In 1946 Carole had a supporting role in the historical drama A Scandal In Paris. She played Loretta, a sexy showgirl who is hopelessly in love with a criminal in
the early 1800's. 20th Century Fox loaned her to United Artists to make the movie.
George Sanders plays the charming thief Francois Eugene Vidocq who
steals Loretta's ruby garter and breaks her heart. The cast includes
Signe Hasso, Gene Lockhart, and Akim Tamiroff. In one scene Carole gives a
sultry performance singing "Flame Song". Censors almost cut that scene
because at the beginning of the song she appears to be nude behind a
screen. A Scandal In Paris was directed by Douglas Sirk. It's original title was The Story of Vidocq. The costumes
were designed by Norma Koch who became one of Carole's good friends.
Carole and George Sanders
Filming took place in Hollywood from October 8 to November 26, 1945. In October United Artists threw a party to promote the movie. The
studio also sent perfumed garters to two hundred reporters. On November
14 a stalker named Charles Gramlich broke into Carole's dressing room and tried to attack
her. She told police he tried to "unzip her costume". Gramlich was arrested and sent to a mental institution. A Scandal
In Paris was released on July 19, 1946. The tag line for the movie was
"Every man has his price ... and every woman pays it". In England it was released as Thieves'
Holiday. Although she got third billing Carole was heavily featured in the ads. The movie got mostly positive reviews and became a hit. Many critics said it was her finest performance.
Carole points to her attacker Charles Gramlich
