Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and it needs little introduction. We know it as the City of Light and the city of the Lost Generation that was liberated by the Allied troops during the Second World War. We can be happy that for every one of these visions of Paris, there is a movie. And thanks to the internet you can watch many movies online for free.

Some very good movies about Paris are now in the Public Domain and that means they can be legally watched for free. Here are a few of the best Paris films that can be found with a simple Google search and watched for free online:

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) Based on a novel by Victor Hugo, this silent film tells the love story of Quasimodo, the deformed hunchback bell ringer of Notre Dame Cathedral, and the beautiful Esmeralda in Paris of the 15th century.

Phantom of the Opera (1925) A famous horror movie starring Lon Chaney as Eric, a creepy character who lives in the dark passageways under the Paris Opera building. Eric coaches Christine Daae (Mary Philbin) in secret to become an Opera star but at the moment of her success he declares his love for her and she panics!

The Liberation of Paris (1944) Filmed by the soldiers fighting for France in WWII, the film tells about the uprising of the French Resistance from August 15, 1944 to the arrival of the US GIs and the German surrender on August 25th. The film shows real combat action, scenes of the Parisian public, and a speech by General Charles de Gaulle. (french language)

Man on the Eiffel Tower (1950) Inspector Maigret (Charles Laughton) must hunt down a wily murderer. He has little proof but finally pins down his prime suspect on the, you guessed it, The Eiffel Tower. A mystery/detective film that shows off the City of Paris to great effect.

Last Time I saw Paris (1954) Van Johnson plays the role of Reporter Charles Wills who goes to Paris to write about the WWII victory celebrations. He meets a beautiful Bohemian woman (Elizabeth Taylor) and they soon get married. Charles finds work as a writer in Paris but before Charles gives up writing to live off the money he gets from Helen’s father. As a result the dreamy couple soon becomes less dreamlike and they grow apart.

Arch of Triumph (1985) A doctor who helped Jews escape from the Nazis in Austria lives a secret life in Paris. On a bridge over the Seine he finds a woman (Lesley-Anne Down) about to commit suicide one night and rescues her.

A good way to prepare for a trip to Paris or relish the memories of a previous visit is watching movies about Paris. And if you’re one of the many who wonder how you’ll ever be able to afford the wonders of the City of Light, these films can serve to motivate you to do what it takes to get there!

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