Night Train to Paris (1964)

Retired American OSS officer Alan Holiday (an earnest and credible performance by Leslie Nielsen) lives in London, England. He's visited on New Year's Eve by the beautiful Catherine Carrel (a charming portrayal by breathtaking brunette knockout Aliza Gur), who claims to be a friend of Holiday's former boss Jules Lemoine (a solid turn by Hugh Latimer). Lemoine convinces Holiday to carry out a secret mission that involves retrieving an important tape. Director Robert Douglas, working from a compact script by Harry Spalding, relates the enjoyable story at a brisk pace and treats the silly material with admirable seriousness. This movie further benefits from such amusing goofy touches as Holiday eluding detection by wearing Groucho Marx-style glasses and a guy in a bear suit. Eric Pohlmann makes a strong impression as hefty and lethal brute Krogh. Moreover, there's some mighty tasty eye candy provided not only by Gur, but also by lovely blonde Dorinda Stevens and the insanely yummy Edina Ronay. Kenny Graham's swinging jazz score hits the groovy spot while the sharp black and white cinematography by Arthur Lavis gives the picture a crisp noirish look. The tight 65 minute running time ensures that this film never gets tedious or overstays its welcome. A fun little quickie.

This 1964 film would have fared far better had it been a comedy. We know that Leslie Nielsen could do drama, but a comical interpretation of the film would have enhanced it, especially when on board on New Year's Eve, Nielsen puts on an outfit where he practically looks like Groucho Marx.Instead, this film, clumsily down, becomes one where people are trying to smuggle a tape out of England to France, and two of the people are immediately killed by a heavy-set man using gadgets on his prey.There is very little plot here if any, and of course, one of the ladies turns out to be in with the bad guys.

Long before Leslie Neilsen flew the funny skies of "Airplane" or packed heat as Det. Frank Drebben, he rode the rails of one of the dullest railroads on this planet. Yes, he appeared in an ultra cheap spy versus spy melodrama that took place on a train bound from London to Paris filled with New Year's eve revelers. One of the other spy guys, the main one, was an enormous fat freak who eventually dons a grizzly bear costume instead of the usual fright wig and Groucho glasses. Nielsen spends a good part of the 64 minute running time bolting in and out of 3 or 4 sleeping compartments on the anything, but convincing cardboard cutout train trying to recover a packet of a tape recording the French Sortie deem priceless. We're never told what's on the tape, but ultimately, so what, right? We do get to hear the refrains of a couple of nauseating and fake early 1960's tunes while the party goers dance the night away.Another fine train drama comes to mind which could gave been a big influence on this, the immortal "Night Train to Munde Fine". Surely, the baritone inflections of its theme song, proudly sung by John Carradine, might have influenced the party songs here. Both films deal with the adventures of the spy trade and, as such, are certain hallmarks of what came to be known as "the Swinging 60's".As the London to Paris Night Train winds its way to conclusion, Leslie Nielsen and his attractive co-star, Miss Israel of 1960, learn what true love can mean. Suffice it to say, the likes of this enchanting train ride will not come this direction again!

Leslie Nielsen stars in a smart breezy film about an important magnetic tape that has to go to Paris on New Years Eve. Nielsen goes to the aide of a friend and ends up in murder and espionage as he boards the title and is forced to avoid a mad killer.Its just over an hour and is a fine mix of the silly Nielsen and the very serious one. Its nice to see that he could be both a man of action and a smart mouth fellow. If there is a problem its that its almost too slight a film, the plot propelling things along at such a speed that the film forgets to generate enough suspense. Its kind of a spoiler to say, but you really do know that Nielsen is going to be okay in the end. Its not bad, but when I got to the end of the film I was still hungry for more.Recommended but have a second film ready