The French Line

Infobox_Film
name = The French Line


caption = Film poster
writer = Matty Kemp,
Isabel Dawn
Mary Loos
Richard Sale
starring = Jane Russell
Gilbert Rowland
Arthur Hunnicutt
Mary McCarty
Craig Stevens
Kim Novak (uncredited)
director = Lloyd Bacon
producer = Edmund Grainger - Producer
Howard Hughes - Executive Producer
music = Josef Myrow
Constantin Bakaleinkoff
language = English
country = USA
distributor = RKO
released = flagicon|USA February 8 1954
runtime = 102 min.
imdb_id = 0047000

"The French Line" is a 1954 musical film made by RKO, directed by Lloyd Bacon and produced by Edmund Grainger, with Howard Hughes as executive producer. The screenplay was by Mary Loos and Richard Sale, based on a story by Matty Kemp and Isabel Dawn. It was filmed in three strip technicolor and Dual strip polarized 3-D during what many consider 3-D films "golden era" of 1952-1954.

The film stars Jane Russell and Gilbert Roland and features an uncredited Kim Novak in her first film appearance.

Background and production

"The French Line" captures Russell at the height of her career, the year after "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", in a splashy musical comedy specializing in costumes so purposely skimpy that it garnered a condemnation by the Catholic Legion of Decency. The outrageous outfits were designed by Howard Hughes and the craftsmen at RKO to display Russell's physique to best advantage. Russell's singing, dancing, and comedic skills are also much in evidence. The film was considered scandalous at the time of its release but by today's standard would barely elicit a blush.

Plot

Millionairess Mame Carson's (Jane Russell) oil empire spells trouble for her love life. Men are either after her fortune or afraid of it. Her money-shy fiancé Phil Barton (Craig Stevens) has just given her the brush off. Disappointed, Mame heads for Paris on one of the French Line cruise ships with friend and fashion designer Annie Farrell (Mary McCarty). She swaps identities with Myrtle Brown, (Joyce Mackenzie) one of Annie's models, hoping to find true love incognito. Aboard ship she falls in love with French playboy Pierre DuQuesne (Gilbert Roland) who, unbeknownst to Mame, has been hired by her zealous guardian Waco Mosby (Arthur Hunnicutt) to keep the fortune hunters at bay. Pierre professes his love for Mame. Is he sincere or is this just a ploy to gain access to her millions? Silliness ensues interspersed with several musical numbers until Pierre's real intentions are finally revealed.

Controversy

Producer Howard Hughes was no stranger to controversy, especially when it came to Jane Russell. His focus on Jane's cleavage in "The Outlaw" ran afoul of The Production Code in 1941. The film was held up until 1943 before it was finally given a limited release."The French Line" had its own set of controversies. Jane's ample bosom literally popped out of the screen in 3-D. To stress the point Howard used the tagline "J.R. in 3D. It'll knock both your eyes out!" as part of the advertising campaign. He also added the raunchy song and dance number "Lookin for Trouble" performed by Jane in a revealing one piece outfit with three strategically placed cutouts. The Catholic National Legion of Decency condemned the film and called for a boycott. The Breen Office refused to give it a Production Code seal of approval. Howard defied both by releasing the film without the seal. After the initial run he made substantial cuts to the offending scene then re-released the film flat (without the 3D process). Advertising changed the tagline to " THAT Picture! THAT Dance! - you've heard so much about!" The publicity surrounding the film guaranteed a success for both versions.

The Critics Speak

* [http://movies2.nytimes.com/mem/movies/review.html?_r=1&title1=&title2=French%20Line%2C%20The&reviewer=BOSLEY%25 Bosley Crowther of the New York Times] had no kind words to say about the film. He found it full of "Smoking room humor" and felt "To say any more about the cheapness and obviousness of this R. K. O. film would be but to give it more attention. And that it most certainly does not deserve."
* [http://www.timeout.com/film/67061.html TimeOut London] said "some song-and-dance routines that look like outtakes from "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "How to Marry a Millionaire".
* [http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117791107.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&p=0 Variety] called it "a rather mild, gabby, fashion parade in 3-D".
* [http://www.answers.com/topic/the-french-line Craig Butler of All Movie Guide] called the film "Loud, garish and trashy".

3-D Films

*"The French Line" was filmed in RKO's own 3-D process which they titled "Future Dimension".
*Bwana Devil - 1952 is often credited as the first 3-D film. Although it did spawn "The Golden age of 3-D from 1952 to 1954" [http://experts.about.com/e/0/3-D_film.htm the history of 3-D films] can be traced as far back as 1903.
*Recent advances in 3-D films including [http://www.imax.com/ImaxWeb/welcome.do?param_action=skip IMAX 3-D] and [http://www.mkpe.com/publications/digital_cinema/insasia/3d.php Digital 3D] are opening a new era of 3-D filmmaking.

Availability

*The only surviving 3-D print of "The French Line" was screened at [http://www.filmmonthly.com/Behind/Articles/World3DExpo2006/World3DExpo2006.html The World 3-D Expo 2006] September 15th, 2006 at the [http://www.americancinematheque.com/egyptian/egypt.htm Egyptian Theater] in Hollywood, Ca. The print included the very rare uncensored version of the "Lookin for Trouble" number.
*Turner Home Entertainment released "The French Line" on VHS in 1989. Although the box claimed the print to be "The Original Studio Edition" it was the re-edited version with the censored "Lookin for Trouble" number. The VHS has been out of print for several years. It periodically surfaces on various auction web sites
* [http://www.tcm.com/index.jsp The Turner Classic Movie (TCM)] cable channel occasionally shows the censored version on TV.

External links

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