Nessieldwi
Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.
CrawlerChunky
In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
Gary
The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.
Alex da Silva
This is a story about a real-life criminal turned private detective character - Eugéne Vidocq – set in C18th and C19th France. George Sanders plays the character but unfortunately, things are rushed as we skip forwards and Sanders sleepwalks through the film in a lacklustre manner. We also mistakenly get two comedy characters who are given significant roles – Akim Tamiroff (Emile) as murderous sidekick and loyal admirer of Sanders carrying out duties such as dressing his buddy and generally admiring him, and former chief of police Gene Lockhart who is inexcusably meant to lend yet more comedy to proceedings. Add to that a completely wet fish love interest in the form of Signe Hasso (Therese) and the film is not stacking up well.The best in the cast by a mile is gold-digger showgirl Carole Landis (Loretta) and she boosts the watchability single-handedly. Unfortunately, she is not in the film long enough. Given there is quite a slight storyline to the film, her moments are all memorable whether it be her singing performance (the best moment of the film) or her dialogue delivery and acting gestures which provide the only moments of true comedy.The makers of the film should have made this story more true to life and informed the audience more about this Vidocq character. I have no doubt it would have been a far more interesting story. He has a fantastic legacy and very engaging life story if you read up about him.
edwagreen
Positively awful George Sanders vehicle where he goes from being a thief to police czar.While Sanders was an excellent character actor, he was certainly no leading man and this film proves it.It is absolutely beyond stupidity. Gene Lockhart did provide some comic relief until a moment of anger led him to fire his gun with tragedy resulting.Sadly, George Sanders and co-star Carol Landis committed suicide in real life. After making a film as deplorable as this, it is not shocking.The usual appealing Signe Hasso is really nothing here.
style-2
The often-reliable Leonard Maltin says this is a "delightful romance" and that Sanders is "superb." Maltin must have confused this movie with something else. Sanders is snide and droll and superb, as usual, – you can imagine his delivery of the line regarding adultery, "Sometimes the chains of matrimony are so heavy they have to be carried by three," –but dull, wooden and dated describe this movie more accurately. The storyline itself, an autobiography with Sanders as a suave jewel thief, Francois Eugene Vidocq, who becomes chief of police but can hardly resist the lure of fine jewels, is entertaining enough, but it has the same kind of hollow historical Hollywood treatment that marred such period epics as *Marie Antoinette*, and certainly the deplorable *Forever Amber* (which screams for a classy remake). Though, in his defense, Sanders tries mightily to add some depth to his character, it is all for naught. I am an unabashed Douglas Sirk fan, but this is 1946, and it is one of Sirk's earliest American efforts, lacking many of the signature touches that would define his florid, breast-heaving potboilers. Sirk is just getting his feet wet here, and made a number of unmemorable films over the next ten years until he struck gold with *Magnificent Obsession*, and hit his stride, bombarding us with such estrogen-fests as *All That Heaven Allows*, *Written on the Wind*, and *Imitation of Life*. But *Scandal In Paris* is hardly his best work – a relatively low-budget affair with cheesy sets and ineffective costuming.
Bill
The movie is totally Sanders', and one of his finest--certainly one of his finest NON-supporting roles. BUT, it is also Landis's finest performance--her Flame Song is beautifully performed and foreshadows [sic--in both sense of the term]her final demise. See it for Sanders, who is always so worthwhile, but see it for Landis--at her peak
