Under the Roofs of Paris (1930)

Under the Roofs of Paris (Sous les toits de Paris)
Directed by Rene Clair
Written by Rene Clair
1930/France
Films Sonores Tobis
IMDb page
Repeat viewing/Criterion Channel

With very few exceptions, the best original scenarios have been written either by writers who knew the cinema particularly well, or by professional film workers. Although it may seem at first sight that anybody should be able to write a film scenario, experience shows that good scenarios are very rare. — Rene Clair

This lovely romcom is the epitome of Gallic charm.

Albert (Albert Prejean) hosts sing-alongs on the streets of working class Paris as a gimmick to sell sheet music.  He has a friend who, unbeknownst to him, pickpockets the crowd. This guy is in the employ of Fred (Gaston Madot “L’Age dór”), a gangster.  Fred has a yen for Pola (Pola Illery), a pretty young Romanian immigrant.  She barely tolerates Fred, who, nonetheless, is all hands any time he gets close to her.  We will find out Fred is a complete cad in every way.

Pola sees Albert in the street.  She is one of the victims of the pickpocket.  Albert retrieves the money taken from her by his friend.  Fred takes Pola dancing.  Albert and his friend Louis (not the pickpocket) both flirt with her from across the room.  They toss a coin and Albert asks her to dance.  In the meantime, Fred steals Pola’s roomkey from her purse.

Pola notices her key is missing and she and Albert spend several hours walking the streets.  They then go back to Albert’s place and humorously work out sleeping arrangements.  He asks her to marry him.

The pickpocket turns up to ask Albert to keep a heavy satchel while he goes out of town.  Of course, it is filled with stolen property but Albert doesn’t look inside.  When the police come calling Albert is arrested.  He goes to jail.  While he is in jail, Pola takes up with Louis.  When he gets out, he, Louis and Fred work out who will have Pola.  Of course, it ends up being Pola’s choice.

This is an early sound film with plenty of music and other sound but little dialogue. The music is delightful and the production design is pretty amazing.  The film making is endlessly inventive. Who but Clair would have staged the final knife/fist fight and shown almost none of it? Recommended.