Originally planned to highlight the talents of another up and coming Paramount player, Charlie Ruggles, it was quickly adapted to Maurice Chevalier's larger than life talent when "The Love Parade" proved such a big hit!! Chevalier proved he was completely at home in both light operetta and contemporary comedy with songs and "The Big Pond" gave him one of his standards - "You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me" which in 1930 instantly joined "Louise" in his repertoire, the fact that it was played endlessly throughout the film didn't worry anyone.
Chevalier played Pierre Mirande, an immigrant determined to make good and trying to cope with a snooty American family - and who did Paramount get to play Barbara, a typical American girl, why Claudette Colbert of course, who was almost as French as Maurice!! Newly hired dialogue director Preston Sturges not only rewrote the dialogue (it was taken from a 1928 Broadway play that lasted 47 performances), he altered the plot and characterizations so it resembled his own Broadway hit "Strictly Dishonourable".
Within minutes Pierre has confessed to Barbara Billings that "You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me". She is an American heiress caught up in the heady atmosphere of Venice but of course her father and Ronnie, her would be suitor, believe Pierre is a fortune hunter. They hatch a scheme to bring Pierre to America and completely discourage him by working him to a frazzle in the Billings Chewing Gum Factory. Back in New York Barbara assumes that Pierre is being treated with kingly respect but sneaky Ronnie has directed him to a seedy boarding house but is dismayed to see his French charm and good humour make him a real favourite with all the tenants - especially the land lady. His breezy spirits and hard work in the factory gradually thaw the hard hearted father and when Pierre hits upon the idea of creating an alcohol flavoured chewing gum (after a factory accident) the sky's the limit. Barbara is less than impressed as she sees her light hearted lover turn into a workaholic businessman but Pierre hasn't really changed - he is just trying his best to earn the $20,000 a year that Ronnie hinted he needed to win his girl!!
This satire on big business was a bit of a come down from the scintillating "The Love Parade". Funniest scenes were those that kidded Chevalier's confusion with American slang, especially at the boarding house dinner which ends with him being considered a regular guy by his fellow workers. At a presentation he launches into a typical "sing to the audience" song with the bubbling "Living in the Sunlight, Loving in the Moonlight" and just before the end he can hardly contain himself as he sings "Lucky Day" (he sings it to Jenny. She is a little girl at the boarding house and there is a really sweet interplay between them). For me, they are the only scenes that the Chevalier exuberance really shines through and I think they are the high point of the movie.
Claudette Colbert does nicely as the love interest, she even sings a bit, but she is not over taxed and seems to disappear during the last half of the movie.
Recommended.
Chevalier played Pierre Mirande, an immigrant determined to make good and trying to cope with a snooty American family - and who did Paramount get to play Barbara, a typical American girl, why Claudette Colbert of course, who was almost as French as Maurice!! Newly hired dialogue director Preston Sturges not only rewrote the dialogue (it was taken from a 1928 Broadway play that lasted 47 performances), he altered the plot and characterizations so it resembled his own Broadway hit "Strictly Dishonourable".
Within minutes Pierre has confessed to Barbara Billings that "You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me". She is an American heiress caught up in the heady atmosphere of Venice but of course her father and Ronnie, her would be suitor, believe Pierre is a fortune hunter. They hatch a scheme to bring Pierre to America and completely discourage him by working him to a frazzle in the Billings Chewing Gum Factory. Back in New York Barbara assumes that Pierre is being treated with kingly respect but sneaky Ronnie has directed him to a seedy boarding house but is dismayed to see his French charm and good humour make him a real favourite with all the tenants - especially the land lady. His breezy spirits and hard work in the factory gradually thaw the hard hearted father and when Pierre hits upon the idea of creating an alcohol flavoured chewing gum (after a factory accident) the sky's the limit. Barbara is less than impressed as she sees her light hearted lover turn into a workaholic businessman but Pierre hasn't really changed - he is just trying his best to earn the $20,000 a year that Ronnie hinted he needed to win his girl!!
This satire on big business was a bit of a come down from the scintillating "The Love Parade". Funniest scenes were those that kidded Chevalier's confusion with American slang, especially at the boarding house dinner which ends with him being considered a regular guy by his fellow workers. At a presentation he launches into a typical "sing to the audience" song with the bubbling "Living in the Sunlight, Loving in the Moonlight" and just before the end he can hardly contain himself as he sings "Lucky Day" (he sings it to Jenny. She is a little girl at the boarding house and there is a really sweet interplay between them). For me, they are the only scenes that the Chevalier exuberance really shines through and I think they are the high point of the movie.
Claudette Colbert does nicely as the love interest, she even sings a bit, but she is not over taxed and seems to disappear during the last half of the movie.
Recommended.