Directed by a stalwart of British cinema Gordon Parry, INNOCENTS IN PARIS literally stars anyone and everyone of the film industry at the time. Alistair Sim, Margaret Rutherford, Ronald Shiner, Stringer Davis are just a few of the names. Then you get cameos galore, from future greats like Kenneth Williams, Laurence Harvey & Christopher Lee. All aboard for the plane to the capital of France. A planeful of English holiday makers are on their way to Paris. One is an English diplomat (Alastair Sim), another a Royal Marine bandsman (Ronald Shiner), then an amateur artist (Margaret Rutherford), a hearty Englishman (Jimmy Edwards), a young woman (Claire Bloom) and finally a Scotsman and Battle of Normandy veteran (James Copeland). One is on a working trip to obtain an agreement with the Russians. Another has just won a pool of the French currency and off for a night out.  An older Parisian man (Claude Dauphin) will entertain another. So much to do and so little time to do it in!

Labelled as a classic romantic comedy, INNOCENTS IN PARIS should really be called what it is trying to directly ape. That is the saturday night fun and games of popular theatre or vaudeville to you and me. The reason why we now name it such is simple. Now rom coms are easy sells. Then it was an ensemble of laughs in a certain situation. Post war, just before the teenage boom it was all about fun on the screen. All about getting bums on seat. Cinema was a family event. More bums. More seats. The distributors, censor and the industry was very keen on promoting this family aspects of the industry. People laugh, people smile and the tickling of families ribs, make them spend their hard earned money at the box office. The film is delightful and an easy ride that is spearheaded by a great ensemble cast, who get to entertain us, playing a situation comedy set up, all in the beautiful, exotic city of love, ie gaye Parie!

The disc looks a step up from the DVD I had knocking around for sometime. HD 1080p can do that. Although the print was well treated, well loved and it showed prior and more so now! Agnès Poirier Discusses Innocents In Paris is a tricky examination, done fairly well. Talking from the French perspective (for there was copious French talent here), gives us an additional take and one that is grounded in those having the events happen to them, so to speak.

Extras:

• A Weekend To Remember – Agnès Poirier Discusses Innocents In Paris
• Stills Gallery – Images Preserved and Supplied by the BFI Archive