The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-06-05
P'reUieu,s
,.. by JIMMY STARR.
Fl Net Him in Paris 3.
Rating: Excellent

!, RGt17tg:: Excellent 80
"A Phramognt Picture produced and
dtrected ~ Wesley Ruggles, assistant
to the pfOducsF, Arthur A. jacobson,
an original, story by Hecksn Meinardi.
Witty, worldly.wise and vel.
come, II Met Him in Paris" is rec.
commended from the start. Take
it IN, by all means!
/. But the ''him" In the title ia
misleading. Clauoette C olhert
meets not only 'him" In the mic.
tCire: she also meets them" The
them" consist Of Melvyn Douglas
as George Potter and Robert
Young as Gene Andrews. Melvin
is an American playwright with
no play on the fire. Robert is an
american novelist with no novel
brewing, either. -.
Right off the reel, the satan Of
a scenarist finds work for their
idle hands to do. In the Rit3
Ear, at the cocktail hour, they
descend upon. Claudette as she
toys with q dry martini. Not
knowing her from Eve, they'd
dearly love to. Pretending to res
cue her from the advances Of q
lovelorn Frenchman, they rally
round her, radiating glamour al
the while.
SO devastating is their charm,
both individual and collective,
that Claudette finishes her cock,
tail, packs her bags, throws dis
erection to the winds and sets out
with. Melvyn and Robert for
Switzerland. She. also forgetS
to remember, Bert Suffer, the
none-too.virile son Of the rich
to whom she Is engaged back
home, where :. she is, - designer
for . swank New York store. f..
Before you can say "Be Care.
ful!", or give any good advice,
the. midday choo-choo leaves for
st. Moritz. Melvyn; Robert and
the desirable young designer are
on, board. Taking to travel as
ducks to water, the glamour
guys are feeling high and .flighty.
In compartment or in corridor
the cards-what cards they areI
are stacked against Claudette.
Once in Sun Valley. Idaho
pretending with pictorial unsuc.
cess to Tbe the Upper Engsdine--
the trio goes In for outdoor sports,
Diked out In mittens, Inufflers and
ear1nuffs; watch caps, sun glasses
and WOODEN underwear: skis.
Ski-shoes and paraphernalia for
ski-joring, the heroes still pursue
her. And with the worst inten-
tons.
But the complications that en-
sue are never very complicated
and OF undoubted unimportance.
PlayfulneGs, rather than plot, is
the matter with which II Met
Him in Paris" is most concerned.
Skiing, skating and bobsledding.
drinking, dancing and wise-crack.
ing, cutting.up, carrying-on and
double crossing are what the seen
artist ordered. what the audience
enjoys.
Nevertheless, time is taken out
for Meivyn Douglas to propose
to Claudette and be turned down,
for. Robert Young to- propose to
Claudette and be treated like
wise, for Lee Bowman to arrive
from America and get the; gate
along with his more pixilated
rivals. As there is small need to
tell you, Claudette finally re-
Ients where Melvyn is concerned.
In eli her matchmaking days
La Colbert has never, been seen
and heard to better advantage
than in this picture. Melvyn
Douglas and Robert Young are
personable and not too Peter Pan.
ish as her adorers. Rudolph
Amendt Is amusing as a romantic
waiter. Mona Barrie serves sue
cessfully as q lovely lady mem
ace.
"A scintillant romantic. comedy,
II Met Him in Paris" is cooling,
comforting and charming. And
the wfntry backgrounds, looking
exactly like Idaho and not . Bit
like Switzerland, are none the