Taglines: You can expect to see the most unexpected people as these two lead you to danger and adventure!
Paris When It Sizzles movie storyline. Hollywood producer Alexander Meyerheimer has hired drunken writer Richard Benson to write his latest movie. Benson has been holed up in a Paris apartment supposedly working on the script for months, but instead has spent the time living it up. Benson now has just two days to the deadline and thus hires a temporary secretary, Gabrielle Simpson, to help him complete it in time.
Paris When It Sizzles is a 1964 American romantic comedy film directed by Richard Quine, and produced by Quine and George Axelrod. The screenplay is by Axelrod based on the 1952 French film Holiday for Henrietta by Julien Duvivier and Henri Jeanson. The film stars William Holden and Audrey Hepburn, and features Grégoire Aslan, Raymond Bussières, Noël Coward, and Tony Curtis.
The film’s title derives from the Cole Porter song “I Love Paris”:
I love Paris in the springtime
I love Paris in the fall
I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles
I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles
The film, whose working title was Together in Paris, is a remake of the 1952 French film Holiday for Henrietta, directed by Julien Duvivier. Paramount exercised an option on their contracts with both Hepburn and Holden, forcing them to make the film together. Holden, having had an affair with Hepburn during the making of Sabrina a decade earlier and been in love with her ever since, attempted without success to rekindle a romance with the now-married actress. Holden’s alcoholism was also a constant challenge for Quine, who moved into a rented house next to Holden’s during production to keep an eye on him.
Holden later commented on both of the problems: “I remember the day I arrived at Orly Airport for Paris When It Sizzles. I could hear my footsteps echoing against the walls of the transit corridor, just like a condemned man walking the last mile. I realized that I had to face Audrey and I had to deal with my drinking. And I didn’t think I could handle either situation.”
Curtis was brought into the production to film during a week when Holden was undergoing treatment for his alcoholism at the prompting of the director. Noel Coward worked on the film for three days, and a cameo from Marlene Dietrich meant to duplicate the many cameos of Around the World in 80 Days (1956).
The film was shot at the Billancourt Studios and on location around Paris. The film’s sets were designed by the art director Jean d’Eaubonne. Audrey Hepburn’s choice for cinematographer was Franz Planer who had photographed her in several of her films. With Planer being ill, Hepburn agreed to the use of Claude Renoir, however Charles Lang replaced Renoir as the director of photography during production, a change demanded by Hepburn after she saw what she felt were unflattering dailies.
Hepburn shot the film in the summer of 1962, back-to-back with Charade, which she shot that fall. The films shared several locations, most notably a Punch and Judy puppet theatre in the park in front of the Théâtre Marigny. Though finished shooting in October 1962, a screening at Paramount led to studio to deem the film unreleasable with the exception of the attraction of its two stars.
Paris When It Sizzles (1964)
Directed by: Richard Quine
Starring: William Holden, Audrey Hepburn,Tony Curtis, Grégoire Aslan, Raymond Bussières, Christian Duvaleix, Michel Thomass, Dominique Boschero, Evi Marandi, Noël Coward
Screenplay by: George Axelrod
Cinematography by: Charles Lang, Claude Renoir
Film Editing by: Archie Marshek
Set Decoration by: Gabriel Béchir
Art Direction by: Jean d’Eaubonne, Hal Pereira
Makeup Department: Dean Cole, Frank McCoy
Music by: Nelson Riddle
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: May 22, 1964 (United States)
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