Service for Ladies

Service For Ladies is an early film by producer Alexander Korda in Great Britain before he started his London Film Company. This one was made under the auspices of Paramount Pictures shot over on the other side of the pond and released in America and in the United Kingdom under their white mountain banner.

I'm not sure how well it did here because it deals with the European concept of class distinctions. Not that we don't have it here, but in America it usually involves money. Over there it's titles.

Leslie Howard plays the head waiter at a posh London night spot where Morton Selten and daughter Elizabeth Allan are dining out. One look at her and he chases her to the continent when he hears she's going to a resort. And she gets it in her head that Howard is some kind of royalty. After all there is a king from some unnamed country vacationing there who knows Howard who is played by George Grossmith. Of course the king's dined at Howard restaurant before.

Service For Ladies is kind of a Cinderella story in reverse where the boy is the one who gets the magical evening. Howard plays the role with his usual charm. I'm sure it did well over in Europe, I can't see it having much of a market in Depression America. Still it's a nice dated antique of a film.

There is not a whole lot of story or plot, but the cast members are uniformly talented and their characters are generally likable.

That plus the production values and the interesting look at England, and especially London, in the early 1930s make "Service for Ladies" a pleasant entertainment.

I saw this on Turner Classic Movies and, as I have found with so many English movies on TCM, the sound was rather garbled and hard to understand.

Perhaps it's just the age of the film -- I mean, surely it's not the age of the ears.

Regardless, "Service for Ladies" is fun, definitely watchable.

Alexander Korda's first British film is a typical escapist depression-era fantasy set in the lap of luxury in which the action moves from London to the Austrian Tyrol and back again without ever leaving the studio.

Kings travel incognito, the hero promptly falls in love with a girl he just happened to be standing next to while waiting for a taxi (although the Hays Office would have soon taken issue with him simultaneously juggling her with the high maintainance mistress he already has), and the difference between wearing black tie and white tie is considered important enough for characters to remark upon at one point.

Max Tracey (Leslie Howard) is a superb head waiter. He works at the finest restaurant and is beloved by the rich as well as royalty. However, he also knows that no matter how much these folks adore him and look to him, he still will never be one of them. Ironically, when he goes on vacation and is mistaken for a prince traveling incognito! And, to make matters interesting, a lovely young countess falls for her and he rebuffs her advances. She thinks it's because this 'prince' thinks he's above her....whereas in reality he realizes a commoner has little chance with a countess. What's to come of all this? See the film.

This clever film gently pokes fun at the British class system and I enjoyed it quite a bit. It never is a laugh out loud film....more one that makes you think. I noticed some found it slow and tough viewing....I found it clever and engaging....with a lovely performance by Howard.

I love this movie (except for the title), which I found on YouTube when searching for George Grossmith. I have one slight quibble with the action: Peggy would have noticed Sylvia as Sylvia walked from the bar where she had been waiting for Max. But who cares? Perfectly cast, light as a feather, totally delightful and smoothly acted. Howard at his subtle best.