The first of three versions of this story, "Folies Bergere" is a lavish musical set in two worlds of French high society-nightclubs and the aristocracy with Maurice Chevalier outstanding in a dual role of a wealthy Baron and his look-alike nightclub performer who often parodies the baron in his act. Chevalier gets two leading ladies here, both lovely yet completely different. Merle Oberon is the sophisticated baroness often neglected by the Baron for business, while the simpler Ann Sothern is the performer's girlfriend and partner. There are two versions of the 1935 film, this American version and another in French, where Chevalier had two other leading ladies replacing his American co-stars here. It is amazing that since both films were made simultaneously, it doesn't show in Chevalier's performance, which is fresh, filled with energy and pizazz.
This can easily be compared to "The Prisoner of Zenda" and "The Prince and the Pauper", also stories involving a look-alike taking over a member of the nobility. Chevalier has several memorable production numbers: "Rhythm of the Raindrops" is a storm set production number where a ramp lights up like lightening as the dancers parade with umbrellas, and "Singing a Happy Song" features a slew of straw hats that range from regular size to enormous (the chorus girls even dance on them in kaleidoscopic fashion), Chevalier's best known trademark. This helped the movie win the dance direction Academy Award over Busby Berkley's classic "Lullaby of Broadway" (from "Gold Diggers of 1935").
Merle Oberon's unpretentious lady of nobility has a smile with a sly yet quiet sense of humor, while Sothern is perky, yet sweet and not common. They manage to instill likability into their performances, being much more than window dressing for the obviously focused Chevalier. This isn't as well known as it should be, but not as obscure as some other worthy musicals with lavish production numbers (1933's "Sitting Pretty" and "Moonlight and Pretzels" come to mind as titles worthy of more popularity than they have) yet why this one has never been released commerically on home video is a mystery in itself.
This can easily be compared to "The Prisoner of Zenda" and "The Prince and the Pauper", also stories involving a look-alike taking over a member of the nobility. Chevalier has several memorable production numbers: "Rhythm of the Raindrops" is a storm set production number where a ramp lights up like lightening as the dancers parade with umbrellas, and "Singing a Happy Song" features a slew of straw hats that range from regular size to enormous (the chorus girls even dance on them in kaleidoscopic fashion), Chevalier's best known trademark. This helped the movie win the dance direction Academy Award over Busby Berkley's classic "Lullaby of Broadway" (from "Gold Diggers of 1935").
Merle Oberon's unpretentious lady of nobility has a smile with a sly yet quiet sense of humor, while Sothern is perky, yet sweet and not common. They manage to instill likability into their performances, being much more than window dressing for the obviously focused Chevalier. This isn't as well known as it should be, but not as obscure as some other worthy musicals with lavish production numbers (1933's "Sitting Pretty" and "Moonlight and Pretzels" come to mind as titles worthy of more popularity than they have) yet why this one has never been released commerically on home video is a mystery in itself.