Expensive Husbands

World War I left a lot of unemployed nobility and royalty and many like Patric Knowles were doing all kinds of real work to pay the rent. But they still have their titles. And there's a lot of rich folks who might like to have one.

Such a one is Beverly Roberts an actress who is somewhat past her prime and she's gone to Europe in hopes of picking up her career.. Maybe a title might do it and through the good offices of title broker Vladimir Sokoloff she winds up with Knowles whom she had dealings with as a waiter. He probably makes a better prince than waiter.

This one's a subpar comedy and I'm willing to bet this might have been offered to Errol Flynn and Olivia DeHavilland who wisely turned it down. Knowles was not good at all as the former prince of some Ruritanian principality. I'm not sure if he was trying an accent or not.

I'd skip this one.

The plot is mildly amusing, hough familiar. A movie star down on her luck thinks marrying into nobility will help. A man with a pedigree is down on his luck. We first meet him as a (supposedly) adorable waiter, doing things only a nobleman can do when trying to make a little money on the side. Guess what happens.

This movie tries for screwball. It tries for light romance. It ends as a screwed up lightweight mess.

The supporting cast is OK. But Beverly Roberts is highly unconvincing as a glamorous star. She is not the picture of femininity, to put it politely. She seems sort of a cross between Mercedes McCambridge (from the neck up) and Anthony Quinn as his body might appear in a frilly gown. That may give an idea of her, and the movie's, appeal.

I must confess that neither Beverly Roberts nor Patric Knowles are among my favorite stars, and this movie showed me why. Their love scenes are unconvincing. The screenplay doesn't help either, since it can't decide to be a romantic comedy or a musical At one point, a group of maids do a production number, which was very jolting and out of place. Knowles is an impoverished prince working as a waiter and Roberts is a movie star on a European promotional trip. He is very honest and tells her that her movie love scenes are very bad, causing her to be angry. (He's apparently a good critic.) When her agent (Allyn Joslyn) tells her she lost a part because the one who got it had married a count, and suggests she marry some royalty, she advertises for one! Naturally, Knowles gets the job. Though it was supposed to a marriage of convenience, she awaits him on her wedding night. He wants her to give up acting, so she goes back to Hollywood in a huff. Of course, Knowles follows, and it is easy to predict the ending because of the unfeminist attitudes of the 1930's. I don't know how the movie did at the box office, but I would have been annoyed I paid money to see it.

Prince Rupert (Patric Knowles) is working as a waiter in a hotel, and tells actress Laurine Lynne (Beverly Roberts) exactly what he thinks of her acting abilities. She is conflicted; at first, she is insulted, but then realizes he is right. Then, through a wacky transaction, they are married -- she wants a title to further her career (?) in return for money to be given to the Prince. It's a Warner Brothers B shortie, at only 62 minutes, so don't expect a whole lot. And they both have a servant/sidekick for comedic reasons. There are some choppy edits, and what must have been some deleted scenes (why are they in jail ??) but the picture and sound quality are mostly good. A couple fun little touches, like the fast, fancy dancing and twirling at dinner in the restaurant, or the bit where the maids make up the honeymoon bed. The acting was mostly good, for lesser known names, but both the script and the editing were pretty bad. And Knowles seems to be channeling Erik Rhodes from Gay Divorcée in a faux Italian accent. All the secrets are explained a the end, but the pacing is not smooth... very jumpy and awkward. Directed by Bobby Connolly, who had a background in dance and choreography. Connolly died quite young at 46... no cause of death listed.

Fading movie star Beverly Roberts is vacationing in Vienna, where waiter Patrick Knowles serves her. At the advice of her publicity man, Allyn Joslyn, she puts an ad in the newspapers for a title. Who shows up but Knowles, who rejoices in the title of Prince. They arrange a marriage of convenience, but Miss Roberts is disappointed there are no extras. She returns to Hollywood and a revived career, talking about how Knowles is stuck in Europe redecorating his castles for her. Then he shows up and starts spending her money.

Knowles is pretty good in his role, with a decent accent that sounds vaguely Italian. Miss Roberts is rather blah in the comedy, and the laziness in writing -- as indicated by Knowles' character being named Rupert of Rentzau -- shows through. Director Bobby Connolly tries to spice things up with a couple of musical production numbers, but even Joslyn doesn't put much zing into his lines. With Fritz Feld and Vladimir Sokoloff.