Sa majesté est de sortie

"The King Steps Out" is a very good comedy romance and musical. The latter is mostly in seeming impromptu songs that female lead, Grace Moore, sings a few of. This is a whimsical treatment of some real-life people in the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It's a highly fictitious account of the meeting and marriage of Franz Joseph I and his cousin Elisabeth. In real life, he was 18 and she was 10 when they first met in 1848. He became emperor that year, survived an assassination attempt five years later, and then married Elisabeth ("Sisi") in 1854 when she was 16.

But the rest of the characters and parts of the story are fairly accurate. The king's mother, Sophie, had a strong hand behind the scene, and she had originally wanted him to marry Sisi's sister, Helene, who was four years older than she.

Well, this isn't meant to be a history lesson or biography, but a sort of fairy tale romance and comedy. And, it's quite good on those fronts, as well as offering a good look and listen to Grace Moore. I knew nothing of the then famous opera singer and actress. She made only nine films and performed in operas until her tragic death at age 48 in 1947. She had just finished a performance to a packed house of 4,000 people in Copenhagen on January 27. But, the plane she boarded to fly to Stockholm crashed and exploded on takeoff.

Moore has a very good voice and a very sparkling character that I think lights up this story. Franchot Tone plays opposite her as Emperor Franz Joseph. All of the cast are good, including three very prominent and excellent supporting actors of the 1930s and 1940s in comedy. Walter Connolly plays Sisi's father, Maximilian, the Duke of Bavaria. Raymond Walburn plays Col. Von Kempen. And Thurston Hall plays the Major. A number of other very good actors of the day contribute. Herman Bing has a considerable supporting role as the flustered proprietor of the Ox Inn, Pretzelberger. The one strange cast member is Victor Jory who plays Capt. Palfi, who's in love with Princess Helena. He would become mostly known for many later roles as an outlaw in Westerns or a shady character in crime and drama films.

The sprightly performance of Grace Moore and the comedy with Tone, Connolly and Bing make this a very fun film to watch. Beer drinkers are wont to get quite thirsty watching this film, with the Duke of Bavaria having to try so many brews.

Every serious director seems to have one frivolous gem of a comedy in him. Bergman had Smiles of a Summer Night. Hitchcock had Mr. and Mrs. Smith. This is von Sternberg's. The sometimes starchy "Miss Grace Moore" is relaxed and charming. Kriesler's tunes are as buoyant and sleek as the decor. Rich and sweet as a Viennese pastry and total escapism -- if one can forget the sad fate of the real-life Cissy who was mistreated by husband and mother-in-law and eventually assassinated. Another Hollywood deviation: Cissy was noted for her gorgeous hip-length black hair. Moore has short blonde curls. Oh, well, forget such petty details and let's have another delicious, delirious waltz.

Grace Moore stars with Franchot Tone and Walter Connolly in "The King Steps Out" from 1936. It's directed by the Josef von Sternberg, normally known for more serious fare.

The operetta concerns the Duke of Bavaria (Connolly) bringing his older daughter to Vienna to marry the Emperor Franz Josef. His younger daughter, Sissi, goes along and poses as a dressmaker. She catches the eye of the Emperor, but he doesn't realize she's royalty.

Moore, a Metropolitan Opera star, enjoyed a nine-year film career. She had a beautiful voice and was a vivacious Sissi. Tone is elegant and charming. And the supporting cast is excellent, including Connolly, Victor Jory, and Herman Bing.

There are a couple of problems with this film. The first is that the music isn't great. The second is that the real Emperor Franz Josef was assassinated, as Sissi was 20 years later. A real downer. Plus, they weren't that happy together. If you can pretend these are fictional characters, it's okay.

In Austria and Germany, Sissi is a cult figure on the level of Princess Diana here. Her face appears on products, cookies and jewelry are named after her, there are statues of her, books about her, a play, ballet, as well as a musical and three films about her starring Romy Schneider that are shown at Christmas.

Of note, this was the film debut of 11-year-old Gwen Verdon, who dances in the ballet.

I've always liked Grace Moore in movies, though I'm not quite sure why. She wasn't the greatest singer, and she had some annoying vocal mannerisms. But she certainly sang with enthusiasm, and that is probably what I've enjoyed about her film appearances.

Sometimes, as in her first success, One Night of Love, the singing was spirited but her delivery of dialog often stilted. That's not the case in this movie. She really comes across most often as very comfortable and natural, qualities that her co-star, Franchot Tone, had in spades. That, I think, is what makes this movie work for me. They are very good in their scenes together, very believable.

What remains a problem for me is the musical aspect of this movie. Others have complained that the songs aren't memorable. For me some are, like The Old Refrain, others not. But the big problem, for me, is that all the musical numbers, with the exception of one march, are vocal solos for Moore. (The march is sung by a men's chorus with Moore singing over them.) Because none of the other characters ever join in the singing, the musical numbers seem isolated from the rest of the picture, and it comes off less as a musical than as a romantic comedy with inserted songs. If you contrast it with a Jeannette MacDonald/Nelson Eddy or Maurice Chevalier picture from the same era, you see the difference.

The plot, as Viennese operettas go, isn't bad. The supporting actors are all good, though I agree that a little of Herman Bing goes a long way, and there is more than a little of him here.

All in all, an agreeable romantic comedy, with inserted songs that don't do anything to advance the story and could, indeed, be cut out without any loss in most cases.

Notable for starring Grace Moore, being directed by Josef Von Sternberg and having tunes by none other than violin virtuoso and composer Fritz Kreisler, 'The King Steps Out' is still an enchanting and very entertaining film in its own right.

Its weak point is the story, which is very slight and occasionally veers on the wrong side of absurd. Herman Bing's role is also a little over-exposed, and while Fritz Kreisler's songs are lovely, lushly orchestrated and full of energy and pathos the only ones that really have unforgettable staying power are "Stars in My Eyes" and "What Shall Remain" (there's absolutely nothing wrong with them, they just don't have the wow factor).

'The King Steps Out' is a gorgeous-looking film though, with sumptuous period detail and photography that really shimmers. The script is heart-warming, light-footed and smart, with Walter Connolly and especially Herman Bing (did mention about him being over-exposed but still loved the performance) providing some scene-stealing moments, Bing especially delighting by facial expressions, use of voice and body language.

Sternberg directs more than competently, personally didn't think any lack of trust in the material came through, and the energy and enchanting charm 'The King Steps Out' exudes in every frame makes it such an easy film to like. Moore proves to be a graceful leading lady, beautiful in voice and a deft comedienne, while Franchet Tone is elegantly charming. Their chemistry is sweet and wholly natural.

All in all, slight but enchanting. Moore may be the main attraction, but she is certainly not the only reason to see this. 7/10 Bethany Cox