Tom & Katie Spark A Flashbulb Frenzy In France

SAINT-TROPEZ, France (August 6, 2007) — Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes set off a veritable flashbulb frenzy when they paid an unexpected visit to the resort town of Saint-Tropez Friday night.

PEOPLE reports on the scene created by the superstar couple, which one veteran paparazzo described as “a genuine photo-riot.”

Tom and Katie were accompanied by Australian billionaire James Packer and his wife, Erica Baxter. The famous businessman married Baxter, a model and singer, on June 20.

The quartet reportedly sailed into the waters of Saint-Tropez aboard Packer’s yacht, “The Arctic P.,” in the afternoon, and then came ashore around midnight to visit local hotspot The VIP Room.

VIP Room clubowner Jean Roch told People that the scene at his club was “crazy, crazy, crazy.”

“It was an amazing surprise,” he gushed. “There were maybe 500 to 600 people gathered outside when they tried leaving. It was like word of mouth had spread all along the Cote d’Azur.”

Roch said that Tom and Katie “danced the entire night together” in the club, adding, “when they weren’t dancing they were holding hands.”

Photographers were reportedly “surprised” by the relaxed and friendly demeanor of the Hollywood stars when they exited the club. Katie dazzled in a light-weight black dress embroidered with ruby-colored stones, while the casually-attired Tom sported a brand new hairstyle (cut for his role in the WWII drama, “Valkyrie”).

Holmes reportedly told one of the photographers, “It’s great [to be in Saint-Tropez].”

The outing in Saint-Tropez was the latest stop on Tom & Katie’s week on the Mediterranean, as People reports that they were previously spotted jet-skiing in Sardinia and dining at a pizzeria in Corsica with some friends. Katie was also seen with baby Suri earlier in the week, when she visited Tom on the set of “Valkyrie” in Potsdam, Germany.

For Roch (who previously hosted Tony Parker’s bachelor party and Diddy’s annual bash), the amount of people who showed up to catch a glimpse of Cruise and Holmes was stunning.

“Last night was one of the biggest crowds we’ve ever seen,” he told People on Saturday. “But we hope to do even better tonight. George Clooney’s coming.”