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3.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 3.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Hot for Paris remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a low tolerance for people shouting at the top of their lungs, you should probably stay away from this one. It’s for anyone who likes seeing a big guy get confused for seventy minutes while a Swedish sidekick makes weird faces in the background.
Is it worth watching today? Honestly, yeah, if you want to see how much energy they could cram into a movie back in 1929. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s got this weird, frantic heartbeat that kept me watching even when the jokes got a bit crusty.
Victor McLaglen plays John Patrick Duke, a sea dog who is basically a 200-pound ball of muscle and bad impulses. He’s got a 'weakness for women and strong drink' which is basically code for he’s a disaster waiting to happen.
The whole plot kicks off because he wins a million dollars on a horse race at Longchamp. But since he just finished wrecking a hotel in France, he sees a guy in a suit coming toward him and assumes it's the guillotine or something.
It’s a classic comedy of errors, I guess, but played with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. McLaglen spends a lot of time looking over his shoulder with this wide-eyed panic that’s actually pretty funny if you’re in the right mood.
I really liked the energy of Fifi D'Orsay in this. She has this way of looking at the camera that makes you feel like she’s the only one who knows how ridiculous the whole thing is.
There is a scene in the hotel where things go completely off the rails. It’s supposed to be a riot, and it actually feels like one, with furniture flying and people just scrambling everywhere.
It’s way more alive than some of the stiff stuff from that era, like The Silent Barrier. You can tell Raoul Walsh was behind the scenes because the movie moves fast even when it doesn't really have anywhere to go.
Now, we have to talk about El Brendel. He plays Axel, the sidekick, and he does that Swedish immigrant routine that was apparently huge in the twenties.
Sometimes he’s funny, but other times you kind of want to reach into the screen and give him a little shake. He’s got this 'Yumpin’ Yozaphat' vibe that gets old after about twenty minutes, but he and McLaglen have a weird chemistry that works in a 'dumb and dumber' kind of way.
The movie doesn't really care about logic. One minute they’re on a ship, the next they’re in a party, and everyone is suddenly best friends with a millionaire they didn't know existed.
There's a specific moment where McLaglen tries to hide behind a curtain that is clearly too small for him. It’s a bit of physical comedy that felt very human and less like a scripted bit.
I found myself wondering how many drinks they actually had on set. The party scenes feel a bit too real, with everyone looking genuinely tired and sweaty by the end of it.
It reminds me a little bit of the chaotic spirit in Roughing It, though maybe with more sequins. It’s definitely more fun than something like The Girl, Glory which takes itself way too seriously.
The sound quality is a bit rough, which is expected for 1929. Sometimes the dialogue drops out or sounds like they’re talking into a tin can, but it adds to the charm of the whole messy experience.
I love the way McLaglen handles a glass. He doesn't just drink; he looks like he’s trying to conquer the beverage.
The ending is just a big celebration where they’re forced to take the money. It’s a nice change of pace from movies where the hero has to work hard for their reward—here, he’s basically tackled by his own luck.
It’s a bit shallow, sure. There’s no big message about the human condition or anything like that.
It’s just about a guy who likes booze and horses and somehow ends up rich. Sometimes that’s enough for a Tuesday night. 🚢
I did notice one reaction shot of a lady in the background during the hotel riot that lasted way too long. She just looked bored while people were throwing chairs, which made me laugh more than the actual joke.
If you can find a copy that isn't too grainy, give it a look. It’s a loud, stupid, joyful relic of a time when movies were still figuring out how to talk. 🥂
IMDb —
1928
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