Mrs Harris Goes to Paris & Mrs Harris Goes to New York

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Mrs. Harris is kind, smart, capable. She often puts others first, but proves able to stand up for what she believes in. Her best friend is supportive, encouraging, self-assured. Some strangers in Paris show kindness and an open mind; those who do not get their comeuppance. Why would I want to make a film about a woman who falls in love with a couture dress,” Fabian asks. “The beginning is that since childhood I’ve been a fan of Paul Gallico as a writer, and when I signed with a manager in L.A. he was also the manager of the Gallico estate. One day, he sent me a manuscript of a book of his I hadn’t read, and I was intrigued by it.”

Nothing is simple, but her unabashed friendliness, her concern for others and her naivety mean that she ends up spending a week sightseeing in Paris, aids one of her new-found friends in his love life, helps to solve Mme Colbert’s unhappiness, and attends fittings for her dress. Finally, she manages to smuggle the dress through British customs without having to pay duty (for which she has no money) by dispensing with the elegant Dior dress box, carrying her treasure in her ‘large well-worn plastic suitcase’, and telling the truth to the customs official:Many who are new to Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris are probably amazed to learn that the story of this kind cleaning woman and her ambitions in life actually stretched into three sequels. Published between 1960 and 1974, Ada would go on to have adventures that would take her everywhere from New York to Parliament, with a final stop in Moscow to cap things off.

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris saw its protagonist chasing a dress, and pretty much only that, in the first book. It wasn’t until Anthony Fabian and his team expanded Paul Gallico’s story that the dress stood for something else. In the production notes for the film, which is one of many literary adaptations hitting screens in 2022, Fabian cites the dress as the catalyst to a wider goal for Ada Harris’ life: allowing herself to fall in love again. Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide. Get started Close Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide. Get started Close Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide. Get started Close Love film and TV? Join BBC Culture Film and TV Club on Facebook, a community for cinephiles all over the world.Families can discuss the representation of women in Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. How did it compare to other films set in the 1950s? Would you describe Mrs. Harris as a positive female role model? What makes a good role model? How are drinking and smoking depicted in the film? Are they glamorized? Do you think our behavior has changed when it comes to drinking and smoking, from when the movie was set until now?