King's Rhapsody (1955)

Director:

Herbert Wilcox

Writers:

Ivor Novello (play)
Pamela Bower (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

7 May 1956 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Musical

Plot Keywords:

Based On Play

Cast

Anna Neagle	...	Marta Karillos
Errol Flynn	...	Richard, King of Laurentia
Patrice Wymore	...	Princess Cristiane
Martita Hunt	...	Queen Mother
Finlay Currie	...	King Paul
Francis De Wolff	...	The Prime Minister
Joan Benham	...	Countess Astrid
Reginald Tate	...	King Peter
Miles Malleson	...	Jules
Edmund Hockridge	...	The Serenader (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Brian Franklin	...	Boy King

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Herbert Wilcox Productions

An interesting movie because of the association with Ivor Novello

What a shame Novello had died before this movie was made. Errol Flynn was near the end of his life and appeared to be inebriated throughout, though admittedly still possessed that well-known charm. I remember Novello from my very early childhood as everyone knew him then, he was so famous and so popular and his death put the country into mourning. I remembered always some of the songs from this musical, that were played over and over of course, and Vanessa Lee singing the poignant Some Day My Heart Will Awake which was a major hit. So it was interesting to see the movie on TV some years ago. But what a shame there isn't some recording of Novello playing the part.

This is of course Novello's most famous musical although I myself think I would place Glamorous Night and Perchance to Dream above it if only I could see a version of them.

Whatever, the music is of course the first and foremost attraction. Beautiful as always. Novello like Johann Strauss never failed when it came to music. The story is charming and like so much of Novello's work, bitter-sweet. Wasn't it one of our royals who told Novello after seeing Glamorous Night that she'd love to see a happy ending please so he added that in for her in Careless Rapture?

There is an interesting book by Hester W. Chapman based on this musical. Chapman extends the story skilfully and this book of hers is so much less frustrating than some others of her fiction containing as they often do men who seem to be completely heartless, twisted, and severely emotionally damaged individuals who confuse the poor heroine (and the reader) into despair with what seems to be love, and then walk off uncaring leaving the poor woman totally bereft. In Chapman's King's Rhapsody the King has a heart and a soul and is a decent human being and his frustrating life is fascinating as in the musical. It was a book I read many years ago after guessing it probably related to the famous old musical and it was and still is a very rewarding read.