If I Were King- A 1938 Movis Directed by Frank Lloyd - Starring Ronald Coleman, Francis Dee and Basil Rathbone - Set in Paris in 1429 -141 minutes

 This is part of my Participation in Paris in July 2023 -Hosted by Words and Peace 

https://wordsandpeace.com/2023/06/30/paris-in-july-2023/

If I Were King is loosely based on the actions of François Villon in 1429, in Paris, during the siege of the city by the Duke of Burgundy.

François Villon is the best known French poet of the Late Middle Ages. He was involved in criminal behavior and had multiple encounters with law enforcement authorities. Villon wrote about some of these experiences in his poems. 

Born: April 1, 1431

Died: after 1463 

I recently completed an online course in the history of the cinema presented by The University of Pennsylvania.  The instructor explains that in the 1930s films about "lovable rougues." were popular. (A prime example is the role of Earl Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood.) If I Were King perfectly exemplifies this sort of movie.

Villon has contacts at Court through his poetry. The people of Paris have severe food shortages while those at court have huge reserves for their use. Of course a beautiful young lady at Court falls in love with Villon.

We also see Villon among the people.  Perhaps the film, released in the midst of a decade long economic depression in the United States, might have had political implications.  

My Next set in Paris Film will probably be The French, They Are a Funny People directed by Preston Surges.

Mel Ulm

Funny Face- A 1957 Film - Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire in Paris - A Beautiful Movie directed by Stanley Dolen

 

This is part of my Participation in Paris in July 2023- Hosted by Words and Peace 

https://wordsandpeace.com/2023/06/30/paris-in-july-2023/

The music is by George Gerswin, the customes by Edith Head

The movie is on YouTube 

The film tells the story of Jo Stockton (Hepburn), a shy bookstore employee who is discovered by fashion photographer Dick Avery (Astaire). Avery believes that Jo has the potential to be a successful model, and he convinces her to go to Paris with him to shoot a fashion campaign. In Paris, Jo blossoms into a confident and stylish woman, and she falls in love with Avery. However, their relationship is tested when Jo's intellectual side clashes with Avery's commercialism.

The opening in the office of a famous fashion magazine, it brought to my mind The Devil Wears Prada,  it begins with a delightful musical number when the magazine editor, who sees her job as telling the women of America what to wear decides the next issue will feature all pink outfits. The movie explodes in color, dance, marvelous clothing.

For the next issue she decides to feature women into arts and books, intellectuals. Of course no professional model can fit that role.  Being in New York City, the whole crew, including Fred Astaire as the photographer winds up in a Greenwich City bookstore being managed by Jo Stockton.  Chaos results and Jo is horrified by what she sees as the shallow values embodied by viewing women only for their looks. Jo is a follower of a French philosopher who expounds "Emphaticalism", a satire of the pretensions of French Existentialism.

A don't want to reveal to much of the plot other than to say Jo ends up as a lead model for the magazine's big fashion show issue in Paris. There are lots of iconic Paris scenes. Audrey even does an Apace dance and cracks an expensive vase over the head of the famous philosopher.  

This was Hepburn's first musical. She and Astaire make great dance partners.

I have loved Audrey Hepburn since I saw her way back when My Fair Lady premiered

I have found two other Audrey Hepburn movies with Parisian connections, Charade and Sabrina and hope to watch them both this month

Mel Ulm