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6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Playboy of Paris remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you want to see Maurice Chevalier wink at a camera for eighty minutes while wearing a very stiff apron, then Playboy of Paris is exactly what you need today. It is perfect for people who like that specific kind of old-school French charm that feels like a warm croissant.
You will probably hate it if you can't stand the hissing sound of early 1930s audio or if you want a plot that actually makes sense. It is a very thin movie, but it has a lot of heart in its messy little way. 🥐
Albert (Chevalier) is a waiter at the Cafe de la Paix and he is honestly just bad at his job. He’s clumsy, he’s late, and he’s constantly flirting when he should be clearing tables.
The whole movie kicks off because he inherits a massive pile of money from an uncle. But right before he finds out, his mean boss, Monsieur Bourgan, tricks him into signing a contract to work there for another year.
It is one of those movie contracts that doesn't seem legal at all. Like, why can't he just pay a fine and leave? But the movie needs a reason for him to be a millionaire waiter, so we just go with it.
There is a lot of fun in the double life stuff. By day, he’s getting yelled at in the kitchen, and by night, he’s out at the fancy clubs wearing a tuxedo that fits him way too well.
I noticed one scene where he’s serving soup and you can clearly see the actor playing the customer trying not to laugh. It feels very live, like they only did one take and just kept going.
Eugene Pallette is in this as Albert's friend, and his voice is just the best. It sounds like someone rubbing two pieces of sandpaper together in a basement.
He adds a lot of grounding to the movie because Chevalier is so... bubbly. Sometimes you need a grumpy guy to balance out all that singing.
Speaking of singing, the songs are okay, I guess. "My Ideal" is the one everyone remembers, and it’s actually pretty catchy.
I found myself humming it while making coffee this morning. It’s a bit of a earworm, even if the lyrics are a little bit cheesy.
The daughter of the boss, Yvonne, is played by Frances Dee. She’s incredibly young here and has this very natural way of acting that makes everyone else look like they are trying too hard.
She actually looks like she’s listening when people talk, which wasn't always a given in 1930. Most actors back then were just wating for their turn to shout their lines at the ceiling.
There are some weird moments, though. Like the socialite Albert hangs out with at night—I honestly forgot her name five minutes after she left the screen.
She’s mostly there to show off massive hats and look expensive. The movie doesn't really know what to do with her once the romance with Yvonne starts heating up.
If you’ve seen something like Collars and Cuffs, you’ll recognize that same kind of 'man in a uniform' slapstick. It’s a very common trope, but Chevalier makes it feel a bit more sophisticated because of the accent.
I also kept thinking about A Jazzed Honeymoon while watching the night club scenes. There is just something about that early 30s obsession with "high society" that feels so alien and fascinating now.
The way they talk about money is so earnest. Like, having a million francs is the same as being a god.
There is a scene in a park where Albert is trying to be romantic, and the lighting is just... weird. One side of his face is totally dark, and the other side is glowing like a lightbulb.
It’s these little imperfections that make me love these old movies, honestly. You can feel the people behind the camera struggling with the new technology.
The pacing is a bit wonky, too. It starts fast, then stops dead for a few songs, then rushes to an ending that feels like they ran out of film.
But the ending is sweet enough. It’s exactly what you expect, which is fine sometimes. 🥂
I did find myself wondering why the boss was so obsessed with keeping Albert as a waiter. If he’s that incompetent, wouldn't you want him gone? The logic is a bit broken, but if you're looking for logic, you're watching the wrong film.
It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Min's Away, where things just happen because the script says so. You just have to lean into the silliness of it all.
Overall, it’s a light snack of a movie. It won’t change your life, but it might make you smile for an hour. And honestly, Chevalier’s lower lip pout is worth the price of admission alone.
It’s not a masterpiece like some of his later stuff. But it’s got that shambolic charm that you only get from this specific era of Hollywood trying to be Paris.
Give it a shot if you're in the mood for something that feels like a vintage postcard come to life. Just don't expect the waiter to get your order right. 😉
IMDb —
1929
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