The Prince and the Showgirl (1957)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Laurence Olivier

Writers:

Terence Rattigan (play)
Terence Rattigan (screenplay)

Release Date:

13 June 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Some countries have a medal for Everything.

Plot:

When Grandduke Charles, the prince-regent of Carpatha, a fictitious Balkan country which could start a European war by switching alliances...

Plot Keywords:

Coronation | King | Embassy | Lady In Waiting | Prince Regent

Awards:

Nominated for 5 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Marilyn Monroe	...	Elsie Marina
Laurence Olivier	...	Charles, the Prince Regent
Sybil Thorndike	...	The Queen Dowager
Richard Wattis	...	Northbrook
Jeremy Spenser	...	King Nicolas
Esmond Knight	...	Hoffman
Paul Hardwick	...	Major Domo
Rosamund Greenwood	...	Maud
Aubrey Dexter	...	The Ambassador
Maxine Audley	...	Lady Sunningdale
Harold Goodwin	...	Call Boy
Andreas Malandrinos	...	Valet with Violin) (as Andreas Melandrinos)
Jean Kent	...	Masie Springfield
Daphne Anderson	...	Fanny
Gillian Owen	...	Maggie

Also Known As:

The Sleeping Prince (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

French | German | English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Iceland:L | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | Finland:S | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

L.O.P.

Trivia:

The first film from Marilyn Monroe's own production company.

Quotes:

Elsie Marina: Better luck next time, only not with me, of course.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Backstory: The Seven Year Itch" (2000)

Surprisingly good chemistry between Olivier and Monroe...

Considering that all of the backstage talk on the making of 'The Prince and the Showgirl' tells us that a huge rift developed between Oliver and Monroe, their chemistry in this charming comedy is incredible and very apparent. Oliver has his stuffiest role since 'Pride and Prejudice' and does a standout job. Their would-be seduction scene early on, where a tipsy Monroe confronts him with a show of confidence amidst her giggles, is a highlight of the film and sets the tone for the kind of banter between them.

Marilyn never looked more elegant than she does here, costumed and coiffed to look incredibly beautiful. The others in the cast are all impressive in their supporting roles but the main drawback is a script that lumbers along, poorly paced and finally going nowhere. At least twenty minutes of footage could have been clipped to make the whole thing more watchable.

But if you enjoy seeing Marilyn play comedy, this is the one for you. Never has she shown such a flair for enjoying herself in a role. One would never suspect that rumors of unprofessional behavior and disputes with Oliver were even remotely true. The finished product has a glossy, elegant and thoroughly professional look--and as I said before, the only drawback is the script itself and a story too slight to make it totally absorbing. But Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe are both excellent--and, surprisingly, Monroe even upstages him more than once.