It's debatable whether the ending works, but the set-up to So Long at the Fair is a fun one. 1896 Paris, the famous World Fair (used to some effect), the great Jean Simmons is an enthusiastic young woman whose brother disappears in the night at a fancy hotel, and everyone tries to gaslight her and say he never existed. It's kind of too bad for us too, because David Tomlinson (yes, the dad from Mary Poppins) is really quite funny, and you'll easily care about the brother-sister dynamic. We miss him as much as Simmons does. Dirk Bogarde might be her white knight, and it's also pretty fun to see him so young - I'm used to him playing middle-aged college professors and the like. Ultimately, this is about how polite the British are - to a fault, since it means they can be stepped out like welcome mats - and how rude the French art (a lot of comedy is derived from this at first, but it eventually manifests in a wild version of "the customer is never right". A thrilling premise, a fun comedy execution (definitely evoked The Lady Vanishes' tone), but it's melodrama that lets it down. Still worth a look.
RonJensen
Watch it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw_4S_KBGA8
Siskoid
It's debatable whether the ending works, but the set-up to So Long at the Fair is a fun one. 1896 Paris, the famous World Fair (used to some effect), the great Jean Simmons is an enthusiastic young woman whose brother disappears in the night at a fancy hotel, and everyone tries to gaslight her and say he never existed. It's kind of too bad for us too, because David Tomlinson (yes, the dad from Mary Poppins) is really quite funny, and you'll easily care about the brother-sister dynamic. We miss him as much as Simmons does. Dirk Bogarde might be her white knight, and it's also pretty fun to see him so young - I'm used to him playing middle-aged college professors and the like. Ultimately, this is about how polite the British are - to a fault, since it means they can be stepped out like welcome mats - and how rude the French art (a lot of comedy is derived from this at first, but it eventually manifests in a wild version of "the customer is never right". A thrilling premise, a fun comedy execution (definitely evoked The Lady Vanishes' tone), but it's melodrama that lets it down. Still worth a look.
ClassicLady
Good movie. Great acting. Nice camera shots.