El príncipe y la corista

If this movie would have been like its first 40 minutes, now we'd been talking about a masterpiece. Unfortunately, after the initial fireworks due to the perfect duet between an extraordinary actor as Laurence Olivier and the magnificent Marilyn Monroe, the movie loses its push, maybe because the story doesn't know where to go. Actually the movie is good only when there's Olivier and Marilyn together in a room: the rest is really pointless. It's a pity because the scenography, the music, the acting and the direction of Olivier were good. A lost opportunity.

Just saw this again the other day after many years, and was impressed by Monroe's effortless upstaging of Olivier, who gives the most hammy, artificial performance of his career, unsurprising as he is directing himself.

If you want to see what star quality means, just watch their scenes together. He is desperately trying to ACT and eclipse her. All she has to do is just BE there in shot.

Whenever they are on screen, it is always her that one's eyes are drawn to and she gives such a natural performance throughout it almost seems as if she isn't acting at all. She also copes with some extremely tricky dialogue, giving the lie to her inability to remember lines. These are often done in a single take - one scene in particular, early in the film as she is leaving the house before Olivier arrives home, talking rapidly to Richard Wattis as they walk down the long staircase, is outstanding.

So, the film is worthwhile in showing Monroe as the great star she was - and revealing Olivier to only be capable of mere caricature (that fake German accent is so awful) without a strong director to rein him in.

The Prince and the Showgirl is a film worth watching, even with its imperfections. I did think it was overlong by about 5-10 minutes, but my main flaw with the film was the performance of Laurence Olivier. I just think he did a better job directing than acting here.

I am not knocking his ability as an actor, on the contrary, in fact I think Olivier is a very gifted actor. But, his acting complete with a rather patchy accent is somewhat hammy and I don't think it helped that the character he plays here is one of the more artificial ones he has played in his career in terms of development and arc.

Even with its faults, The Prince and the Showgirls has a lot to recommend it. The photography is just lovely, while the costumes and interiors are just splendid. I also liked the melodious waltz-like score, the sparkling dialogue and sweet story while Olivier does direct quite well.

However, the scene-stealer is the lovely, infectious Marilyn Monroe. She manages to outshine Olivier not just in her acting and comic timing, but she looks amazing especially in that figure-hugging, scene-stealing white dress she wears throughout. Sybil Thorndike also steals scenes as the Queen Dowager.

Overall, a nice film and worth seeing for Monroe and dress alone. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Grand Duke Charles (Laurence Olivier) is the prince-regent of Carpathia, a fictional Balkan country which could be the cause of a worldwide war. He's in London with his pro-German minor son and the Dowager Queen to attend the coronation of King George V in 1911. British foreign officer Northbrook (Richard Wattis) is tasked with getting him whatever he wants. The Prince is completely taken by the actress Elsie Marina (Marilyn Monroe) at the Coconut Girl Club. Northbrook brings her to a supper for two.

Laurence Olivier is very stiff which is his character. He's a tiresome old geezer. He is utterly overshadowed by Marilyn Monroe in every scene. This is a very unlikeable romance. The two characters and actors have no chemistry whatsoever. When it comes, the romance feels forced and uncomfortable. Monroe is great when she's drunk acting. She's magical and the screen loves her. The difference between the two can't be any greater. She is fun and hilarious. The movie grinds down whenever she's not on the screen.

If you are a Monroe fan you are in for an hour-and-a-half of sheer enjoyment watching the ingenuous, irrepressible, sexy/innocent personality that Marilyn played so well. It's hard to take your eyes off her as feelings,thoughts,and reactions to events flow over her features in a feast of method acting, if that's what it is. The little story is entertaining in a shallow sort of way - there's something going on with mitteleuropa politics and family tensions but it hardly matters as the engine of the story is the wide-eyed little commoner dumped into an aristocratic environment, and everything that transpires in the short time-frame of her visit. The joke there is that she is always being farewelled but doesn't quite go, and reappears, always in the same dress. There's a fairly familiar thread contrasting sophisticated and corrupt Europe with the honest, down-to-earth representative of the New World. However the European side does provide the excuse for some great costumes and sumptuous interiors, making the film glamorous to watch. Laurence Olivier is reptilian and repulsive as the Grand Duke, which is fine except that we are supposed to believe that the Monroe character has fallen for him. This is not too credible! The direction is tight and effective, so kudos to Olivier for that. Sybil Thorndike is great fun as the Dowager Queen. It's Monroe's film however. I'd happily watch it any number of times.