The Prince and the Showgirl (1957)

An American showgirl becomes entangled in political intrigue when the Prince Regent of a foreign country attempts to seduce her.

Director:

Laurence Olivier

Writers:

Terence Rattigan (by), Terence Rattigan (screenplay)

Stars:

Marilyn Monroe, Laurence Olivier, Richard Wattis

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

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Wattis	...	Northbrook
David Horne	...	The Foreign Office
Jeremy Spenser	...	King Nicolas
Sybil Thorndike	...	The Queen Dowager
Laurence Olivier	...	The Regent
Harold Goodwin	...	Call Boy
Gladys Henson	...	Dresser
Marilyn Monroe	...	Elsie
Jean Kent	...	Maisie Springfield
Charles Victor	...	Theatre Manager
Daphne Anderson	...	Fanny
Vera Day	...	Betty
Gillian Owen	...	Maggie
Esmond Knight	...	Hoffman
Paul Hardwick	...	Major Domo

Storyline

June, 1911. Among the dignitaries from the Balkan State of Carpathia in London for the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary is the Regent, His Serene Highness the Grand Duke Charles. The London foreign office places great importance on Carpathia because of an unstable geopolitical situation with Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany set to overthrow its monarchy government if allowed. The Regent, a Prince originally from Hungary, and the most recent and now deceased Queen married for convenience. As such, the Regent has spent time with a series of lady friends while on his travels in his somewhat "free" state. In meeting one of those London women, music hall actress Maisie Springfield, and the company of her current production "The Coconut Girl", the Regent instead has his eyes set on one of the minor players in the show, American actress Elsie Marina. When seemingly simpleminded Elsie receives a party invitation from the Regent for that evening, Elsie is not so simpleminded to understand ...

---

Plot Keywords:

prince regent | showgirl | london england | forbidden love | prince | 

---

Taglines:

Some countries have a medal for Everything.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Romance

---

Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film takes place in 1911, and much of the action is linked to a historical event: the coronation of King George V. During the coronation sequence in the movie, the anthem "I Was Glad" is sung. This piece of music is used at the coronation of many British Kings and Queens, and the version used in this movie was recorded at the ceremony for Queen Elizabeth II in 1952. Towards the end of the song, the choir exclaims "Vivat Regina" ("Long Live the Queen" in Latin), a section specifically added for the 1952 ceremony, having no relevance to the coronation of a King.

---

Goofs

In the shot overlooking the Carpathian Embassy, the rear of Buckingham Palace is shown. The Palace has a small lake and a wooded area at the far end of the vast expanse of the lawn. Both are missing in the shot.

---

Quotes

Charles, the Prince Regent: You know, Northbrook, what I think is the trouble with Lady Sunningdale?
Northbrook: She has not enough love in her life, Sir?
Charles, the Prince Regent: Too much. One should keep a balance in these things.

---

Connections

Referenced in Doctor Who: Evolution of the Daleks (2007)

---

Soundtracks

Naval March
Traditional
Arranged by Cecil H. Jaeger

User Reviews

The Coronation Scene

This is an odd, quirky movie that I can't say I really enjoy. Like many of Marilyn's movies, they come off being unbalanced, but this is the first, and only movie made by her own production company. There are some good parts, and there are even more boring, and "Plug in the coffee pot to keep me awake" moments.

Still, if it's on TV, I'll tune in for one scene only. The coronation scene, which has no dialog, concentrates almost solely on Marilyn's emotions while she watches history being made. Through her, we are drawn through the scene, and at least I, experience a full range of emotions to almost being on the brink of tears at how beautiful this scene is. With a close up of her face, she fades away and a glorious circular stained glass window appears, then to another stained glass window of cliffs that transforms and becomes real, long enough to hear the sound of a ship's horn in the distance, to the "violence, violence, violence!" chant and the thundering canon which brings this wonderful scene to its conclusion.

That scene alone, with a few other glorious shots of Monroe make this movie worth watching.

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English German French

Release Date:

13 June 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Sleeping Prince

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Marilyn Monroe Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1