GrimPrecise
I'll tell you why so serious
Arianna Moses
Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.
Ezmae Chang
This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
Staci Frederick
Blistering performances.
richard-1787
This movie was released in 1956, right in the middle of Hollywood's decade-long fascination with Paris. It was a fascination ignited by the critical and financial success of An American in Paris (MGM 1951), and then stoked by such films as April in Paris ( Warner Bros. 1952), Moulin Rouge (20th Century Fox 1952), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (20th Century Fox 1954), The Last Time I Saw Paris (MGM 1954), Sabrina (Paramount 1954), Funny Face (Paramount 1957), The Sun Also Rises (20th Century Fox 1957), Love in the Afternoon (United Artists 1957), Gigi (MGM 1958), Paris Holiday (Tolda 1958), Can Can (20th Century Fox 1960), Paris Blues (Pennebaker 1961), Charade (Universal 1963), Irma la douce (MGM 1963), A New Kind of Love (Paramount 1963), Paris When it Sizzles (1964). Unfortunately, this movie adds nothing to that generally very distinguished and successful list. (Paris Holiday is a bomb, yes.)Others have recounted the plot, so I won't repeat that. Since this movie is about a group of non-Parisians living in Paris, it never really engages with its setting. It could just as soon have taken place in Vienna, or Rome, or ...Little thought seems to have been put into the production. The plot is worked out at the end, which takes place in the iconographic Garnier Opera House during a performance of Swan Lake. With a wealth of operas and ballets from which to choose, Krasna picked the Tchaikovsky warhorse for no apparent reason, because he makes no effort to tie what is going on on stage to what is going on in the boxes and corridors (the plot, such as it is). There's nothing really wrong with this movie, it's just that it's not very interesting. A cast this good should have been given a far better script.
mark.waltz
This so-called comedy seems an over-abundance of smugness that thrives on the mistaken belief that its all-star cast and intelligent screenplay will rise above pretentiousness. There's actually very little in the way of humor and story, a weak plot about two American women who pretend to be French in order to see how two American soldiers on leave will treat them. Olivia de Havilland is the titled character, daughter of ambassador Adolph Menjou who is engaged to the French Francis Lederer but sets her beret for the more appealing John Forsythe. Her sidekick? None other than Myrna Loy, still stunning and every inch the scene-stealer, managing to get laughs where there are none. De Havilland is too dry for modern comedy and seems miscast opposite the dashing Forsythe. Edward Arnold is still hanging on as Loy' s stuffy husband while Tommy Noonan fights for laughs as the other soldier. The snail paced screenplay with allegedly smart dialog is actually extremely highbrow, a dangerous quality for the mid 1950's. Many shots of Parisian tourist spots, while always lovely to look at, end up a detriment to the film as a whole. In spite of some matronly outfits, Loy ends up looking more appealing and younger than the leading lady who had lost much of her appeal at this point in her career. De Havilland doesn't succeed in the type of roles that Jane Wyman was raking in huge success at the box office at the same time.
whpratt1
This was a very entertaining film from 1956 with some great veteran actors who have had great roles in their careers and this is a rather silly film which seems to go on and on. However, this is a comedy concerning an American Ambassador's Daughter named Joan Fisk, (Olivia De Havilland) who live in France and meets up with a soldier named Danny, (John Forsythe) and Joan is modeling various dresses for an American Red Cross Benefit and Danny becomes very attracted to Joan. Joan does not tell Danny she is the daughter of an American Ambassador and pretends to be a French girl who is a professional model. There are wonderful actors in this film, namely, Myrna Loy, (Mrs. Cartwright); Adolphe Menou, (Sen. Jonathan Cartwright) and Tommy Noonan, (Cpl. Al O'Connor all gave outstanding supporting roles. If you like old time comedy films, this is the film for you.
bkoganbing
When Olivia DeHavilland played the title role in The Ambassador Daughter you have to ask yourself what in the world was she doing with parts that Audrey Hepburn should have played if she wanted it?Back of course in her salad days at Warner Brothers, Olivia would have definitely had a part like this, Jack Warner would have seen to it. Back in those days I could see her being cast with Errol Flynn as the young soldier. Of course back then there was no North Atlantic Treaty Organization and no American soldiers stationed in Europe. But that's indeed another story.John Forsythe is the young GI here and he's being used as a guinea pig in an experiment concocted by United States Senator Adolphe Menjou who's deeply concerned about the behavior of our GIs on leave in Paris. I sure hope Menjou's constituents were watching this movie and sent him packing post haste after the next election. Edward Arnold as the U.S. Ambassador to France and General Minor Watson are all in on this foolishness. This was Arnold's last film, not a good way to exit.Myrna Loy has a supporting part as Menjou's wife and she at least keeps a dignified front. What a shame that two giant cinema icons like Loy and DeHavilland should do this piece ridiculous fluff in their only joint screen effort.