The Prince and the Showgirl (1957) - film review

London, 1911.  Among the many heads of state who have assembled in the capital to attend the coronation of King George V, the ones who are most cosseted by the British government are the young king Nicholas of Carpathia and his father, the regent Prince Charles.  Realising that the Carpathia is crucial to maintaining peace in Europe, the staff at the foreign office do all they can to win the favour of the country’s leaders.  Prince Charles is taken to a show and is so enthralled by a showgirl, Elsie Marina, that he invites her to supper at his embassy.  Elsie quickly realises that the Prince’s intentions are far from honourable, but she soon succumbs to his charms, just as he falls for hers...

Bringing together two of the biggest names in cinema, The Prince and the Showgirl deserves to be something special.  In fact, it’s no more than a flimsy rom-com dressed up to as a prestige production to wow the audiences and the critics.  At the time, the stunt worked - spectators flocked in their millions to see Laurence Olivier ply his cool seductive charms on Marilyn Monroe.  Neither actor is at his or her best in this film, Terence Rattigan’s screenplay lacks sparkle and Olivier’s direction shows absolutely none of the inventiveness and charm of his previous productions.  Olivier was so unnerved by the experience of working with Monroe that he was dissuaded from directing another film for over a decade, and their poor working relationship occasionally comes across on screen.  The film isn’t bad, just bland and predictable.

© filmsdefrance.com 2009

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