The Prince and the Showgirl
Directed by:
Laurence OlivierCinematography:
Jack CardiffComposer:
Richard AddinsellCast:
Marilyn Monroe, Laurence Olivier, Esmond Knight, Maxine Audley, Jean Kent, Harold Goodwin, Richard Wattis, Jeremy SpenserVOD (3)
Plots(1)
Laurence Olivier is the Carpathian prince visiting England for the coronation of George V. Marilyn Monroe is Elsie Marina, an American actress doing a musical review at a nearby theater. When an old flame of the prince's turns out to be Elsie's boss at the theater, their paths cross--and Elsie's determined not to let them uncross. After the prince confirms her worst fear--that he's interested only in a quick seduction--she nonetheless finds herself falling for him. As his mother-in-law takes a shine to Elsie, she finds herself attending every official function of the coronation--to the chagrin of the prince and her jealous boss. The crusty prince must decide whether to let love into his duty-bound life, and Elsie must decide if happily-ever-after ever really comes true. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (1)
The Prince and the Showgirl is one of those films from the 1950s that has a really interesting backstory. Of course, its context was only rediscovered for the wider public on the occasion of the premiere of My Week with Marilyn, a nostalgic take on a Pinewood Studios romance. In fact, it was an interesting meeting over Terence Rattigan's play "The Sleeping Prince: An Occasional Fairy Tale" from 1953. The play was written to celebrate the coronation of Elizabeth II, is set in 1911, and is a rather endearing caricature of the politics of the time, as well as being a great London guidebook. Of course, this aspect is better in the film, but in the theater, it's the confident dialogue that takes precedence. Marilyn Monroe bought the rights to her new production and asked Laurence Olivier, the director and lead actor from the first production, to reprise his role and direct the film. This fact was somewhat overshadowed in its day by the sensational marriage of Monroe and Arthur Miller, and much gossip remains to this day. Yet what is the final film really like? It’s one of the least typical films of Monroe's late career, an almost mechanical flip of a theatrical routine that tries to make the most of her charm, Olivier's reputation, and Technicolor.
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