Her Highness and the Bellboy

Hedy Lamarr is a princess in love with a commoner - and Robert Walker thinks he's the commoner - in "Her Highness and the Bellboy," a delightful 1945 movie that costars June Allyson and Rags Ragland.

Walker is one of Hollywood's most tragic stories - a talented actor whose personal problems led to a year-long institutionalization and later, his sudden death shortly after his brilliant work in "Strangers on a Train."

Here, he is energetic, fast-talking, and adorable as Jimmy, a clumsy bellhop assigned to Princess Hedy while she's in New York with her aunt (Agnes Moorhead). Hedy is fantastically beautiful, as always, though her part isn't very showy compared to the others.

June Allyson plays an invalid who lives upstairs from Jimmy and his buddy, played by Rags Ragland. She's very young, pretty, and sweet as a lonely young woman whose life is brightened by the constant entertainment of these two men.

She's in love with Walker, and when he develops a crush on Lamarr, her heart breaks. Lamarr is in love with a columnist, (a wooden Warner Anderson).

This movie seemed on the long side, but it's very warm and entertaining fare. Six years later, Walker will look as if he's aged 20 years. He's a light that went out too soon, and it's nice to remember him at his most vibrant.

Robert Walker plays Jimmy, the nice-guy bellboy from the film's title. He works at a hotel and spends most of his free time hanging out with Leslie, a disabled lady who has some weird disease. According to the Doc, she didn't get enough love as a child and as a result she apparently can't walk!! Sounds like she could use a good psychotherapist! Regardless, through the course of the film Leslie's heart is broken as Jimmy begins to spend less and less time with her and more with a beautiful Princess staying at the hotel (Hedy Lamarr). The Princess likes Jimmy and has asked the manager that he be assigned as her personal aid. However, through the course of the film, Jimmy overhears a conversation and thinks the Princess is in love with him! She IS in love with a commoner...but it sure ain't Jimmy! What's to happen with poor Leslie...and poor Jimmy...and the poor Princess...when she gets arrested?!

Most of this film is very nice, though occasionally the film drops the ball. First, there's the bizarre illness which can only happen in a Hollywood flick! Second, there's a very long and irrelevant dream sequence which just would have been better left out of the movie. Despite these complaints, the film is generally very nice-- sort of like a modern fairy tale and with some nice performances. Well worth seeing even with its flaws.

Never realized that Robert Walker, "Strangers On A Train", ever played the role as a bellhop named Jimmy Dobson who gets involved with a Princess Veronica played by Hedy Lamarr who was so very beautiful and charming in 1945. Jimmy Dobson escorts Princess Veronica around the hotel and through out New York City and introduces her to Frankfurter's in Central Park. However, the Princess is really looking for a man in New York City after being divorced from another man. June Allyson,(Leslie Odell) is a young sweet charming girl who is bed ridden and is very much in love with Jimmy Dobson and there is a conflict between these two woman. This is a very cute film and the entire cast did a great job in their acting and comedy acts. Enjoy.

Hedy Lamarr plays a foreign princess who travels with her entourage to New York City in the hopes of meeting up again with a former flame who writes a daily newspaper column (and detests royalty!); while staying in a swank hotel, the princess is befriended by a boyish, charming bellhop who develops a crush on her, despite the fact he's also playing big brother/boyfriend to a bed-ridden girl who lives in his walk-up. Very odd romantic comedy seems to lay the character eccentricities on a bit heavily...but once the mechanisms of the plot take hold, the players seem more at home within this scenario, which is jaunty and friendly more than funny. As the bellboy, Robert Walker doesn't seem to know whether to play his role like a grown-up or a klutzy kid--so he does both; he's very ingratiating with his double-takes and exasperated looks (he gives the hotel receptionist a beaut!), and a lengthy scene early on--with Walker reading a fairy tale out loud to his girl, and indeed the neighborhood--is very tricky yet easily pulled off by the actor. Lamarr is less successful; her royal visitor doesn't require a lot of joy or spontaneity, and she isn't reluctant to show her emotions, but still she's an awfully grim beauty, harboring love's disappointments. June Allyson has the strangest role, that of an invalid girl who can walk but chooses not to (?), but she beams like Judy Garland and her smile is a welcome relief after too much of Lamarr's scowling. There's a nice musical dream sequence that seems a little padded, yet the hotel staff, Agnes Moorehead's Countess, and Walker's cohorts are all a very likable bunch. Not a completely successful fantasy, but a well-produced, well-paced one with lots of happiness to go around. *** from ****

One of the best movies I've ever seen - and I've seen thousands. What I was expecting to be an empty but sweet chick flick turned into a really sweet story about appreciating the friends you have around you.

I have to say, this film has to have some of the best performances I've ever seen! Robert Walker is his usual adorable self, but I was greatly surprised and impressed by June Allyson's performance. This is my favorite of hers, as she is just so incredibly sincere and easy to love as Walker's invalid girlfriend, Leslie. Rags Ragland gives a brilliant performance as Albert, the slow, but loving friend.

Hedy Lamarr is of course, lovely, but she and Agnes Moorehead seemed to be totally overshadowed by Walker, Ragland, and Allyson who seem to steal the show right out from under them!

It's really a beautiful movie, that makes you think of who your friends really are.