The Lyons in Paris

Ben Lyon has apparently forgotten his wedding anniversary, and his wife Bebe is furious. Their son spots Ben dining with a glamorous French singer and assumes the worst, while the rest of the family picks up on partial clues and magnifies the trouble. The truth is a setup, Ben having planted misleading evidence to keep a family surprise under wraps: a holiday in Paris. Once the Lyons arrive, the small domestic confusions from home look tame next to a string of farcical misunderstandings and awkward encounters that leave the family juggling pride, embarrassment, and amusement without any major secrets being revealed.

Released in 1955, The Lyons in Paris was directed by Val Guest and adapted from the BBC radio series Life With the Lyons. The film stars married couple Ben Lyon and Bebe Daniels alongside their real children Barbara and Richard Lyon, with Reginald Beckwith in a supporting role. The project continued a popular franchise transition from radio to cinema.

Detailed box office records for the film aren't widely reported, and it wasn't marketed as a major international release. As a modest British comedy of its time, it likely earned most of its audience from fans of the radio show rather than from large commercial hype or blockbuster returns.

The movie kept the familiar domestic beats and running gags that listeners had come to expect, translating radio familiarity into visual sight gags and Paris-set scenarios. For contemporary viewers it represents midcentury British family comedy, showing how radio personalities were used to anchor light cinematic fare and how Paris was framed as an exotic backdrop for everyday mishaps.

Critical response has been mixed, and modern scores reflect a small sampling of viewers who find the film dated and broad in its humor. The story leans on misunderstandings, family dynamics, and situational comedy, aiming for laughs rather than depth. Fans of classic radio adaptations will appreciate its continuity with the series, while others may see it as a breezy, old-fashioned farce.