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Folies Bergere

1935, Movie, NR, 83 mins

Folies Bergere: Review

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FOLIES BERGERE is one of those rare films that was filmed in two languages during the same period by the same director. Maurice Chevalier plays the lead in both versions, but in the French-language film (L'HOMME DES FOLIES BERGERE) Natalie Paley was Baroness Cassini, Mimi was played by Sim Viva, and the Folies Bergere chorus girls performed in their usual mode--topless. Both versions feature Chevalier in a dual role: as Baron Cassini, a wealthy baron whose fortune is at risk, requiring him to be in two places (a ball and a secret business meeting) at once, and as Eugene Charlier, a Folies Bergere performer known for his uncanny imitations of the famous baron. Cassini's associates hire Charlier to impersonate the baron at the ball, and there follows a series of misadventures as the real baron and his imitator create much romantic and comic confusion, especially for the baron's wife (Merle Oberon) and Charlier's partner, Mimi (Ann Sothern). It's all very silly, but also quite fun, with Chevalier in top form in both roles. Two remakes (with new locales) were inspired by FOLIES BERGERE: THAT NIGHT IN RIO (1941), with Don Ameche, Alice Faye, and Carmen Miranda, and ON THE RIVIERA (1951) with Danny Kaye. Songs in this first version include "Singing a Happy Song," "Rhythm in the Rain," "I Was Lucky," "Au Revoir l'Amour" (Jack Meskill, Jack Stern; the first two sung by Sothern and Chevalier; the second two by Chevalier alone), "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth" (Harold Adamson, Burton Lane), "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You" (Victor Young, Ned Washington, Bing Crosby), "Valentine" (Andre Christien, Albert Willemetz, English lyrics by Herbert Reynolds [M.E. Rourke], all sung by Chevalier). leave a comment
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