Cinema Sunday: Made In Paris

 

I can't always express why I may watch some movie I stumble when switching channels.

When it comes to Made in Paris, a 1966 American romantic comedy film I happened upon one Saturday afternoon, I know exactly why.

It begins with Ann Margret getting dressed.

Now I know for most men, their interests lie in seeing women getting undressed, the sooner the better.

But there is something about watching a sensuously beautiful woman like Ann Margret assembling her accoutrements from her lingerie to the dress she layers over it.  

It is a beautiful and captivating thing to watch. 

A shame I can't be as indulgent with my praise for the rest of the movie.

Made In Paris labors under the ancient and groaning guidelines of American morality laid out by the Hays Code.

Ann Margret is Maggie Scott, a young midwestern ingénue who's made it to the big city working as a buyer for a major department store.  

Maggie may have made it to the big city but she still has her small town ideals of what a woman wants: "I’m just an average American girl. I have the foolish idea that I’d like to settle down in the suburbs with a man I love and have children, and maybe even have a station wagon, and two of those large dogs with hair in front of their eyes."  

Ted Barclay (Chad Everett), son of the store owner, makes a move to seduce Maggie but gets bonked on the head for his trouble. Well, he had it coming. He was coming on too strong towards Maggie in her apartment where she did not want him.

Don't worry. Those crazy kids will work it out, profess their love for each other by the end of the movie.

Before we get there, Maggie gets sent to Paris for a fashion show where she encounters Marc Fontaine (Louis Jourdan), a fashion designer who is very suave and sophisticated in a way that only characters played by Louis Jordan can be.

At first Maggie ain't putting up with Marc's seductive act but eventually she just can't help herself and begins to act all swoony around him because it's Louis Jordan y'all. 

Ted has asked for help from Herb Stone (Richard Crenna), an expatriate journalist, to watch over Maggie and keep her safe from the charms and allure of Paris.

Too late! Maggie's done been charmed and allured by Paris at night, dragging Herb from club to club and just having a good old time drinking and dancing and flirting. OK, Herb promised his pal Ted a solid by protecting Maggie in Paris but damned, it's Ann Margret for God's sake and Herb is supposed to ignore it when Maggie oozes all over him?  Now if he could just get her to stop with the clubs and get back to his bedroom where he can sex her up right. 

Spoiler: Maggie does wind up in Herb's bed. Fast asleep, all tuckered out from drinking and dancing and flirting. Herb only removes her shoes as he leaves her. Herb is a perfect gentleman.

Ted has arrived in Paris because what the hell is happening to his woman.  

Ted punches Marc because Ted thinks Marc is fucking Maggie.

Then Ted and Marc team up to stop Herb from fucking Maggie.

Maggie decides she wants to fuck Ted within the institution of marriage. 

"Oh yes, Ted darling, I'll marry you!"

This is the same Ted whose sexual predatory proclivities were halted by Maggie bashing him the noggin at the start of the film.

Nobody really comes off well in this movie. The three guys are at turns selfish and idiotic.  

And Maggie is flighty and unfocused. 

I kind of sorry I invested 90 minutes in this movie.

On the other hand, it had Ann Margret in it so....

Next week, Cinema Sunday returns to Paris for a much better film, a comic heist picture from 1966 called How to Steal a Million.