Paris 36

Paris 36 is the story of a Parisian theater told against the backdrop of worker unrest and political upheaval in pre-World War II France. The theater has seen better days and the local mob chief wants to close it down, but he lets them stay open because he's convinced that if he does then he'll be loved as well as feared. Pigoil is the stage manager of the theater, and along with Milou, the local union organizer, keep the theater running, although just barely. Pigoil has also unjustly lost custody of his young son, and to make matters worse his ex-wife manages to thwart all attempts at contact father and son try to make with each other. Later on Douce, a beautiful songstress shows up to further complicate matters. This film although entertaining, spent a little too much time on the goings on in the theater, and not enough on the politics and unrest of the time. We get a few glimpses of the workings of the local fascist group, just enough to wish they spent more time on this storyline. Still, the film does have a few worthwhile production numbers, and for the most part the characters are interesting, and worth an investment of your time.

Rating - 3 (light)