REVIEW OF "MRS. ‘ARRIS GOES TO PARIS" -- THE 1993 TV MOVIE

I was driving down the Jersey Turnpike the other day. I saw a billboard for an upcoming movie I never heard of: Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. I had less than zilch interest. Then I read that Angela Lansbury starred in a 90s TV movie based on the same source material. Suddenly, I had interest. I’m a sucker for stories about old ladies. Though I still haven’t seen the new adaptation, I hope it’s even half as charming and convivial as the TV movie. 

Angela Lansbury plays Mrs. Ada Harris, an upbeat and optimistic cleaning woman. She lives in 1950s London. Though she still mourns the loss of her husband from 20 years before, Mrs. Harris seems content with her life. She takes pride in her work and gabs frequently with her close friend (Lila Kaye), a fellow charwoman. But when she gets a glimpse of her employer’s Dior dress, Mrs. Harris’s life is never the same. 

For three years she pinches pennies, walks to work instead of paying bus fare, and eventually saves enough scratch to buy her very own Dior dress. She sets off for Paris, and remains undeterred by the snobbery of the Parisian fashion elites. They look down their haughty French schnozes at Mrs. Harris’s apparent lack of culture and strong cockney twang. True she’s not the most cultivated woman, but she is determined to get her dream dress. 

The appeal of Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris derives from its actors and character. No shock that Lansbury is terrific as Mrs. Harris. She deftly balances the cockney charwoman’s humor and steely resolve; she’s naive but never stupid. Mrs. Harris has lived a hard-earned life, full of loss and sacrifice, and she’s never let the bad times beat her down. Lansbury beautifully communicates this. 

In addition to Lansbury, the rest of the cast is terrific. Diana Rigg, Lothaire Bluteau, Tamara Gorski, and Omar Sharif play the group of Parisians whose lives Mrs. Harris affects for the better. (Mrs. Harris is a “traveling angel” — a screenwriting term — she doesn’t change, but through her actions changes others.) 

Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris (the missing “H” is meant to replicate her cockney accent) is not flashy or grandiose. The story has few surprises and proceeds in a comfortably predictable way. That, along with its simplicity, helps to generate its immense charm. It’s a successfully moving yarn about people of differing backgrounds, united by their yearnings for dreams, big and small. 

A large thanks to the marketing on the Jersey Turnpike for piquing my interest in this film and the upcoming one. 

The 1993 version was directed by Anthony Shaw, Lansbury’s son, and produced by her production company, Corymore Productions. Both film versions are based on Paul Gallico’s novel. He wrote a total of four Mrs. ‘Arris books. Movie buffs will likely recognize Gallico’s name. The Poseidon Adventure was based on one of his many novels.

The entire film is available for FREE on YouTube. 

-T.Z.