Grade: D+
Synopsis: A young English woman (Jean Simmons) in Paris wakes up to find her brother (and his entire hotel room!) missing.
So Long at the Fair is built around a premise worthy of Hitchcock. Indeed, he would make a film built around a similar theme (person vanishes and nobody acknowledges them as even having existed) the following year with Strangers on a Train.
Unfortunately, So Long at the Fair lacks Hitchcock’s flair and suffers for it. Jean Simmons comes across as a whiny brat for much of the movie, and spends more time crying than she does looking for her brother.
Indeed the movie only really picks up when Dirk Bogarde takes over. While the script doesn’t give any reason for his sudden interest in Simmons’ character, you really don’t care because by that point you’re sick of her.
Bottom Line: A great premise undone by a terrible first half.
