is not effective as intended. The film was written and directed by Richard Brooks who has moved from novel and screenwriting (Crossfire) to film-making: Crisis, The Light Touch. He was to have success with adaptations of plays like Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Sweet Bird of Youth as well as film adaptations of Lord Jim, In Cold Blood.
Elizabeth Taylor is beautiful and wilful in the central role. Van Johnson is a pleasing hero - and is quite affecting in his final scenes of pleading to see his daughter again. Roger Moore appears briefly in one of his earliest film roles.
The film tries to suggest the high life of Paris - but does so on a very modest scale. Jerome Kern's melody recurs throughout.
1. An entertaining popular romance of the post-World War Two period? based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's story? An adaptation of his work?
2. M.G.M. production values: the atmosphere of Paris in the '40s and 1950s? The affluent world of the E1swirths? The rich Paris life - galleries, restaurants, nightclubs, apartments? The strong M.G.M. cast? Musical score and Jerome Kern's melody?
3. The title and its reference to Charlie - the opening with his return to Maurice's Bar, his memories, the flashback device? The resolution?
4. The atmosphere of the end of the war, the liberation of Paris, the exuberance, Charles and the military and his encounter with Helen? The chance meeting with Marian? The visit to the Elswirth’s home? His being captivated by Helen? The end of the war in the Pacific? The soldiers being demobbed? The engagement to Helen, marriage? His settling down in Paris? The attempts to write novels and failure? His skill at his work at the paper? Helen and her social life? The birth of their daughter? Marian's marriage? Elswirth's devotion to his daughters and interest in Charles? The irony of Charles interviewing Lorraine, Marian's seeing him, Helen's reaction? The phone call about the money and the oil? The change in his life? His creative work stopping, his feeling inadequate, withdrawing? The effect on Helen? Her infatuation with Paul? The background of Helen's susceptibility to flu, Charles' reaction and locking her out in the rain, her death? His devotion to his daughter? His grief? Marian taking his child from him? His return to the United States? Success and his coming back for his daughter? The support of Claude? Of Mr Elswirth? His visit to Marian, her hardness, her coming to the restaurant as he watched Helen's picture, her relenting, the happy ending? Van Johnson in this central role, credible as the journalist-author, the moving sequences of his pleading for his daughter?
5. Elizabeth Taylor's attractiveness as Helen, the goodtime girl, expelled from school, extravagant, her love for her father, the contrast with Marian? Her pursuit of Charles, marrying him, her daughter? The whirl of her social life? The contrast with Charles? His failure and moving out and her becoming more domesticated? Her illness? The flirtation with Paul? The encounter with Lorraine? Her being out in the rain after discovering that Paul was merely using her? Her death and its pathos?
6. Marian and her attraction towards Charles, her jealousy of Helen, her marrying Claude, her never admitting the jealousy, the encounter with Lorraine, wealth, her hardness at Helen's death, taking the child? Claude's telling her the truth about her infatuation with Charles, her relenting?
7. Mr. E1swirth and his happy-go-lucky style, regard for his daughters, spending money, the high life? His regard for each of his daughters? Spoiling his granddaughter? His regard for Charles? Supporting him at the end?
8. The whirl of Paris and celebrities like Lorraine, her many marriages, the infatuation with Charles, going with him in the car? Provoking jealousies? The comparison with Paul and his role as tennis bum, gigolo? The affair with Helen? His not wanting to be serious and its consequences for Helen?
9. The atmosphere of Paris - newspaper offices, restaurants and bars, the high life?
10. The domestic drama with the focus on Charles' and Helen's daughter, her French and American backgrounds, wanting to be a ballet dancer, her grief for her mother, missing her father, the reconciliation?
11. Popular romantic themes, popularly presented?
