An American book salesman (Lloyd) is persuaded to go to the kingdom of Thermosa to impersonate the Prince. He is greeted by a peasants' revolt before the real prince shows up to claim his th... Read allAn American book salesman (Lloyd) is persuaded to go to the kingdom of Thermosa to impersonate the Prince. He is greeted by a peasants' revolt before the real prince shows up to claim his throne and princess. The revolution succeeds, and the American is elected president of the n... Read allAn American book salesman (Lloyd) is persuaded to go to the kingdom of Thermosa to impersonate the Prince. He is greeted by a peasants' revolt before the real prince shows up to claim his throne and princess. The revolution succeeds, and the American is elected president of the new republic.
- Prince of Roquefort
- (as Harry Pollard)
- Unidentified
- (uncredited)
- Courtier
- (uncredited)
- Revolution Woman
- (uncredited)
- Courtier
- (uncredited)
- …
- Queen of Thermosa
- (uncredited)
- Guard
- (uncredited)
- Court Assistant
- (uncredited)
- Roquefort's Valet
- (uncredited)
- Guard
- (uncredited)
- Noble
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
Harold Lloyd does a doppelganger story. I don't like the prince coming home which is a bit of a logistic muddle. The Prince's girlfriend should be back in America when he tells her about losing his inheritance. In that way, the Prince would have to make three crossings before coming home. The peasant revolt could be funnier or not be there at all. This is mostly fine.
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Harold Lloyd plays an American boy who is asked by a lookalike Prince to pretend to be him and marry the Princess (Mildred Davis). Lloyd agrees to do this but once in the new place he finds himself under attack by the locals who believe him to be the real Prince. HIS ROYAL SLYNESS has a couple funny scenes, which makes it worth watching to Lloyd fans but there's still no question that this is far from the actor's best work. I think the best scenes actually happen early on when we see the real Prince trying to make the moves on his mistress. The first sequence where the Prince meets the American contained some simple but effective laughs. The second portion of the film isn't nearly as strong as the American finds himself in a new land, trying to impress a girl and then of course coming under attack by the local people. Lloyd at least gets to show off some of his comic timing and especially during a sequence where he pretends to be a hunchback but the only problem is that the hunch keeps moving places. I think the story itself has enough cuteness to it and especially the story dealing with the Prince and the Princess. Again, this is certainly far from great material but it's worth watching.
This movie doesn't go for the jugular the way that "Duck Soup" did, but still sympathizes with the peasants (who wouldn't after seeing the worthless people who dominate the government?). It's no masterpiece but still a fun look at politics and the people's discontents therewith (which continue to this day).
Lloyd plays an American salesman with a strong resemblance to a visiting prince (played by Gaylord), who asks the American to appear in his place for some duties at court. Much of the comedy comes from the contrast between the outgoing, aggressive American and the self-indulgent, oafish members of the royal court. It's enjoyable both as comedy and as social satire, and it's also rather interesting as a record of some perceptions that may not have changed all that much. The comedy blends slapstick, sight gags, and other material to make for a good mix.
The revolution sequence brings things to an appropriate climax and ties everything together. Not all of the movie works flawlessly, but most of it is entertaining, and overall it's one of Harold Lloyd's more enjoyable short comedies.
Did you know
- TriviaHarold Lloyd's lookalike, the Prince of Razzamatazz, is played by his older brother, Gaylord Lloyd, who is not credited.
- GoofsThe tapestries behind the king and queen appear to be Native American, not Mediterranean.
The location of Razzamatazz and Thermosa is not specifically identified. Some hats appear to be mid-Eastern, Slavic, and Mediterranean; other attire, accessories, and palace furnishings could be from any number of geographic locations. This is simply a case of artistic interpretation of an unidentified foreign land.
- Quotes
Prince's Bodyguard: Our boat sails in an hour - railroad time.
- ConnectionsRemade as Vive le roi (1926)
Details
- Runtime
- 27m
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1