Together in Paris
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Together in Paris |
| Original title | Paris When It Sizzles |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1964 |
| length | 110 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Richard Quine |
| script | George Axelrod |
| production | Richard Quine George Axelrod |
| music | Nelson Riddle |
| camera | Charles Lang |
| cut | Archie Marshek |
| occupation | |
| |
Together in Paris is an American comedy film directed on location by Richard Quine with Audrey Hepburn and William Holden in the lead roles. The film is a remake of Julien Duvivier's On the Streets of Paris (La Fête à Henriette) (1952).
action
Richard Benson is a hugely successful and sought-after screenwriter for classic Hollywood entertainment. He's currently hanging out in Paris, charged with writing a new manuscript for a film called "The Girl Who Stole the Eiffel Tower" for $ 5,000 a week. But he, who is usually bursting with ideas, doesn't want to think of anything this time. This has been going on for 19 weeks, and during that time, alcohol has become Richard's best friend. The film studio in the form of the almighty producer Alexander Meyerheimer, who is waiting annoyed for Benson's results in sunny Cannes, sits on his neck and demands results. Meyerheimer loses patience: he only gives Benson two more days to hand in the script, otherwise he would be fired. Benson then hires the pretty young typist Gabrielle Simpson as his secretary. It is supposed to give him, the American who is sloppy on the Seine, a lot of help, become his inspiration and incite his zeal for work.
Initially, neither of the two knows where the story should head: a comedy, a thriller, a drama, a love story or possibly a western? Best of all, elements of it all! Soon the two mind players grow together into a team and, between a champagne meal and a romantic get-together, spin more and more into the story that Richard Benson is supposed to put on paper. Their alter egos "Rick" and "Gaby" play an increasingly important role. And so, in the course of the story, two courses of action are shown: The working couple struggling to find a manuscript that can be filmed and another one about Rick and Gaby in their cinematic fantasy world. You inevitably head towards a written happy ending for the film characters, but the script won't be finished by the deadline set by Meyerheimer. No matter. After all, after these joint efforts of thought, the author fell in love with his secretary, and at least in reality there was a new couple.
Production notes
Filming began in Paris on June 18, 1962 and continued throughout the summer of that year. The US premiere did not take place until April 8, 1964 in New York, which was very late. Germany started on March 28, 1964.
Audrey Hepburn stayed in the French capital after filming was over: Immediately afterwards, from October 22, 1962, she shot the thriller comedy Charade there with Cary Grant .
Jean d'Eaubonne created the film structures "for which he conceived Parisian flair like from a picture book." Hal Pereira was also (unnamed) involved. Gabriel Béchir provided the equipment . Henri Tiquet was a simple cameraman. Hubert de Givenchy created Audrey Hepburn's robes, Christian Dior those of Marlene Dietrich . She made a guest appearance here, which lasted only a few seconds, in the city that in reality was to be the last center of her life. Fred Astaire and Frank Sinatra sing without appearing in front of the camera.
useful information
The film was on hold for around a year and a half between the completion of shooting and its premiere. There were several reasons for this:
- The French cameraman Claude Renoir threw down after Hepburn's criticism of his recordings with her, whereupon Hepburn hired the US cameraman Charles Lang, whom she was familiar with.
- Hepburn and Holden were dissatisfied with Axelrod's script, and Charles Lederer , who was just on vacation in France, was hired as a (later unnamed) script doctor.
- Holden's alcohol problems, which according to the guest star Tony Curtis, who was present on the set, were clearly visible, caused a further delay.
- A new conception of the advertising strategy for this film, the start of which was originally planned for the summer of 1963.
