The Royal Bed

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.

As you sit and watch "The Royal Bed", it's very obvious that it was originally a play. It has a talky, stagy style and it seems, at times, like actors pause to wait for the audience to react--when there is no audience. It's also a sad waste of some talents, as Lowell Sherman (a very much unknown and under-appreciated actor today) and Mary Astor were clearly better than this material.

When the film begins, the overbearing queen of a fictional country has announced that she's arranged for a marriage between her daughter and the prince of some other fictional nation. Princess Anne (Astor) is distraught--as she doesn't know this man and she's been secretly in love with a commoner (a rich one, nevertheless). Well, the snobby queen will have nothing to do with this love match, but the king (Sherman) vows to work behind the scene so that Anne will be happy. Unfortunately, a revolution breaks out and the king's promises seem unlikely to be fulfilled. Anne vows to kill herself if she cannot marry her beloved Freddie!

The first 75% of this film was a real snoozer. The stagy dialog and lack of action certainly contributed to this. Fortunately, the film picked up considerably and Sherman certainly was in his element once the film took off. The one who did not come off so well was Astor, as her character just seemed selfish and immature. At one point, she and her father were talking about the impact of her marrying a commoner might have on the revolution and she replied 'let them throw their bombs!'-- wow, what a competent and selfless woman!

Overall, if you can get through the boring first part of the film, the last portion does deliver.

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.

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.

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!