Expensive Husbands

Fading movie star Beverly Roberts is vacationing in Vienna, where waiter Patrick Knowles serves her. At the advice of her publicity man, Allyn Joslyn, she puts an ad in the newspapers for a title. Who shows up but Knowles, who rejoices in the title of Prince. They arrange a marriage of convenience, but Miss Roberts is disappointed there are no extras. She returns to Hollywood and a revived career, talking about how Knowles is stuck in Europe redecorating his castles for her. Then he shows up and starts spending her money.

Knowles is pretty good in his role, with a decent accent that sounds vaguely Italian. Miss Roberts is rather blah in the comedy, and the laziness in writing -- as indicated by Knowles' character being named Rupert of Rentzau -- shows through. Director Bobby Connolly tries to spice things up with a couple of musical production numbers, but even Joslyn doesn't put much zing into his lines. With Fritz Feld and Vladimir Sokoloff.

Laurine Lynne (Beverly Roberts) is a Hollywood star whose career is on the wane. She decides to leave the USA and her polo playing boyfriend and heads to Vienna*. There. She is driven to distraction initially by an incredibly obnoxious prince who is working incognito at the hotel. Prince Rubert (Patric Knowles) apparently is down and out financially...but his manners are rather haughty and annoying. He thinks he's cute and clever....he's not.

While Lynne is in Vienna, she reads in the paper that some actress she doesn't respect got a plum role in a film. Why? Possibly because this lady recently married a Count and it's given a boost to her career. So, Lynne is determined to outdo her rival and sets out to marry an even more titled man and instructs her people to essentially buy one! So, the man ends up being Prince Rupert...who was VERY insulting towards her during her hotel stay. Not exactly a marriage made in heaven, huh? What's next? See the film...or, better yet, don't.

The film has a HUGE problem. Rupert is so obnoxious that it's hard to care about him at all. In fact, you probably will hate him. So making this a romance is a REALY uphill battle! And, while not nearly as big a problem, Beverly Roberts is rather bland and it's hard to see her as a famous actress.... I am not trying to be mean, but she just doesn't seem right for the part. Also, seeing her throwing a temper tantrum and breaking things didn't exactly make her likable, either! As a result, you never really care much for the couple and you will probably find your interest waning after a while. Overall, passable entertainment but it could have easily been better.

*The IMDB summary says the Lynne goes to an unspecified region when she goes to Europe. Well, the film clearly says that she went to the Blue Danube Hotel in Vienna. It also clearly says they were married in Austria.

The plot is mildly amusing, hough familiar. A movie star down on her luck thinks marrying into nobility will help. A man with a pedigree is down on his luck. We first meet him as a (supposedly) adorable waiter, doing things only a nobleman can do when trying to make a little money on the side. Guess what happens.

This movie tries for screwball. It tries for light romance. It ends as a screwed up lightweight mess.

The supporting cast is OK. But Beverly Roberts is highly unconvincing as a glamorous star. She is not the picture of femininity, to put it politely. She seems sort of a cross between Mercedes McCambridge (from the neck up) and Anthony Quinn as his body might appear in a frilly gown. That may give an idea of her, and the movie's, appeal.

Prince Rupert (Patric Knowles) is working as a waiter in a hotel, and tells actress Laurine Lynne (Beverly Roberts) exactly what he thinks of her acting abilities. She is conflicted; at first, she is insulted, but then realizes he is right. Then, through a wacky transaction, they are married -- she wants a title to further her career (?) in return for money to be given to the Prince. It's a Warner Brothers B shortie, at only 62 minutes, so don't expect a whole lot. And they both have a servant/sidekick for comedic reasons. There are some choppy edits, and what must have been some deleted scenes (why are they in jail ??) but the picture and sound quality are mostly good. A couple fun little touches, like the fast, fancy dancing and twirling at dinner in the restaurant, or the bit where the maids make up the honeymoon bed. The acting was mostly good, for lesser known names, but both the script and the editing were pretty bad. And Knowles seems to be channeling Erik Rhodes from Gay Divorcée in a faux Italian accent. All the secrets are explained a the end, but the pacing is not smooth... very jumpy and awkward. Directed by Bobby Connolly, who had a background in dance and choreography. Connolly died quite young at 46... no cause of death listed.

I must confess that neither Beverly Roberts nor Patric Knowles are among my favorite stars, and this movie showed me why. Their love scenes are unconvincing. The screenplay doesn't help either, since it can't decide to be a romantic comedy or a musical At one point, a group of maids do a production number, which was very jolting and out of place. Knowles is an impoverished prince working as a waiter and Roberts is a movie star on a European promotional trip. He is very honest and tells her that her movie love scenes are very bad, causing her to be angry. (He's apparently a good critic.) When her agent (Allyn Joslyn) tells her she lost a part because the one who got it had married a count, and suggests she marry some royalty, she advertises for one! Naturally, Knowles gets the job. Though it was supposed to a marriage of convenience, she awaits him on her wedding night. He wants her to give up acting, so she goes back to Hollywood in a huff. Of course, Knowles follows, and it is easy to predict the ending because of the unfeminist attitudes of the 1930's. I don't know how the movie did at the box office, but I would have been annoyed I paid money to see it.