synchronization
| role | actor | Voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| Richard Benson / Rick | William Holden | Heinz Engelmann |
| Gabrielle Simpson / Gaby | Audrey Hepburn | Marion Degler |
| Police inspector Gilet | Grégoire Aslan : | Curt Ackermann |
| François | Raymond Bussières | Klaus Miedel |
| Alexander Meyerheim | Noël Coward | Siegfried Schürenberg |
| Maurice / Philippe | Tony Curtis | Herbert Stass |
Reviews
The international criticism hardly left a good hair on this film:
In Variety it was read: “The fundamental flaw in this film seems to be the artificiality of the shell in which the parodies are enclosed. In other words, the supposedly 'realistic' situation is synthetic, so that the audience is never able to anchor themselves between the fanciful flights of fantasy that are scattered across the picture. Pretty soon you stop dealing with the story and are content with just seeing the pretty pictures that fling and dance across the screen. "
The Tagesspiegel came to the following conclusion: “This world of lovely, sweet appearances determines the milieu of the film, which - perhaps a little consciously - has decided to once profusely gossip about Hollywood's scam. However, it was not enough for satire on the vanity fair, on the factory of serially produced dreams and false ideal images, one is satisfied with smaller dimensions, one delivers a funny, sometimes a bit too superficial parody of the film industry, which is not the case Richard Quines may be to blame for directing on a clear line. Nothing is taken seriously from the start - and that is what makes this work so attractive. The rogue always blinks mischievously from the big eyes. "
“The result is a love story between the two of them that grew out of this chance encounter, which - garnished with some comedic gangster tricks - is staged as an unimaginative film in the film. Audrey Hepburn and William Holden do an often funny duet in technicolor on the summer background of Paris, but that is not enough for an enjoyable movie. "
The New York Herald Tribune also found harsh words: “Even Hollywood is now ready to greet moviegoers with a warm 'Hello, you sheep's heads!' welcomed. We've always suspected the more cynical cinema food suppliers of saying it quietly, but now George Axelrod and Richard Quine come and shout it out loud to us via Paris When It Sizzles , and in Technicolor too. Well, what more do we poor sheep's heads want? We are offered Audrey Hepburn and William Holden and Noel Coward and 'surprise appearances' by famous stars and Paris, as colorful as it is only on the national holiday - and, oh yes, 'Miss Hepburn's wardrobe and perfumes by Hubert de Givenchy'. (…) Audrey Hepburn is beautiful to look at, as always, and the same is true of Paris; on the other hand, William Holden is no Cary Grant, although he is trying hard. And Paris When It Sizzles ? Unmistakably Hollywood - when it is drizzling there. "
The Süddeutsche Zeitung commented as follows: “The idea is not new, but in principle it is nice - a screenwriter and his profession are glossed over. In spite of strenuous mental calisthenics, the unfortunate one cannot think of anything. Of course, the screenwriter George Axelrod can't think of anything more than that his hero can't think of anything - although he too is doing strenuous mental calisthenics. Anyone who wants to create something out of nothing, an excess of irony from a lack of inspiration, a plus of wit, charm and playfulness from a lack of ideas - and that was obviously what was wanted here - must be a great magician. Axelrod, meanwhile, turns out to be at best a trick artist á la Vorstadtvarieté (...) And although Audrey Hepburn comes up with capricious grace and William Holden hits the peacock wheel of male vanity with comedic verve - the compensation calculation with the attractive couple does not work. The two are not directly full-length. "
“Twelve years ago Julien Duvivier made a film about two screenwriters who are working on a manuscript in which the usual, stereotyped film plots are satirized. It was called La Fête à Henriette and was very entertaining. Paris When It Sizzles is a remake of this subject and is by no means entertaining. Despite starring Audrey Hepburn and William Holden… Paris When It Sizzles is boring and cinematic informal. This is due to the cumbersome script work by George Axelrod and the even more cumbersome directing by Richard Quine. "
The Movie & Video Guide wrote, “Sluggish, uncomfortable comedy that beats its own cast. (...) Parisian locations, guest appearances by Marlene Dietrich and other stars cannot save anything. "
Halliwell's Film Guide characterized the film as follows: "As a French film called La Fête à Henriette, this was a magical quirk, but Hollywood made it cumbersome and boring, especially since no one in the film seemed to be enjoying it."
"... his [Quines] sometimes superbly cast comedies (like" Together in Paris "with William Holden and Audrey Hepburn) now completely lacked any comedy."
Only the Lexicon of International Films found friendly words. Here it was said: "Largely charming and funny comedy, which, however, appears a bit over the top towards the end and slips into the non-binding."
Individual evidence
- ↑ Kay Less : The film's great personal dictionary . The actors, directors, cameramen, producers, composers, screenwriters, film architects, outfitters, costume designers, editors, sound engineers, make-up artists and special effects designers of the 20th century. Volume 2: C - F. John Paddy Carstairs - Peter Fritz. Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, Berlin 2001, ISBN 3-89602-340-3 , p. 595.
- ↑ Background information under Details.
- ^ Together in Paris in the German dubbing index .
- ^ Variety, New York, March 18, 1964.
- ^ Der Tagesspiegel, Berlin, April 5, 1964.
- ^ New York Herald Tribune, April 9, 1964.
- ↑ Süddeutsche Zeitung of April 14, 1964, p. 17.
- ^ Leonard Maltin : Movie & Video Guide, 1996 edition, p. 993.
- ^ Leslie Halliwell : Halliwell's Film Guide, Seventh Edition, New York 1989, p. 781.
- ^ Together in Paris. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed May 1, 2020 .
Web links
- Paris When It Sizzles in the American Film Institute catalog
- Paris When It Sizzles in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Together in Paris at filmportal.de