Highly Overrated But Still Good

A lot of fun.

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

The first of three versions of this story, "Folies Bergere" is a lavish musical set in two worlds of French high society-nightclubs and the aristocracy with Maurice Chevalier outstanding in a dual role of a wealthy Baron and his look-alike nightclub performer who often parodies the baron in his act. Chevalier gets two leading ladies here, both lovely yet completely different. Merle Oberon is the sophisticated baroness often neglected by the Baron for business, while the simpler Ann Sothern is the performer's girlfriend and partner. There are two versions of the 1935 film, this American version and another in French, where Chevalier had two other leading ladies replacing his American co-stars here. It is amazing that since both films were made simultaneously, it doesn't show in Chevalier's performance, which is fresh, filled with energy and pizazz.This can easily be compared to "The Prisoner of Zenda" and "The Prince and the Pauper", also stories involving a look-alike taking over a member of the nobility. Chevalier has several memorable production numbers: "Rhythm of the Raindrops" is a storm set production number where a ramp lights up like lightening as the dancers parade with umbrellas, and "Singing a Happy Song" features a slew of straw hats that range from regular size to enormous (the chorus girls even dance on them in kaleidoscopic fashion), Chevalier's best known trademark. This helped the movie win the dance direction Academy Award over Busby Berkley's classic "Lullaby of Broadway" (from "Gold Diggers of 1935").Merle Oberon's unpretentious lady of nobility has a smile with a sly yet quiet sense of humor, while Sothern is perky, yet sweet and not common. They manage to instill likability into their performances, being much more than window dressing for the obviously focused Chevalier. This isn't as well known as it should be, but not as obscure as some other worthy musicals with lavish production numbers (1933's "Sitting Pretty" and "Moonlight and Pretzels" come to mind as titles worthy of more popularity than they have) yet why this one has never been released commerically on home video is a mystery in itself.

Folies Bergère de Paris (Roy Del Ruth, 1935) is a Lubitsch-like confection with numbers inspired by the kaleidoscopic choreography of Busby Berkeley. It's also among the best films I've caught this year. The story sees a vaudeville entertainer (Maurice Chevalier with his familiar persona) impersonate a baron (Chevalier again), leading to romantic complications for both. Ann Sothern is the entertainer's good time gal, with Merle Oberon the baron's flighty wife. It's witty and invigoratingly entertaining, with a fine performance by Chevalier in his dual role and a top supporting cast that includes Eric Blore, Robert Greig and Halliwell Hobbes. Despite the enjoyable plotting, the film's finest moments come through the slew of great numbers at both the beginning and the end of the film. The Singing a Happy Song finale, which won an Oscar for dance direction and features several hundred straw hats of varying sizes, is really something, but all the tunes are great: Valentine, Rhythm of the Rain, Au Revoir l'Amour and You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth. This was Chevalier's last Hollywood musical until Gigi, 23 years later.

Simply marvelous music-comedy starring one of my favorites, Maurice Chevalier. Chevalier is at his usual debonair, charming, mischievous in this little gem of a film, impersonating entertainer Eugene Charlier and aristocratic Baron Fernand Cassini, with a very amusing plot based upon mistaken identity antics.His two leading ladies are both gorgeous: lovely, beautiful,elegant, sophisticated, regal, Merle Oberon as the Baroness and gorgeous, down-to-earth, fiery, ravishing Ann Sothern as Mimi, Charlier's partner.A couple of huge production numbers featuring Chevalier and Ann Sothern add for more fun.Above all, those were the days when Hollywood had such gifted and priceless talented character actors as Eric Blore, Halliwell Hobbes, Robert Greig et al, who were fantastic playing a variety of butlers, sidekicks, serious politicians etc., supporting perfectly the stars.Completely enjoyable classic film from start to finish. Try to catch it on the FOX Channel.

Slight Spoiler.I finally had a chance to watch "Folies Bergère de Paris", a delightful Fox musical comedy, directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Maurice Chevalier, Ann Southern, and Merle Oberon. I was only familiar with the 1940 remake "That Night in Rio" (also excellent) starring Alice Faye and Don Ameche. I heard good things about this original version which is brisker and more tightly wound than the later version, and I wanted to see it very much.In 1935 Fox filmed English and French versions of the story on the same set. The French version, simply titled "Folies-Bergère", was released in 1936. I saw the English version recently and it was fantastic.In his Paramount musicals, most notably those of Lubitsch, Maurice Chevalier, with his lighthearted French accent and aggressive suavity, was the epitome of continental charm. Here in "Folies Bergere", he does an impressive job of personifying two distinct roles: playing the rowdy stage entertainer Eugene Charlier and an aristocratic banker named Baron Cassini, creating some very funny moments and entertaining plot twists. Chevalier is lively without overplaying the parts, though the roles lack the sexual aggressiveness he displayed for his Lubitsch work. Ann Southern does a fine job playing Chevalier's whining and annoying girl Mimi, later reprised by Carmen Miranda in "That Night in Rio". Merle Oberon in her first major starring role looks marvelous as the Baroness Genevieve Cassini, later played by Alice Faye. "Folies Bergere" opens and ends with grand and rousing musical numbers. The first number is a very jovial one, a piece called "Rhythm of the Rain" featuring Chevalier effortlessly dancing and singing in the rain against the fake backdrop of the Folies Bergere. He is accompanied by Mimi and hordes of chorus girls carrying umbrellas. The final number - a Busby Berkeley-like extravaganza involving Chevalier and his fellow performers creating a gigantic hat worn by Chevalier himself - is an eye-popping piece of inspired choreography. This number is so merry and exuberant that you somehow forget the rest of the movie.Del Ruth's direction is as always modestly graceful, and captures the atmospheric gusto and vivacity of the Parisian cabaret setting. This is my sixth of Del Ruth's movies and it is one of his best. If you get a chance to see "Folies Bergere de Paris", make sure you do. You won't be disappointed. Even if you don't like this sort of stuff, it deserves to be seen, at least for Mr. Chevalier. This was one of his last distinguishable performances in the 1930s before returned to France and not to return to Hollywood until 1957 with Billy Wilder's "Love in the Afternoon".