The French Line

1953
Approved
1h 42m

IMDb RATING

5.1/10

726

YOUR RATING

When her fiancé leaves her, an oil heiress takes a cruise incognito in order to find a man who will love her for herself and not for her money.

Play trailer2:11

1 Video

53 Photos

Classic Musical Holiday Romance Comedy Musical Romance

When her fiancé leaves her, an oil heiress takes a cruise incognito in order to find a man who will love her for herself and not for her money.When her fiancé leaves her, an oil heiress takes a cruise incognito in order to find a man who will love her for herself and not for her money.When her fiancé leaves her, an oil heiress takes a cruise incognito in order to find a man who will love her for herself and not for her money.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.1/10

726

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Videos1

Trailer 2:11

Trailer

Photos53

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Although Son of Sinbad (1955) marked Kim Novak's first screen assignment, The French Line was her first released picture in a bit part as a fashion model.

Goofs
When in NYC Pierre asks Waco for the time; Waco says 5 PM and 3 PM in Texas. This is factually wrong. Texas is predominantly in the Central Time Zone with a few cities in the Mountain Time Zone. Waco and Mame are from Paris, Texas which is the Central Time Zone, therefore, it would have been 4 PM there.

Quotes
Mary 'Mame' Carson: [This is the cut out speech that Jane Russell makes during her song, "Lookin' for Trouble"] That's all I need, is a man! Any type, any style! Just so, he's a man! Now, he can be short, tall, or elongated! He can be thin, muscular, obese... that's fat, you know! Any direction will do. He can be sweet, sensitive, intelligent, a little coy, but not a boy! Now, don't get me wrong! 17 to 70 will do! It ain't the age, it's the attitude! However, there is one requisite I must make: he has to be... brief! So bring him on, stand back, and watch my own private chemical reaction start to work!

Alternate versions
Due to a censorship controversy over 'Jane Russell' 's "Looking for Trouble" number, the film was briefly released without a Production Code seal. The final version (with seal) features a much tamer performance with relatively little breast exposure. The initial UK version omits that sequence entirely. Both versions survive, and are easily distinguishable: the "hot" version includes a spoken narration midway through in which Mary talks about what she wants from a man; in the shorter release version, some of the dance is performed with Mary positioned behind a figure-obscuring planter, and without the closer, high-angle cleavage shots.

Connections
Featured in Hollywood the Golden Years: The RKO Story: Birth of a Titan (1987)

Soundtracks
WELL! I'LL BE SWITCHED
(uncredited)
Music by Josef Myrow
Lyrics by Ralph Blane and Robert Wells
Performed by Jane Russell and Theresa Harris

User reviews23

Review

Featured review

Jane Russell as a sassy southern belle

It is difficult getting past the terrible condition of the RKO Technicolor print for The French Line. It is even more difficult believing that nobody has wanted to do something about it. Someone: please clean it up, restore it, do whatever needs to be done.

Jane Russell is superb as a sassy southern belle on a cruise to Europe. Adding to the fun is character actor Arthur Hunnicutt and leading man Gilbert Roland. The musical numbers are indeed risqué but the lyrics and choreography are not to be missed. Neither is Miss Russell's costuming which one must see to believe.

Aside from a better print, the only way this film could have possibly been better: if Robert Mitchum had been in it.