It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

This week’s musical:
April in Paris (1952) – Musical #129

Studio:
Warner Bros.

Director:
David Butler

Starring:
Doris Day, Ray Bolger, Claude Dauphin, Eve Miller, George Givot, Paul Harvey, Herbert Farjeon, Wilson Millar, Raymond Largay, John Alvin

Plot:
S. “Sam” Winthrop Putnam (Bolger) is a by-the-book State Department diplomat. He plays by the rules and doesn’t believe in mistakes. However, even Sam isn’t above making an error. His mistake? Inviting chorus girl Ethel “Dynamite” Jackson (Day) to a Paris arts festival instead of actress Ethel Barrymore. Sam visits Ethel in New York City to break the bad news, as her friends are throwing her a bon voyage party as she leaves for France. As Sam tries to undo his mistake, his superior, Secretary Robert Sherman (Harvey), think that maybe having a chorus girl at the arts festival isn’t a bad idea after all, and could be great public relations.

Trivia:
• The title song for the film, “April in Paris,” was originally written for the 1932 Broadway musical, “Walk a Little Faster.”
• Robert Arthur was originally assigned to direct this film but was replaced by David Butler.

Highlights:
• The gorgeous Technicolor
• The fun credits made to look like a calendar
• Ray Bolger tap dancing with portraits of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln
• Claude Dauphin singing “April in Paris” while it is miserable and cold outside.

Notable Songs:
• “April in Paris” performed by Doris Day
• “I’m Going to Ring the Bell Tonight” performed by Doris Day
• “It Must Be Good” performed by Doris Day and the chorus
• “That’s What Makes Paris Paree” performed Doris Day and Claude Dauphin

My review:
I first watched APRIL IN PARIS when I was 13, watching every Doris Day movie I could find. I checked this movie out from the library and couldn’t wait to get this movie home to watch. I remember that I was disappointed and thinking it was just okay — they couldn’t all be ON MOONLIGHT BAY or PILLOW TALK, after all. But with that memory of that first-time-watch in 2003 in mind, I approached this revisit with trepidation … and this revisit proved to be pleasant.

The premise of the film is truthfully hilarious: a chorus girl, Ethel Jackson (played by Doris Day) receives an invitation to a prestigious arts festival in Paris, France, instead of … stage and screen actress, Ethel Barrymore (it’s almost a shame we don’t get a Barrymore cameo!)

While the State Department diplomat, Sam Winthop (Bolger), tries to untangle his mistake, his superior, Secretary Sherman (Harvey) thinks this could be great publicity to invite and unknown to the festival. However, as their ocean cruise from the U.S. to France begins, it seems Secretary Sherman and the other guests aren’t as broadminded as they thought, constantly criticizing Ethel for not knowing which fork and spoon to use at dinner, and cautioning her from accepting dance requests, threatening to send her home. Ethel, also becoming frustrated, and Sam, tired of the strict rules of the department, begin to fall in love.

Doris Day wrote in her memoir that she didn’t enjoy making this film, largely because director David Butler and Ray Bolger were constantly at odds. Butler also felt Bolger was trying to upstage Day, but she said she was so green that she never realized it — and was thankful to not be aware.

While this may not have been a happy filmmaking experience, it still makes a happy film watching experience.

APRIL IN PARIS is colorful, has entertaining songs and wonderful dance numbers. I feel like people forget that Doris Day began as a dancer— a career that was halted after she was injured in a wreck as a teen — but films like APRIL IN PARIS show how really talented she is. Since starting in films in 1948, this was Day’s first film where she really got to show her dancing talent. This was the first feature film since Day’s film career began where she performed intense, choreographed dances — and the first time since a teen she had danced like this. She wrote in her memoir that the numbers left her exhausted.

Ray Bolger may seem like an unlikely leading man for anyone, especially Doris Day (maybe this was part of my teen disappointment), but somehow … it works? He’s fun and they dance well together. It’s true Day and Bolger lack the chemistry of Day and Rock Hudson or Day and Gordon MacRae, but these two are just fine.

Bolger’s distinct style of dancing is amazing here. My favorite Bolger number is when he dances in between portraits of Ray Bolger dressed as presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, who also join in the dance. It’s so much fun.

A highlight number of the film includes both Day and Bolger, “I’m Going to Ring the Bell Tonight.” It’s too much fun.

Another number I really enjoyed, “That’s What Makes Paris Paree” performed Doris Day and Claude Dauphin. It’s humorous and colorful. And is it weird if I mention that Day’s abs look amazing? The whole number is topped off with Day walking out with multi-colored poodles.

This whole film is filled with humor. One scene I particularly like is when Day and Dauphine are sitting outside at a Paris café and it’s clearly freezing. The wind is blowing, leaves are hitting them, the waiter comes out pulling his coat around him. Dauphine asks Day if she wants to go inside, but she declines, saying she came to Paris to enjoy it in the spring.

While I remembered not enjoying this film as a teen, I’m so pleased to share that I enjoyed this revisit. The dance, humor and color are wonderful—and can you ever really go wrong with Doris Day?

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