Stranded in Paris

Julie McFadden is the quintessential American dreamer, a humble shop-girl who unexpectedly wins a golden ticket: passage across the Atlantic to the city of lights. On the voyage, the film establishes its comedic DNA through a chaotic sack race where Julie loses more than just her balance, resulting in a mandatory forfeit kiss with the charming Robert Van Wye. This shipboard flirtation sets the stage for a Parisian odyssey that quickly devolves into a nightmare of urban displacement. Upon arrival, Julie discovers her intended lodgings have been reduced to rubble, and a subsequent street robbery leaves her penniless and adrift in an unfamiliar metropolis. What follows is a frantic, high-speed chase through the streets of Paris that lands her in a high-fashion atelier. Through a comedy of errors and mistaken identity, Julie is recruited to deliver couture gowns, leading her into the private sanctuary of the Countess Pasada. The film peaks in a classic bedroom farce when Julie, emerging from a bath, discovers the Count in his pajamas and takes the drastic measure of imprisoning him in his own bathroom. The finale is a whirlwind of slapstick escapes involving baby carriages and narrow misses, ultimately proving that even the most disastrous vacation can lead to a romantic homecoming.