PARIS WHEN IT SIZZLES

US, 1963, 110 minutes, Colour.
William Holden, Audrey Hepburn, Tony Curtis, Noel Coward, Gregoire Aslan, Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, Marlene Dietrich, Mel Ferrer.
Directed by Richard Quine.

Paris When It Sizzles is an entertaining enough comedy but probably not nearly as good as its intentions. It was written by George Axelrod, writer of many entertaining comedies, especially The Seven Year Itch. Direction is by Richard Quine, a director of competent romantic comedies during the '50s and '60s from My Sister Eileen, to many Jack Lemmon vehicles, Bell, Book and Candle, The Notorious Landlady. He was to work with Tony Curtis in Sex and The Single Girl and with William Holden previously in The World of Suzy Wong.

There is Panavision colour photography of Paris, the humour of looking at film writing and the use of a range of film conventions. The satire is pleasant if not startling. William Holden is a rather sombre hero. Audrey Hepburn tries very hard to be light hearted and fey. Tony Curtis has the best guest role and sends himself and New Wave French film making up very humorously. Marlene Dietrich steps into the film momentarily as does Mel Ferrer. Noel Coward does his eccentricities well and Fred Astaire sings and Frank Sinatra sings a satiric song. It is a pity that the film
isn't much better than it is. The screenplay is based on a story by French director Julien Duvivier and Henri Jeanson.

1. An entertaining romantic comedy? Satire on film-writing and film making? The style of the '60s?

2. Colour photography, Paris? The romantic score? The songs Astaire and Sinatra?

3. The importance of the basic romantic plot and the satire? The gibes at Hollywood studios and filmmakers? Riviera producers? Hack screenwriters? The contemporary French New Wave sombre styles? The film's blending of a range of conventions? Adventure, spy story, intrigue?

4. The implausibility of the plot - as part of the delight? visual humour? Verbal humour? The various versions of the written plot echoing the win plot?

5. William Holden's style as Richard Benson? Strong and serious? His drinking? Girls? His inability to write a script? His reaction to Gabrielle? Her flattery? The attempts to write storylines? The two appearing as hero and heroine? Villain? Her reaction to his incompetence? His finishing off the script? The night out and the sex comedy? His reaction to the final script? To the producer's arrival? The genuine falling in love? An American type?

6. Audrey Hepburn and the international style? Glamour? Her flattery of Benson? Her typing? Her imagination and entering into the spirit of the satire? Her seeing herself as heroine? Being rescued? Dangers? Romance? Audrey Hepburn and sex comedy? The humour of the sequences with Tony Curtis, especially as the narcissistic star? The variety of police covers and Gabrielle as working for the police inspector? Her attack on him and the happy ending?

7. The police inspector and the various aspects of satire on detective stories, action police stories, the French police?

8. Tony Curtis guest-starring as boyfriend, bicycling actor, imitating the French New Wave, second police officer and undercover assistant? His sending up part of his own image?

9. Noel Coward and the satire on the Riviera producer? His lifestyle? Party and visit to Paris? Noel Coward's humorous affectations? The touch with Marlene Dietrich and Mel Ferrer? Fred Astaire's song? Frank Sinatra's satirical song?

10. The conventional romance? The transformation of the hack writer?

11. The humour of the far-fetched adventures? Dangers? violence and menace?

12. The humour of Hollywood able to send itself up?