Movie Review: Paris Playboys (1954)
Synopsis: When noted French chemist Maurice Gaston LeBeau goes missing while working on a top-secret rocket fuel, Sach's resemblance to the scientist makes him the perfect choice as a double/decoy to drive the real scientist out of hiding. While it seems to be the perfect opportunity for a Paris vacation with Slip and Louie, Sach soon learns his life is in danger from spies.
Who's in it? The movie stars Huntz Hall, Leo Gorcey, Bernard Gorcey, Veola Vonn and Steven Geray.
Review: I ended up watching Paris Playboys this morning for the same reason I pick many of my early-morning films, the shorter runtime. My experience with Bowery Boys films has been a bit hit or miss, though I have found just enough gems to keep giving them a try. Unfortunately, this one fit better in the "miss" category.
Ironically, while my biggest complaint about Bowery Boys films usually is the result of too much going on, this film was much more on the opposite side with not much substance to what could have been an OK plot. In fact, since it was just Slip (Leo Gorcey) and Sach (Hall) traveling to Paris, it was the bare minimum you could have and still call it a Bowery Boys film. I think you could even argue the movie didn't need Slip since Sach carried the load quite well without him.
I think the best way I can describe this is the plot needed to be a bit more focused. There is too much time spent on Sach (Hall) pretending to the be the scientist in front of unimportant and nameless characters and not enough time on the various people, like the spies chasing after the formula or LeBeau's fiancée (Vonn), that are much more intricate to the story (and I'm still confused as to why the fiancée wasn't told about the ruse). As a result of this, while not necessarily rushed, the ending didn't seem like it was earned.
There were some things I did like about this film. For one, Hall's extended screen time, playing two separate characters, once again demonstrated how great of an actor/comedian he was and made me wonder why he didn't have more of a career outside these movies.
I also liked how the movie gave Louie (Bernard Gorcey) more to do than other Bowery Boys films. I am admittedly a little undecided if the extra screentime helped or hurt the character but considering he was in as many of these films as the other two actors, it was well-deserved.
Final Opinion: The premise worked, and Hall made the most of his opportunity. However, it could have used a bit better overall execution.
My Grade: C
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Here are some reviews of other classic comedies:
Movie Review: Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953)
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