The Prince and the Showgirl *** (1957, Laurence Olivier, Marilyn Monroe, Jeremy Spenser, Sybil Thorndike, Richard Wattis) – Classic Movie Review 2653

Laurence Olivier directs Marilyn Monroe in England in 1957 in this patchy but pleasant romantic comedy that by and large manages the odd trick of joining together of two very different screen legends and two very acting styles. For all its deficiencies and downsides, it remains a lovely occasion, indispensable viewing for movie buffs.

Olivier also stars Prince Charles, the Regent of Carpathia, while Monroe is Elsie Marina, the American seductress showgirl he falls for while in London for King George V’s coronation in June 1911. Prince Charles is among the important dignitaries arriving in the capital, who also include King Nicholas of Carpathia (Jeremy Spenser).

The British government wants to please the Carpathian royals during their stay in London, so they send civil servant Northbrook (Richard Wattis) into to their service. Northbrook takes the Prince Regent to see the musical The Coconut Girl and meets the cast backstage. But the Prince only has eyes for Elsie and sends a formal written invitation for her to meet him at the embassy for supper.

Olivier’s humourless, chilly, stiff persona and Monroe’s simple, dumb-blonde stock character are both amusing and highly polished, well-honed acts, but put together they perhaps produce fewer vital sparks and less scintillating sexual chemistry than the production probably intended.

Olivier directs at too languid a pace, so it’s rather slow moving, and sharper editing and a slightly shorter running time would help a lot. Terence Rattigan’s civilised but rather obvious and over-relaxed screenplay (from his own creaky, old-style play The Sleeping Prince) provides too little sparkling wit and humour to make such a simple soufflé rise impressively.

Still, Monroe is seemingly effortlessly sexy and funny (though that was the result of immense effort and endless takes), and Olivier is effortfully charming and amusing, so the acting fireworks event doesn’t turn out to be a damp squib at all.

There’s also the pleasure of watching the great support cast you expect to find in British movies of this era: Sybil Thorndike as the Queen Dowager and Richard Wattis as the wily Northbrook prove they are indispensable assets to the show.

Also in the cast are Esmond Knight, Rosamund Greenwood, Maxine Audley, David Horne, Harold Goodwin, Gladys Henson, Jean Kent, Charles Victor, Daphne Anderson, Vera Day, Gillian Owen, Paul Hardwick, Andreas Malandrinos, Margot Lister, Dennis Edwards and Aubrey Dexter.

Jack Cardiff’s Technicolor cinematography, Roger Furse and Carmen Dillon’s sets designs and the meticulous production by the British craftsmen at Pinewood Studios are huge assets to this smart-looking film.

There were tensions on set between Olivier and Monroe, who was always late and would do nothing without consulting her acting coach, Paula Strasberg. and also between Jack Cardiff and Monroe. Donald Sinden, working on a different movie at Pinewood, said Monroe popped in to his dressing room frequently ‘for a natter and a giggle. Of course as a sex symbol she was stunning, but sadly, she must be one of the silliest women I have ever met.’ Jean Kent said Monroe ‘appeared dirty and dishevelled’ and the filming experience caused Olivier ‘to age 15 years’.

In the end, critically and financially, its performance was less than impressive, though it did make a small profit.

The production is the backdrop for the 2011 film My Week with Marilyn.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2653

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