The Royal Bed

Stagy version of Robert Sherwood comedy about the waning days of a constitutional monarchy. Everyone overacts, except for director-star Lowell Sherman who acts urbanely tipsy most of the time. The story doesn't hold up well. Watch for Mary Astor in a leading role before she learned how to steal a scene.

Lowell Sherman stars as a bored king on a European country. He faces a rebellious populace, a rebellious daughter (Mary Astor), and a repulsive wife (Nance O'Neill). Drawing room comedy has its moments and they all belong to Sherman and Astor. Sherman was a master at playing this kind of diffident character. Constantly rolling his eyes, pursing his lips, and waving around his always-present cigarette. It's almost a Bette Davis act before there was a Bette Davis.

J. Carroll Naish plays the Lenin-like revolutionary, Mischa Auer has a bit part as a flunkee, Anthony Bushell is the aide, Hugh Trevor is the prince, Robert Warwick is the bellowing general, and Gilbert Emery is funny as the butler.

Not great but certainly watchable and a must for fans of Lowell Sherman and Mary Astor!

The Royal Bed is a retitled version of one of Robert Sherwood's lesser known plays which as The Queen's Husband ran for 125 performances on Broadway in the 1928 season. Starring on Broadway as the most reluctant king was Roland Young playing the part Lowell Sherman does here.

Sherman is essentially indifferent to the role of king, he'd just as soon abdicate and let Princess Mary Astor marry her heart's desire Anthony Bushell. But Queen Nance O'Neill likes the perks of being royalty so Sherman stays.

The issue may get forced as there's revolution in the air and a most authoritarian army commander in Robert Warwick to put it down. At this point Sherman snaps out of his indolence and shows some statesmanship to set the ship of state right.

Next to work like The Petrified Forest, Abe Lincoln In Illinois and Idiot's Delight this is most second rate Robert Sherwood. But it does get its satirical points across. Watch for a nice performance from Hugh Trevor as a visiting foreign prince scheduled to marry Mary Astor and as unhappy about the prospect as she is. Another tragedy as Trevor died soon after this film was released.

There are some amusing moments. Lowell Sherman is fine in the role, but I can see how Roland Young would have fit this perfectly.

Royal Bed is watchable, but only just. I think it was intended to be a farce, but it doesn't have the pacing or the wit necessary for good farce. It's a one-joke film that goes on much, much too long. None of the actors stands out, and many of them fade right into the woodwork. The set and set decoration are mediocre and lack the necessary pomp and circumstance for a film set in a palace. The costume designer succeeds in providing overblown and farcical costumes for the men (many with baggy jackets topping ridiculously tight pegleg trousers). However, the costume designer fails to provide the right farcical tone with the women's costumes. Astor wears a cute riding outfit complete with jodhpurs in the early part of the film, and then later a gorgeous wedding dress. The queen (who is supposed to be that stock character of farce--an interfering busybody) wears several wonderful outfits including a half-length fur stole over a classic walking dress, and a taffeta gown with a gloriously regal train. Overall, I give Royal Bed a 4 out of 10.

Only the comical nature of this movie saved it from being completely insufferable. On the one hand we had the oppressed princess and on the other hand we had a down to earth and comical king.

As for the princess, Princess Anne (Mary Astor), she was the typical oppressed princess. You know the one--she can't do anything she wants to do and she's being forced to marry someone she doesn't want to marry. Only if she were a common peasant then she'd be free.

Gag.

Oppression is oppression no matter who is being oppressed, but I still find it difficult to watch a princess complain about how terrible her life is, or how she'd prefer being a beggar over being a princess. It's language like that that makes rich and royalty so unrelatable.

As for the king, King Eric VIII (Lowell Sherman), he was a solid dude. He loved his daughter, liked playing checkers with his palace guard, and was in favor of a republic. He was also in favor of his daughter running off and eloping with her secret lover, Freddie Granton (Anthony Bushell), the king's secretary. The king was in an untenable position that required some deft moves to navigate. He would have to use all of his wits to keep the peace, give his daughter what she wanted, and remain king at the same time. He did what he could and kept it funny all the while.

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