''Paris Honeymoon'' is a 1939 American

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as brea ...

directed by

Frank Tuttle Frank Wright Tuttle (August 6, 1892 – January 6, 1963) was a Hollywood film director and writer who directed films from 1922 (''The Cradle Buster'') to 1959 ('' Island of Lost Women''). Biography Frank Tuttle was educated at Yale Universi ...

and written by Frank Butler and

Don Hartman Samuel Donald Hartman (18 November 1900, New York - 23 March 1958, Palm Springs, California) was an American screenwriter and director and former production head of Paramount Pictures. He and Stephen Morehouse Avery were nominated for the Academy ...

. The film stars

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

Franciska Gaal Franciska Gaal (born Franciska Silberspitz, 1 February 1903 – 13 August 1972) was a Hungarian cabaret artist and film actress of Jewish heritage. Gaal starred in a popular series of European romantic comedies during the 1930s. After attracting ...

Akim Tamiroff Akim Mikhailovich Tamiroff, russian: Аким Михайлович Тамиров (born Hovakim Tamiryants; October 29, 1899 – September 17, 1972) was an Armenian-American actor of film, stage, and television. One of the premier character ac ...

Shirley Ross Shirley Ross (born Bernice Maude Gaunt, January 7, 1913 – March 9, 1975) was an American actress and singer, notable for her duet with Bob Hope, " Thanks for the Memory" from ''The Big Broadcast of 1938''. She appeared in 25 feature films be ...

, Edward Everett Horton and

Ben Blue Ben Blue (born Benjamin Bernstein; September 12, 1901 – March 7, 1975) was a Canadian-American actor and comedian who had a career that spanned nearly 50 years. Early life He was born Benjamin Bernstein in Montreal, Quebec on Septe ...

. Filming took place in Hollywood from May 23 to July 1938 and the film was released on January 27, 1939, by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

Plot

Bing Crosby plays the role of Lucky Lawton, a cowboy millionaire, who is about to marry Barbara (Shirley Ross). Unfortunately there has been a delay in finalizing Barbara's divorce from her previous husband and while this is being sorted out in Paris, Lawton is persuaded to visit a Balkan town - Pushtalnick - where he stays in a castle and has various misadventures. The elected Rose Queen - Manya (Franciska Gaal) - takes a liking to Lawton and romantic interludes take place. Lawton returns to Paris for his wedding but is still thinking about Manya and he returns to Pushtalnick in time prevent Manya marrying Peter (Akim Tamiroff). Lawton and Manya then drive off together.

Cast

as 'Lucky' Lawton *

as Manya *

as Mayor Peter Karloca *

as Barbara Wayne * Edward Everett Horton as Ernest Figg *

as Sitska * Rafaela Ottiano as Fluschotska *

Gregory Gaye Gregory Gaye (born Grigoriy Grigoryevich Ge; October 10, 1900 – August 23, 1993) was a Russian-American character actor. The son of an actor, he was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was the uncle of actor George Gaynes. He was a cadet ...

as Count Georges De Remi *

Luana Walters Luana Walters (July 22, 1912 – May 19, 1963) was an American motion picture actress from Los Angeles, California. Biography Walters was an expert horsewoman, which led to her discovery as an actress at a rodeo in Palm Springs, California ...

as Angela *Alex Melesh as Pulka Tomasto * Victor Kilian as Old Villager *

Michael Visaroff Michael Simeon Visaroff (December 18, 1889 – February 27, 1951) was a Russian American film character actor. Biography Visaroff was born Mikhail Semenonovich Vizarov ( Russian: Михаил Семёнович Визаров) in Moscow, ...

as Judge *Keith Hitchcock as Butler *

Raymond Hatton Raymond William Hatton (July 7, 1887 – October 21, 1971) was an American film actor who appeared in almost 500 motion pictures. Biography Hatton was born in Red Oak, Iowa. His physician father steered him toward a career in medicine. Howev ...

as Huskins *

Evelyn Keyes Evelyn Louise Keyes (November 20, 1916 – July 4, 2008) was an American film actress. She is best known for her role as Suellen O'Hara in the 1939 film ''Gone with the Wind''. Early life Evelyn Keyes was born in Port Arthur, Texas, to Omar Do ...

as a village girl

Reception

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though his ...

writing in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' commented: "The Old World charm of Bing Crosby in a ten-gallon hat is the principal Parisian motif in “Paris Honeymoon” (at the Paramount) which marks a return to the ancient Crosby formula of the days before “Sing You Sinners.” There is something almost engaging, however, about the conventional Paramount-Crosby plot, with its irreducible intellectual content and the way everybody concerned just quietly ignores it, as well-bred people always ignore unpleasant necessities... Bing, for instance, never bothers to pretend that he is really a millionaire cowboy, really in love with Shirley Ross, the heiress divorcée... One thing about Bing, you never catch him acting. He is always himself." ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' said: "Bing Crosby, back with a bundle of tuneful melodies, nonchalantly meanders through a light romance of the Prince Charming-peasant Cinderella type, displaying a more convincing personality than heretofore. With a group of known featured names surrounding Crosby, aiding considerably in dishing out the entertainment factors, picture is heading for substantial boxoffice...There’s a greater ease and assurance displayed by Crosby in his handling of the lead spot than previously. He times his lines better, and gives a corking performance throughout. . . Crosby’s four songs are exceptional..."

Soundtrack

"I Have Eyes" (

Ralph Rainger Ralph Rainger ( Reichenthal; October 7, 1901 – October 23, 1942) was an American composer of popular music principally for films. Biography Born Ralph Reichenthal in New York City, United States, Rainger initially embarked on a legal career, ...

Leo Robin Leo Robin (April 6, 1900 – December 29, 1984) was an American composer, lyricist and songwriter. He is probably best known for collaborating with Ralph Rainger on the 1938 Academy Award for Best Original Song, Oscar-winning song "Thanks for t ...

) sung by Bing Crosby and Shirley Ross.
"You're a Sweet Little Headache" (Ralph Rainger / Leo Robin) sung by Bing Crosby.
"The Funny Old Hills" (Ralph Rainger / Leo Robin) sung by Bing Crosby.
"Joobalai" (Ralph Rainger / Leo Robin) sung by Bing Crosby.
"

I Ain't Got Nobody "I Ain't Got Nobody" (sometimes referred to as "I'm So Sad and Lonely" or "I Ain't Got Nobody Much") is a popular song copyrighted in 1915. Roger A. Graham (1885–1938) wrote the lyrics, Spencer Williams composed it, and Roger Graham Music Pub ...

" sung by Bing Crosby.
"Bulgarian Rose Song" (Ralph Rainger / Leo Robin) sung by chorus. Bing Crosby recorded five of the songs for

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American Decca's president. ...

. "I Have Eyes", "You're a Sweet Little Headache" and "The Funny Old Hills" all achieved top ten positions in the charts. Crosby's songs were also included in the Bing's Hollywood series.

References

External links

* {{Frank Tuttle 1939 films American black-and-white films 1930s English-language films Films directed by Frank Tuttle Paramount Pictures films Films scored by Gerard Carbonara Films scored by John Leipold Films set in Paris 1939 musical comedy films American musical comedy films 1930s American films