Take Me to Paris
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Take Me to Paris
| image = "Take_Me_to_Paris"_(1951).jpg
| caption = Claire Guibert & Albert Modley
| director = Jack Raymond
| producer = Henry Halstead
| writer = Max Catto
| narrator =
| starring = {{ubl|Albert Modley|Roberta Huby|Bruce Seton}}
| music = Percival Mackey
| cinematography = James Wilson
| editing = Helen Wiggins
| studio = Byron Films
| distributor = Associated British-Pathé
| released = {{Film date|1951|1|1|df=y}}
| runtime = 72 minutes
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| budget =
| gross =
}}
Take Me to Paris is a 1951 British comedy film directed by Jack Raymond and starring Albert Modley, Roberta Huby and Bruce Seton.Chibnall & McFarlane p.41 It was written by Max Catto and made at Walton Studios.{{Cite web|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7766eed3|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812051532/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7766eed3|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 August 2016|title=Take Me to Paris (1950)}}
Plot
Mr. Armstrong's racing stable is preparing to send one of its top horses to run in Paris's Maisons Lafitte, when the thoroughbred is unexpectedly injured. Its replacement is Thunderhead, a much lowlier animal, but favourite of jockey and stable lad, Albert. Meanwhile, two crooked stable hands plot to use the cross channel trip to smuggle forged bank notes in the horse's blanket. Their plans are foiled however, by Albert, who also manages to win the big race riding his favourite horse.
Cast
- Albert Modley as Albert
- Roberta Huby as Linda Vane
- Bruce Seton as Gerald Vane
- Claire Guibert as Annette
- Richard Molinas as Pojo
- Alfred Argus as Jules
- Lottie Beck as danseuse
- George Bishop as Mr. Armstrong
- Paul Bonifas as the bistro keeper
- Jim Gérald as butcher
- Gerald Rex as gendarme
- Leonard Sharp as Walter
- Marc Valbel as Maurice
Reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Trivial, quite pleasant, but inexpertly made."{{Cite journal |date=1 January 1951 |title=Take Me to Paris |volume=18 |issue=204 |pages=221 |id={{ProQuest|1305814481}} |magazine=The Monthly Film Bulletin}}
Kine Weekly wrote: "It is too clumsily timed to make good 'thick ear,' and far too dependent upon corny cracks to rock the screen with laughter. Albert Modley, the well-known Yorkshire comedian, is the star, but he is unable to adapt himself to an alien environment. The one redeeming feature is Claire Guibert, a comely and unaffected youngster, cast as the French heroine. Solely for the unsophisticated."{{Cite journal |date=17 September 1953 |title=Take Me to Paris |volume=438 |issue=2412 |pages=31 |id={{ProQuest|2732607117}} |magazine=Kine Weekly}}
Picturegoer wrote: "This picture made me squirm. The story is stupid, the direction loose and there's a glaring lack of attention to detail. ... In order to justify the title the producers have injected shots of Paris. Even they are laboured."{{Cite journal |date=7 March 1951 |title=Take Me to Paris |volume=21 |issue= |pages=17 |id={{ProQuest|1705092768}} |magazine=Picturegoer}}
Picture Show wrote: "Lively comedy ... It has a hard-working cast and first-rate Paris settings."{{Cite journal |date=11 August 1951 |title=Take Me to Paris |volume=57 |issue=1480 |pages=10 |id={{ProQuest|1880314653}} |magazine=Picture Show}}
In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "mediocre", writing: "Silly comedy has just the occasional nice moment."{{Cite book |last=Quinlan |first=David |title=British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 |publisher=B.T. Batsford Ltd. |year=1984 |isbn=0-7134-1874-5 |location=London |pages=383}}
References
Bibliography
- Chibnall, Steve & McFarlane, Brian. The British 'B' Film. Palgrave MacMillan, 2009.