The Last Time I Saw Paris (Drama/Romance, 1954)

The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954) is a romantic drama loosely based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story "Babylon Revisited." Set in post-World War II Paris, the film follows Charles Wills (Van Johnson), an American journalist who arrives to cover the Allied victory. He falls in love with Helen Ellswirth (Elizabeth Taylor), a vibrant and free-spirited woman, after a brief flirtation with her sister Marion (Donna Reed). They marry and settle in Paris, where Charles struggles as a writer while working a mundane job at a news service. Their marriage faces strain due to poverty and rejection, but an unexpected windfall from a Texas oil investment brings wealth, shifting their dynamic. As Charles becomes a playboy and both drift into affairs, their relationship unravels. A tragic turn—Helen’s death from pneumonia after a fight and a snowy walk—leaves Charles devastated. After losing custody of their daughter Vickie to Marion, he returns to Milwaukee. Two years later, sober and reformed, Charles revisits Paris, reflecting on his lost love and life in a bittersweet conclusion at Café Dhingo.
Cast:
Elizabeth Taylor as Helen Ellswirth/Wills

Van Johnson as Charles Wills

Walter Pidgeon as James Ellswirth

Donna Reed as Marion Ellswirth/Matine

Eva Gabor as Mrs. Lorraine Quarl

Kurt Kasznar as Maurice

George Dolenz as Claude Matine

Roger Moore as Paul Lane

Sandy Descher as Vickie Wills

Celia Lovsky as Nora

Peter Leeds as Barney

John Doucette as Cafe Patron

Odette Myrtil as Singer (performs title song)