Innocents of Paris

Innocents of Paris
Directed by	Richard Wallace
Written by	C.E. Andrews (play "Flea Market"; also novelisation) Ethel Doherty (screenplay) Ernest Vajda (screenplay)
Produced by	Jesse L. Lasky
Starring	Maurice Chevalier Sylvia Beecher Russell Simpson
Cinematography	Charles Lang
Edited by	George M. Arthur
Music by	John Leipold Richard A. Whiting Leo Robin
Production company	Paramount Pictures
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	May 25, 1929 (1929-05-25)
Running time	78 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Innocents of Paris is a 1929 black and white American musical film. Directed by Richard Wallace and based on the play Flea Market, the film was the first musical production by Paramount Pictures. Although the screenplay was regarded as mediocre, the critics were impressed with the newly-arrived Chevalier, for whom they predicted much success.^[1] At the preview in Los Angeles, established film-actor Adolphe Menjou, son of French immigrant parents, congratulated Chevalier in person.^[2]

The film utilized the somewhat new technology of sound with the Western Electric sound system. Dubbing was not a common practice, but the film makers attempted it here over stock footage of Paris. An orchestra played "Louise" under one microphone while several actors spoke street observations under another, like "What pretty flowers!", and a group of three men whistled bird calls into a third microphone. Several takes were required to get the mixing right, but what resulted was an early example of sound dubbing.^[3]

A novelisation of the film, written by C.E. Andrews, was published by The Readers Library to coincide with the film's release and included 8 pages of stills (it was titled The Innocents of Paris).