The brilliant career of Edmund Goulding, best known for directed femme-oriented melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s, came to an end in 1958 with Mardi Gras, a musical comedy, starring Pat Boone and Christine Carère.
Boone stars as Paul Newell, a military school cadet, who wins a date with a French movie goddess (Carère), the queen of the “Mardi Gras” parade.
The two fall in love, but Carère’s studio wants to capitalize on this newly found love for publicity.
Jerry Wald had originally wanted Gene Kelly, who was too expensive. He eventually hired Goulding, whose career was in decline (and was therefore inexpensive), because Wald had admired his films when he was younger.[5]
Shirley Jones, who had co-starred with Boone in April Love, was meant to play the female lead but dropped out due to pregnancy. Instead the studio cast French actress Christine Carere, who has just made A Certain Smile, also with Boone, for Fox.
Shot on location in New Orleans, in CinemaScope and Deluxe color, the film was Oscar-nominated for the Best Original Score, composed by Lionel Newman.
Released on November 18, 1958, the movie as not popular at the box-office
Credits:
Fox
Running time: 107 Minutes
Cast
Pat Boone as Paul Newell
Christine Carère as Michelle Marton
Tommy Sands as Barry Denton
Sheree North as Eadie West
Gary Crosby as Tony Collins
Fred Clark as Al Curtis
Dick Sargent as Dick Saglon
Barrie Chase as Torchy Larue
Jennifer West as Sylvia Simmons